Press Releases


May 8, 2009

WVFC Delivers a Unique “Mother’s Day Issue”

Last week, WVFC asked the question: “What happens when a group of thinking women over 40 think when you mention Mother’s Day?”   And starting on Monday, we began to answer. This week, you  might have stumbled upon:

In a “normal” week, there’s not such a unified theme: you might see Vacca on politics, Allen giving medical advice, NPR’s Jacki Lyden about war and art, or almost anyone on fashion. But these special weeks showcase both the diversity and the strength of our magazine — which  started in 2005 as an organizational blog and has evolved into what one writer for the Christian Science Monitor called “the best thing to happen to women’s magazines since Marie Claire.”

We don’t claim to know everything. But we are pretty sure that our Mother’s Day is like none other.

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March 31, 2009

If necessity is the mother of invention, “Re-invention” is the mother of going beyond necessity.  Women’s Voices for Change gave one mother of a Reinvention Luncheon this week.

Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, was interviewed by Silda Wall Spitzer in front of a gathering of 300 prominent women at the First Annual Time of Your Life luncheon, showcasing the Power and Joys of Mature Womanhood. The enthusiastic response underlines the prominence of www.womensvoicesforchange.org as the go-to blog for information, opinion and news by and for women who weren’t born yesterday.

Attorney Silda Wall Spitzer, the former First Lady of New York State, interviewed Huffington about her personal reinvention as part of “The Time of Your Life” luncheon program held at the Harmonie Club in Manhattan. The topic was Reinvention, and the speakers were two of the most fascinating women in the nation to have made that journey in, and out of the spotlight of celebrity.

At the event’s conclusion, Laura Baudo Sillerman,  board member of Women’s Voices for Change, announced re-launch of www.womensvoicesforchange.org. The newly designed site had gone up during the luncheon, and was  available in a dynamically “reinvented,” enhanced and more accessible format.

“We have a unique and authentic voice,” Sillerman said, “and now we can better share it  with the millions of powerful women over 40 who need, want, and deserve the information and perspective we alone provide.”

The Women’s Voices for Change website covers health, the economy, lifestyle, science, relationships, news and the arts. Founded in 2005 at a gala hosted by syndicated columnist Liz Smith and Texas Governor Ann Richards with a performance by Bette Midler, Women’s Voices for Change has a distinguished roster of writers and experts.  Even before the re-design, the site was welcomed by the women who found it, some of whose comments are listed below. For more information, contact Executive Director Mary Kelly Selover at marykellyselover@aol.com.

From Our Readers (selected comments):

“I love the website – it’s filled with so much information and has interesting articles. “  Larysa Bemko
“Laura Sillerman’s astute and timely comments on the Gillibrand appointment in New York to Hillary Rodham’s Senatorial seat should be echoed throughout the land.” – Mary Moss Greenebaum

“I love love love this website. I am a loyal and loving patient of DR Pat.evrytime I see her she inspires me to be the best woman I can be. Thie website is about real issues effecting real woman, not the fake boob-types we see in US Weekly. Taking control of our health and personal lives is a daily and ongoing effort. But the positive results are worth the struggle.” – just ‘Alice’

“Wow, there is so much helpful information here it could be a white paper or report.” – Gregory Anne Cox, life coach

“As a widow myself, I found this article [Cecilia Ford on Grief] particulary wonderful and right on target.” Elaine

“[Reading Our Way Through Economic Disaster]  is not only timely, but it gives us a factual sense of history as a way to see our way through this difficult time. I have now read a few articles from Dr. Allen, a talented, poignant writer. Her articles about contemporary issues such as the economy as well as the series about her Mother-In-Law and the sensitive, touching one about Clay Felker’s memorial service were all wonderful, well written essays. It is for these articles as well as the other writings in WVFC that I consistently read this every time, as well as forwarded it to other women and men. Please continue this venue as the quality of the writing and the unbiased facts you all bring to this ‘blog” are enriching in a time when finding bi-partisan websites and news is hard to find.” — Gay Hartigan
This is neither a question nor a suggestion, but rather a note to say: “Keep up the good work!” I am a 56 year old lawyer in Manhattan, married, with two children in college.  I am a long-time reader and look forward to the WVFC daily email alert.  I repeatedly recommend your website to my friends (to state the obvious, women in their fifties and sixties).

I very much enjoy the breadth of the topics you cover, many of which touch directly on issues I am confronting at this point in my life: health, family (e.g., aging parents), meaningful work, not to mention current affairs.  Like many Americans, I was caught up in our recent election; it was my first time contributing money to a political campaign and I even traveled to Scranton, PA to knock on doors.  I also poured over various political blogs on the internet for news and analysis, but quickly tired of all
the partisanship and hyperbole.  The WVFC website has been a welcome alternative, covering a wide range of topics of interest to me in an informative, engaging way, with little of either the Fox News or Keith Obermann type rant.

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Hillary Clinton Discusses Health Care for Women Over 40 in Exclusive Interview with Women’s Voices for Change

NEW YORK, Oct. 25 — Reaching out to a key demographic, Sen. Hillary Clinton answered questions about her health care plan posed by Women’s Voices for Change, the New York-based group that advocates for women over 40 with a focus on women’s health and well-being in the menopause years. The interview and an op-ed by Clinton are available at http://www.WomensVoicesForChange.org.

“Right now, the uninsured are carrying a heavy burden in this country, and older women bear a disproportionate share of that burden. About 13 percent of women age 55-64 are without health insurance,” says Clinton.

The candidate, who rolled out her new health plan several weeks ago, has made health care a cornerstone of her campaign. In the interview, she addresses the specific concerns of women over 40.

Elsewhere, the group asks Clinton about her main concerns as a woman about to turn 60 herself.

“Our best allies are friends and family who have been through the system themselves and as I get older, fortunately or not, more and more of my friends have those experiences to share. Women need to talk to each other about the importance of preventive screenings, regular check-ups, and healthcare choices — no woman should lack the care she needs simply because she didn’t know she had the option,” she says.

Founded in 2005 and led by a group of prominent doctors, writers and financial leaders, WVFC aims to revolutionize attitudes toward women over 40 and to celebrate menopause as a time of renewal and reinvention for the millions of American women currently in this phase of life. WVFC covers politics, media, health and current events in its daily blog and publishes essays and poetry by renowned and emerging writers.

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