Wednesday, March 6, 2013

International Women’s Day: “Gaining Momentum” on Gender Equality


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Come March 8 and throughout this month, the whole world will celebrate International Women’s Day. Ever since it was established nearly a century ago, the observance of this yearly event has been focused on the empowerment of women, in which respect, appreciation and love towards them are highly regarded.

As it is with other celebratory events, the International Women’s Day is often bound by themes that are political and social in structure. Global institutions, from organizations, governments, to women’s groups, often have their own themes each year with regard to the struggle of women and other relevant issues on both the global and local levels.

Recent themes celebrate the vital achievements that women garnered amidst the dominance of men within the political, social, and economic strata. In fact, the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.

Women and gender equality


On a related note, the United Nations (UN) has its own theme for this year, and that is A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women. As we all know, the recent news reports of violence against women, physical abuse or otherwise, have been on the rise. Despite the measures to solve such issues, institutions have been aggressively promoting women’s rights in all aspects of society, letting the world know of the daily struggles and hardships that they strive to do just to be recognized equally.

Looking at the theme for the upcoming International Women’s Day, addressing the issues with regard to equal rights of women have been, so to speak, gaining momentum. Current institutions have been instrumental in keeping up with the times as regards to this common goal. As we all know, women nowadays have become catalysts for change, continuing the ongoing fight to sustain what their predecessors have fought for.

Changes in the employment scene

One of the most pressing issues that are often tackled during this time of year as regards to women and their rights is in the realm of employment. As it is, discrimination and harassment have become even more and more rampant despite employment and labor laws. In most, if not all, cases of such unfair treatment often target women.

The common challenges that they face in employment include getting sexually harassed by their employers and receiving less than the amount of pay and benefits than their male counterparts. Any employment decisions that are motivated by gender or sex and degrade the value of women are deemed unfair and wrong in the eyes of the law.

Thankfully, agencies on the federal level such as the EEOC, as well as those on the state level, have been pursuing the rights of aggrieved women by going after employers that discriminate against them.

Incidentally, Los Angeles employment lawyers and other legal experts hope that giving importance to women and their accomplishments shouldn’t be made on one day only. People must realize the impact of women in the society, and recognize that they, too, are gaining momentum in terms of achieving and sustaining equal rights.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Big Fight against DUI Preventing Accidents Caused by Drunk Drivers


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The responsibility that comes with driving your vehicle
Driving a vehicle entails a lot of responsibility. Most people think that they are the only ones that will be affected should an accident happen because of their recklessness. Little did they know that these mishaps can also affect the lives of others on the road.

For one, drunk driving or driving under the influence of alcohol or any other controlled and prohibited substance has been one of the major causes of vehicular accidents in the country. In California alone, thousand of crashes happen every year that causes millions of damage to property, gets thousands of people either injured or dead.

The government’s campaign to stop DUI

That is why the government, through the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as other law-enforcement agencies like the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has been doubling their efforts in try to put a stop to senseless road accidents from happening. These efforts seem to be paying off quit well.

Recent DUI apprehensions

Just recently, controversial rapper Bobby Brown has been arrested yet again and sentence to 55 days in jail and four years of summary of probation for being caught driving under the influence of alcohol. This is his latest of a series of the government’s drunk driving arrests over the years. Catching a prominent personality is one major boost in raising awareness about the government’s campaign to put a stop to drunk driving.

Brown is just one of the many celebrities that were apprehended and jailed due to driving under the influence of alcohol or any controlled or banned substances. Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and others have also been apprehended for the same offenses.

This is just the beginning
The government’s intensified campaign against drunk driving is just one of the many efforts that are put in place to help bring down the number of road accidents in the country. A Los angeles injury lawyer lauded this move by the government as he believes that by getting drunk or drugged people off the steering wheel, there would be lesser chances of accidents happening, making our roads safer for everybody. Many people and organizations are supporting this effort by the government by helping organize events to help reach out a much people as possible. This show that everybody, celebrity or not will be dealth with accordingly depending on their offenses.

Monday, March 4, 2013

New “Cool” Car Features That Would Help Elderly Drivers


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On a cultural standpoint, most cars that are perceived as being “cool” and “hip” often catch the attention of many driving enthusiasts. In fact, one can name cultural icons and personalities who are very much associated with the vehicles they drive.

One of them is Rowan Atkinson. We all have watched him in character on many TV and cartoon series, as well as movies, being the childish jester doing funny antics while occasionally driving around on his Mini with his best friend, Teddy. In real life, Atkinson, who had his own share of misfortunes (including what had happened to him recently), is well-recognized for his overwhelming passion for cars.

Sure, personalities such as him, as well as other people of the middle or high level of society, can very much afford cars that are considered “cool” in both appearance and performance. However, such vehicles don’t only catch the eye of enthusiasts, particularly the younger generation of drivers. Apparently, “cool” cars now have features that would help the elderly drive easier.

While research shows that it is more likely for elderly drivers to wear seatbelts and drive slowly but surely, aging is still a primary contributing factor as to they get involved in accidents on the road. There are certain conditions in which driving can become a bit difficult, which is why carmakers today are doing its best to design vehicles for the benefit of the elderly, especially those who are physically limited.

One of them is the push-button ignition. For some elderly drivers who can’t turn the car keys on the ignition upon the vehicle’s startup, pushing the button would do the trick. Another feature in future cars is that the car doors are wider, enough for the driver or passenger to get in or out. For those who have difficulty turning their heads, or have poor peripheral vision, vehicles with lane-assistance technology are for them.

Incidentally, every Los Angeles car accident attorney is elated with this new development in the motoring industry, as these will not only help elderly drivers operate such vehicles comfortably and easily, but would likely decrease injuries and deaths in road accidents within the age group.