Archive for the ‘women’ Category
Why Italy’s women are out of work
Posted on: April 19, 2008
- In: domestic | economy | Europe | family | girls | Italy | out of work | women
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The economy is one of the big issues in the forthcoming General Election in Italy.
Some are questioning why in particular the country has one of the lowest rates of women’s employment in the European Union.
Why is there so much female unemployment in one of Europe’s most developed countries?
Italy has almost the lowest rate of female employment in the European Union – just 46 percent of Italian women have jobs, and the figure is even lower in the south of the country.
Italy’s minister for European affairs Emma Bonino believes that getting women into work would help revive the country’s economy.
“We have six million women, more or less, who do not have access to a job or are not looking for one anymore,” she told BBC World Service’s Analysis programme.
“In any country, if you had six million men out of the job market it would be an emergency. In Italy you have six million women and, apparently, it is thought to be normal.”
Demand
The state of the economy is likely to be one of the key issues in the election in a few days’ time.
And Italian economist Fiorella Kostoris says that the current state of insufficient growth means many more women are needed in the economy.
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  It is important that women understand what is happening to them, and take the strength publicly to say it is unacceptable  European affairs minister Emma Bonino
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She says the jobs are available, but the demand is not effective because women are not seen as good candidates.
“Provided there was a fight against discrimination towards women – in particular in the south – there would be a demand for them,” she added.
“And there would be a supply, because of the female unemployment.”
Family
In order to work out how to get these women into the job market it is important to understand why they are unemployed.
Traditionally, women are absent from the workforce in order to have children – but Italy has an exceptionally low birthrate too.
“In Italy, family and domestic responsibility fall almost completely on women’s shoulders,” RAI news Mariella Zezza, who broadcasts a programme about the role of Italian women in society.
There are calls for Italy’s media to show more than glamour girls
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Because “family” in Italy refers to extended family, even women without children might give up looking for work to look after elderly relatives.
“We need to offer tax incentives to women, and the state should think about what mothers who work need. They should build more nurseries, for example.”
Ok. Now we’re in the top 10 and the sports world has never been more on fire. So who are the top 10 most beautiful women in sports? Read on and find out…
10. Romi Bean
Ah, cheerleaders! Romi is one of the 34 members of the Denver Broncos cheerleader team. Wait a minute, did I just say 34? Holy crap, imagine what it must be to visit their changing room after the game….
9. Amanda Beard
This is our fifth swimmer? Man, what a blessed sport. Apart from being hot as hell, Amanda is also a fantastic swimmer. She made her first Olympic appearance at the age of 14! She also got featured in several publications, including Sports Illustrated, FHM and Playboy.
8. Maria Kirilenko
Yet another Russian tennis player, I know. But it would be pure negligence to leave Maria Kirilenko out of this list right? A bit of trivia: she is a very good friend of Maria Sharapova. I found this info Wikipedia, and I guess it will keep my imagination busy for a while.
7. Jenny Adams
This track and field American athlete got famous after she appeared on the FHM magazine “Sexy Olympic” edition. She will probably participate in the next Olympic games too, so keep an eye for the lady.
6. Daniela Cicarelli
Not a sportswoman, but the ex-girlfriend of Ronaldo. He is one of the best soccer players of all time, but letting this girl go was definitely a dumb thing to do. The picture says it all, I am speechless.
5. Maria Sharapova
This is a woman not for the faint of heart. At 6 feet and 2 inches, the Russian beauty is a former number one tennis player in the world. And she only has 20 years. I just couldn’t find if she is engaged (personally I prefer to think she is still a virgin).
4. Haley Cope
Haley was born in Chico, California. Her best swimming performance was the gold medal on the world championship. We would be her fans even without these achievements though, especially after she appeared on Maxim and Playboy.
3. Alisson Stokke
Allison is a pole vaulter for the California high school. She doesn’t have any major sport achievements to date, but she became immensely popular on the Internet after a big website featured her pictures. Well, after I saw the images I became her biggest fan immediately.
2. Bia e Branca
No, you are not seeing double. They are actually twins. These two hot bombs come from Brazil, and they represented their country on the 2007 Pan American games on the synchronized swimming. I was able to read the local press during the event, and they received most of the coverage. No wonder why!
1. Ana Kournikova
We know that placing Ana Kournikova on top of a “hot” list is becoming a cliché. Trust us that we really tried to find someone else. After the strenuous task of analyzing ever curve of her body, on every picture that we could find on the web, we could not help but give her the first position. She is hot beyond what we thought was possible….
The 50 Hottest Women of Sports: 1-10
Now we’re down to the top 20 most beautiful women in all of sports. Things are starting to get a lot hot and smoky, if you know what we mean…
20. Amy Taylor
Amy was a soccer player with the Australian national team, and she played on the United States professionally as well. Back in 2000 she posed for a nude calendar with her team mates. Too bad we could not include the whole team here!
19. Kristi Leskinen
Kristi is an American freestyle skier, and she won a bronze in the Women’s Superpipe competition. More impressive yet is the fact that she figured at the 90 position of the FHM “sexiest women of 2005″ list.
18. Anna Rawson
This is the third golfer to appear in our list (yeah, I am also wondering if I should start playing that…). She started modeling at a very young age, and in 2004 she became a professional player. She has 26 years, and was born in Australia.
17. Kristina Lum
Kristina is an Olympic synchronized swimmer. She was one of the first female swimmers to use a male partner. Well, I am not that good with synchronized movements underwater, but I volunteer myself as well….
16. Tatiana Grigorieva
As you can see we are starting to enter into the “really hot” zone. Tatiana was born in Russia, but she competes for Australia on the pole vault discipline. She is a bombshell, what can I say?
15. Logan Tom
Logan is one of the most complete American volleyball players (and one of the sexiest, we might add). She was born in California, and that is where she currently lives.
14. Elisabetta Canalis
If you are not familiar with the Italian culture, let me summarize it this way: Elisabeta Canalis is one of the most desired women on the whole country. What is her connection with the world of sports you might ask? Well, she used to date famous soccer player Christian Vieri, and she also became the presenter of a soccer TV program. (Do yourself a favor a search the Google images for her name…)
13. Ana Paula Mancino
Brazil also has hot bodies, and this girl is the proof. Ana Paula was born in 1971, and she started playing volleyball at the age of 12. When she was 19 she moved to Italy to play with the Campobasso team.
12. Niki Gudex
Niki is a professional mountain biker. She lives in Sydney, Australia. Apart from competing in that sport she is also a model. The magazine FHM included her on the “100 Sexiest Women in the World” list on 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2005. Nice!
11. Malia Jones
You cant make a list with hot women without including a surfer, right? Malia was born in 1977 in Hawaii, and many people say that she contributed to raise the interest on the sport among young girls. Well, she got me interested as well.
In this section of the list of 50 hottest women of sports, we move into the bottom half. Starting at 30 and going down to 21, we feature some of most beautiful stars of volleyball, soccer and swimming.
30. Gabrielle Reece
Gabrielle took a quite unusual career path. First she became a model, and then she started playing volleyball professionally. Well, we are fine with that, since it probably helped to make her body the statue it is today.
29. Michelle Wie
I wonder if one should spell her surname like the Nintendo console. Anyway, this is the youngest entry of our list. She was born in 1989 (make the maths lazy ass) in Hawaii. Back in 2005 she became a professional golfer, and now she takes part in the LPGA.
28. Victoria Adams
Before people start bitching, the list covers “hot girls from the sports world,” which goes beyond athletes. Victoria is married to famous soccer player David Beckham, so we figured she is qualified to appear here. Actually, take a look at the picture and let me know if these curves are not enough credentials.
27. Heather Mitts
When I see soccer players like this, I wonder why men and women are not allowed to play together. Heather plays in the U.S. National Soccer Team (she is a defender in the case you were wondering). In 2004 she was also elected the “Hottest Female Athlete” by ESPN. No kidding!
26. Misty May
Misty May is a professional beach volleyball player. Born in California, her highest achievement was the gold medal on the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the age of 30, she is definitely still on top of her game!
25. Milene Domingues
Milene is the ex-wife of soccer legend Ronando. That alone would be enough to enter on our list, but to top it off she is also one of the best female soccer players in the world, and pretty damn hot. They had a child as well, and I wonder if they kid will inherit their talent.
24. Laure Manaudou
Laure is a lovely French girl of 22 years old. She is also incredibly talented, being the current holder of the world swimming records for the 400m and 200m freestyle. A couple of months ago she became very popular thanks to some nude pictures of herself that leaked on the web (Google is your friend if you want to find them).
23. Stacy Keibler
Put together a mix of German and American hot stuff, and the result is Stacy. Stacy was a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens and professional wrestler and manager for the World Wrestling Entertainment. Currently she is trying a career as an actress, and has appearances on several TV shows.
22. Ana Ivanovic
One of the youngest (and hottest) entries on our list, at twenty years old. Born in Serbia, she is a professional tennis player, and currently the number two at the WTA world ranking. You go girl!
21. Ashley Tappin
We have a weakness for a cute brunettes, and Ashley Tappin is definitely one. She won three Olympic gold medals, and after retiring from competitive swimming in 2001 she started a couching career.
Moving forward in PopCrunch’s 50 Hottest Women of Sports, here are positions 31-40. Athletes have extremely toned bodies that very few in Hollywood can match.
40. Danica Patrick
At 5′2 feet tall, and weighting 100 pounds, Danica is a heck of a sexy racing driver. She was born in Wisconsin, and currently competes in the IndyCar series. In 2005 Playboy invited her to get featured on the magazine, but she decline. Damn!
39. Tanith Belbin
Yeah we also think that ice dancing is a lame sport. You can’t deny that watching the performance of this 24-years-old Canadian-American would be pleasant though. She is five-times U.S. National champion, 2006 Olympic silver medalist, and hot!
38. Francesca Piccinini
Francesca is an Italian volleyball player. At a height of 6′1, she is able to spike at 304 cm from the ground (equivalent to 9′11). She also played over 330 official matches with the Italian national team. The woman is beautiful, but with such an athletic performance you can’t help but admire her.
37. Dara Torres
One of the most famous athletes from the United States, Dara was the first swimmer to compete in four Olympic games. Despite having nine Olympic medals, no one ever gave her one for being one of the hottest swimmers around. We would!
36. Amy Acuff
Amy was born in Texas, 1975. She is a high jump competitor for the United States, and she participated in three Olympic games. Lately she also started a career as model, getting featured on magazines like FHM and Playboy (you should check that…).
35. Natalie Coughlin
Alright, no big boobs, we know. She has a really cute face and a toned body to compensate though. Natalie is a professional swimmer, and she won two gold medals on the 2004 Athens Olympic games.
34. Lokelani McMichael
Man, that is a true Hawaiian beauty! Lokelani has already being featured in several magazines like Maxim and GQ. Ah, in the case you want to know what she does, she is competes in the triathlon.
33. Mary Sauer
You would never have thought that pole vaulters could be sexy eh? Well, take a look at Mrs. Mary Sauer. Born in Wisconsin, 1975, she definitely makes watching this discipline more fun.
32. Jamie Sale
Jamie is one of the prettiest things you will ever see on a pair of skates on the ice. She already won both an Olympic gold medal and a world championship. Unfortunately for us, she is happily married since 2005.
31. Gretchen Bleiler
One of the most famous female snowboarders in the world, Gretchen lives in Aspen, Colorado. I am not a fan of cold temperatures, but if she invited me over I would be booking my ticket straight away.
- In: 50 | beach | color | expression | floor | Hottest | provocative | red | Sports | undressed | water | women
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PopCrunch has put together a collection of the fifty most beautiful women in sports. Our rankings focus on female athletes who radiate beauty from top to bottom. Here are positions 41-50, starting at 50 and counting down…
50. Daniela Hantuchová
This 24-year-old tennis player was born in Slovakia. Apart from being a talented player (she won three WTA tournaments already), she is also gorgeous. And we are not the only ones to think like that. In fact, she has twice topped the ACE tennis magazine’s list with the world’s sexiest tennis players.
- In: and Good Housekeeping | Cosmopolitan | Epicurious.com | glamour | Harper's Bazaar | InStyle | new | Shine | site | Style.com | targets | women | Women's Health | YAHOO
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Yahoo launched a new Web site aimed at women on Monday. The site, called “Shine,” will feature original blogs and content from major publishing partners including Conde Nast, Hearst, and Time.
The site is Yahoo’s latest foray into vertical sites, which include the popular Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance, as well as Sports and Entertainment, and the much less popular Yahoo Tech and Yahoo Green. Shine is also Yahoo’s first targeting a specific audience and not just a topic.
The front page of Yahoo’s Shine is clean and, at least right now, light on ads.
(Credit: Yahoo)
Yahoo aims to be the top destination site in the lifestyles category, said Amy Iorio, general manager of Lifestyles at Yahoo. Women as a demographic is a good target, particularly given the number of women who use Yahoo (40 million women between the ages of 25 and 54 every month) and the fact that females tend to blog more than males.
“This is really a key audience for Yahoo,” she said. “We’ve been calling them ‘chief household officers’ internally.”
Yahoo’s efforts at doing original content haven’t all panned out, but this site is more of a hybrid. Articles and original blogs will come from a range of sources, including Glamour, Epicurious.com, Style.com, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Women’s Health, and Good Housekeeping.
Eight editors are overseeing the various sections (such as home, parenting, fashion, culture, and career) and the editor in chief is Brandon Holley, former editor in chief of Jane magazine.
Shine readers will be able to start their own blogs and that content, if deemed worthy, can end up as some of the featured content in different sections on the site.
You will also be able to get to your Yahoo Mail on Shine, and there is integration with Yahoo Search, Food, Health, and Astrology. But there could be even more integration with things like Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Answers.
The site will compete with iVillage and fashion- and celebrity-news heavy Glam.com, but its content partners and editors will set it apart, Holley said. Shine will distinguish itself by having more of an editorial voice than the other sites and by interacting more with readers, she said.
On a quick glance, Shine looks more aesthetically appealing and less cluttered than the rival sites, despite the fact that Yahoo is not exactly known for simple site design. The site will be at http://shine.yahoo.com.
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