At Age Fifty, These Women Set a High Bar!

Women are constantly trying to hold on to their youthful good looks using lotions, creams and anything that promises to bring them to that seemingly elusive fountain of youth. There are some women, however, who have managed to age gracefully while handling powerful positions with the grace of a swan.

Enter the Fab over Fifty website that highlights fabulous women over fifty. Fabulous seems to be an understatement. One only has to click through the pictures of these beautiful women and notice that they are calmly beautiful; extremely well-rounded; very ambitious; and very strong women. They have an elegance about them that lends to a calm atmosphere.

The website celebrates the older woman's style and gives ideas and advice about books, shopping gems, perfumes, restaurants, signature pieces, wines and spirits, and more. They also offer financial advice specifically designed for this particular age-group. Some of the women highlighted include Jayne Conroy - Partner at Hanly, Conroy, Bierstein, Sheridan, Fisher, & Hayes, LLP; Dorothy Terrell-Board Member of General Mills and Herman Miller; Mary Ann Quinson-Family Therapist, President of the Board of the Barrington Stage Company; and more. The women are extremely accomplished and it is wonderful to see this age group being recognized for something other than residency in a nursing home.

Li Na and Zheng Jie Makes China Proud in Australian Open

Li Na put China on the map with her tremendous showing in the quarter-finals against Venus Williams in the Australian Open tennis championship.

In a brilliant three-set game, she bested Venus 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 and moved on to the finals. This was done the day after Zheng Jie beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3 to move on to the semi-finals.

Li-Na met with Serena Williams and, after an impressive showing, lost in a thrillingly tight two-set match. Forced into several tie breakers, Li Na made it clear that she was a force to be reckoned with. Zheng Jie lost to Belgium's Justine Henin, 6-1, 6-0. Serena and Justine meet in the finals later on this week.

Although the two Chinese ladies did not make it all the way, their ability to play has been printed indelibly in the tennis world's minds. They will be two to watch.

Boardroom Posts for Women in France

France is now requiring that French companies reserve 40 percent of all boardroom posts for women. In a new bill sponsored by President Sarkozy's party, UMP, the move will help increase the percentage of women in boardroom posts from 10 percent to 40 percent.

The original bill attempted to provide a 50-50 gender equality in the boardroom, but was considered unworkable. In the new version, companies will have three years to build the number of women on their boards to 20 percent and then have three more years to get the number up to 40 percent.

The revised bill is already drawing scrutiny from other European countries where several leaders are working on decreasing disparities based on gender issues. In Britain, equalities minister Harriet Harman is keeping a close eye on the situation. She has been working on reducing the gender pay gap and will likely use lessons learned from the French process to help her fight for the Equalities Bill.

France is following the footsteps of Norway which implemented a quota for female representation in the boardroom in 2003, and Spain which introduced something similar in 2007.

Cosmopolitan Women of The Year

Cosmopolitan held it's Ultimate Women of the Year awards in November and it was well-attended. Among the winners were Ruth Jones, winner of the 'Ultimate Funny Woman' Award, Kimberley Walsh, winner of the 'Ultimate Women's Woman' award, Sarah Brown; Jessica Ennis, winner of the 'Ultimate Sports Woman; and Vernon Kay.

They are posed outside Number 10 prior to a breakfast reception hosted by Sarah Brown for the winners of Cosmopolitan's Women Of The Year Awards at Downing Street on November 12, 2009 in London, England.

Global Woman Photo Contest

About the Contest

Global Woman presents its 1st Annual Portrait of a Global Woman Photo Contest. What is a global woman? That is the question that you, the photographer, can answer with your lens. This photo contest offers photographers from around the world an opportunity to capture and share their vision of the essence of a Global Woman.

The following prizes will be given out:

1st prize is $1,000 and the winner will have their photo printed full page, in the magazine, with a bio printed inside, and showcased on the Global Woman website. 2nd prize is $500 and the winner will have their photo printed in the magazine and on the website. 3rd prize is $300 and the winner will have their photo printed in the magazine and on the website. Along with the winners, the honorable mentions will be published in the 4th Edition of the magazine in a 6 to 8 page spread, and may be published on our website in a slideshow as well. Those honorable mentions will each receive a $25 gift card or one year subscription to Global Woman magazine.

How to enter:

Go to the submit page and pay the entry fee--$25 for a general entry or $40 for an entry and a subscription to Global Woman magazine—and upload up to 5 photos. They must be 72 dpi, and in JPEG or TIFF format. Each photograph must be labeled with your first and last name, and a number to identify each picture (for example: dorthea_lange1.jpg). Finalists will be required to send in high resolution files for publication in the magazine and on our website. Photo illustrations and wholly digital creations will not be accepted at this time. Photos created by digital and film cameras will be accepted. By accepting these rules you certify you are the copyright owner. The contest will run from October 16, 2009 through January 15, 2010. Global Woman magazine reserves the right to cancel the contest at any time, for any reason, without prior notice or obligation.

Global Woman is a premier quarterly magazine and monthly webzine that covers the latest issues on women around the world. The publication serves to connect women from coast to coast and beyond, catering to their needs and giving voice to the many issues that affect their daily lives.

Celebrating CNN Heroes

CNN has an annual award they give to ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things in their corner of the world. Among the nominees this year are two women who are doing remarkable things.

Betty Makoni - Zimbabwe - Betty Makoni is a child rape survivor who is giving voice to other child rape victims. Makoni was raped by a shopkeeper when she was 6 years old. Her mother told her not to say it in public. In later years she witnessed her father kill her mother and realized that silence can be deadly. Determined to make a difference for other girls, she started an organization called the Girl Child Network. Forced to flee Zimbabwe because of her efforts, she has continued the work in the United Kingdom. A documentary, 'Tapestries of Hope', has been made about her efforts in Zimbabwe.

Andrea Ivory - Florida - Andrea Ivory is a survivor. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she realized that had it not been for the regular mammograms she received, she might not have caught it in time. She also realized that for uninsured women, the likelihood that it would be caught in the end-stages was highly likely. Determined to make a difference, she started the Florida Breast Health Initiative (FBHI) to help reach out to this underserved group and educate them about breast health.

FBHI has partnered with a local hospital to provide free mammogram screening to this particular population. The impact has been felt in her community and many of the volunteers who go door-to-door are recipients of the benefits of the free mammograms. Some of them had their breast cancer caught in enough time to treat it.

Ivory is determined to continue making a difference for as many women as possible and hopes to expand this help beyond the Florida Borders.

These two women help embody what heroes are made of. Congratulations to both ladies on their nomination. No matter who wins, they are heroes to the people whose lives they have touched.

Girls Talk Tech

We always want to raise girls who are passionate about computers, science and math, and there are many sites that help cultivate that passion. The problem comes after they get older and want to continue to hone their technical skills. Where do they go? One really good site is Girls In Tech, which was started by Adriana F. Gascoigne.

The site pulls together the things women love to do (socialize), and marries it with conferences, workshops, social engagements, and recruitment events. Adriana's vision and mission is to provide a place for women to cultivate ideas around their careers and business concepts involving technology.

Women get a chance to share technical knowledge, access resources and develop their businesses. This is a great site for those interested in networking with like-minded technical folks.