Photo of the Day: Sen. Olympia Snowe shares a laugh

Tom Williams

Now isn't this cute. A reporter and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) share a laugh before she heads into a senate republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill. 

Sen. Snowe leads effort to support women's rights in Middle East

Getty

Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME-R) has introduced legislation in the Senate pressing world leaders in North African and the Middle East to honor the rights of women in their countries. In addition to Sen. Snowe, the other 16 women in the Senate have signed on and are supporting this historic legislation.

From the Office of Senator Snowe:

“Essential to the success and stability of any government is the equal voice and participation of women,” said Senator Snowe. “The spirit and devotion exemplified by women in North Africa and the Middle East – and the ongoing challenges they continue to face – is both an inspiration to us all and a reminder that discrimination and gender-based violence endures around the world. I honor their commitment to ensuring future generations enjoy the guaranteed equality and basic human rights for which they endeavor to this day and remain steadfast in my commitment to these universal liberties.”

11 Women to Watch in 2011

At the beginning of the 2010 election cycle, many commentators and pundits believed that this was the year to run as a woman. We saw a record number of women run and a lot of excitement around their candidacy. Yet after the midterm elections were over and done, we saw the numbers for women in Congress not increase since 1987! Despite those odds, we are keeping our eyes on a couple of women who could do amazing things in 2011. Here are our 11 Women to Watch in 2011.

Terri Sewell - freshman Congresswoman out of Alabama, is the first African American woman to be elected from the state. With the same pedigree as the First Lady Michelle Obama, undergraduate degree from Princeton and law degree from Harvard University, she is definitely one to watch.

Kirsten Gillibrand - after lobbying successfully for the passage of the 9/11 Act and repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", this freshman senator solidified herself as a force to be reckoned with. And after winning her election by a landslide this past November, she proved that she deserved to walk in Hillary Clinton's footsteps.

Elizabeth Warren - recently featured on the Political Girl for her photo opt in Vogue, she was recently appointed by President Obama to as Assistant to the President and Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection, she is charged with protecting the American people for another failure of the Wall Street banks.

Kamala Harris - the newly elected District Attorney of California is already making the media rounds with a profile in Politico and an upcoming spread in Harper's Bazaar, however she has made it clear that her first priority is keeping the residents of California safe.

Michelle Rhee - When she stormed into Washington, DC 3 years ago she had the city buzzing by firing hundreds of students and closing over 20 schools. With the defeat of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty in September, she decided to leave the post and recently announced on Oprah that she was starting Students First, an organization to support student reform around the country.

 


Find out who else made the list by clicking below!

Politicalgirls: Newsmakers 2009

Some made history and others reclaimed their places in the political limelight. One wrote a book and another championed women rights around the world. These are the Politicalgirls that were Newsmakers in 2009.

Michelle Obama -  She became the first African American First Lady and during her inaugural year advocated for military families and promoted healthier eating for school age children. Hillary Clinton -  Following her failed presidential run, the current Secretary of State threw  herself into her new position of restoring America's image abroad. Sarah Palin -  She shocked the political world this year when she resigned as governor of Alaska and released her New York Times bestseller, Going Rogue: An American Life. Nancy Pelosi - Became the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2007, and has led the House in passing some of President Obama biggest initiatives. Susan Rice - The first African American Ambassador to the United Nations, she has helped pass a resolution in the UN condemning sexual violence against women and has supported other initiatives aimed at assisting women worldwide. Sonia Sotomayor - The third woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, she is also the first Hispanic to serve on the nation's highest court.  Olympia Snowe -  A moderate Republican from Maine, she is known for working with her Senate counterparts. While she did not lend her support to the Democrats on the recent Senate health care bill, earlier this year she was one of only 3 Republicans that supported the stimulus bill. Kathleen Sebelius -  While she hasn't been front and center on the health care debate the Health and Human Services Secretary, helped calm the public nerves about the H1N1 flu this year.