2010 brought a lot of action, from the Gulf oil spill to the elections to Wikileaks, war, and economic disaster. While not all has been doom and gloom, let's hope that 2011 is a more positive result of what we've learned this year. So, as we prepare to look forward to the places we'll go in the next year, take stock of some of the stories that affected us in 2010. Celebration, heartbreak, hard work, passion, battle and love - here are some of the important stories that affected women this year, and most likely will into the next.

The Health Care Reform Bill:

The health care bill signed by President Obama in March provides changes that will benefit women both health-wise and financially. Maternity coverage is no longer luck or luxury, but is law. It is now illegal both to charge women more for insurance coverage (gender rating) and to deny lower paid employees (many times women and minorities) the same quality of insurance plan offered to higher paid employees. Here is a great overview from Ms Magazine.

Crackdown in China on families with more than one child:

This Marie Claire article by Abigail Haworth tells the story of one Chinese woman who was forced into having sterilization surgery during a government crackdown on couples who had more than one child. Her brother-in-law was held prisoner until she relented and allowed the surgery to take place. The government's goal was to sterilize 10,000 offenders - all women, of course as there was no mention of mass vasectomies. Funny how, when the US owes its financial life to China, stories like this don't get out. The question is, how can we reach out to our sisters and brothers in China to help them overcome this oppression?

The sentencing of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani to stoning in Iran:

Another international story that has affected women all over the world is that of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani - the woman sentenced to a stoning death for "adultery while married." A murder charge was also added, seemingly to counter the criticism over the outlandish and offensive sentence as the "confession" appeared to be forced. There hasn't been recent news about this case unfortunately - is there a chance that a misogynistic and violent government like Iran's will listen to the public outcry world wide and set this woman free?

The 2010 elections:

Bringing some women together and tearing others away, the 2010 elections brought about a new argument about what feminism is, who it belongs to, and the benefits of female leadership in general. Sexist reporting and politics shone in all their glory as skirt lengths and hotness factor were discussed, and women on both sides of the aisle fought back to demand focus on policies, not beauty. While the election season magnified the sexism that still exists, it also allowed for a new public discourse on women's rights and misogyny in our society. The 2012 elections should hopefully benefit from this - we'll see.

Female Ordained Catholic Priests:

We were fortunate enough to meet Bridget Mary Meehan, ordained Catholic Bishop and champion of women's rights within the Catholic Church. She and others are fighting to keep the religion they love, while demanding a modern and humane version that will celebrate women religious, welcome LGBT members, and incarcerate the embarrassing number of ordained who are guilty of child molestation and abuse. She showed us that there is a light at the end of the Catholic tunnel, and women are leading the way.

The Julian Assange Rape Allegations:

The story that is shining a mottled light on what rape means. Accusers, accused, and Assange fan-boys alike are stewing as the women making the claims are vilified in the press and online. It's as if their detractors know them personally and can attest to their lying ways. The horrors of women who have indeed lied about rape are thrown in our faces, while the more likely scenario of men who lie about being rapists is taken as solid truth. Rather than due legal process being respected, Assange is protected from legally having to prove his case - leaving it to the women to prove theirs while he lives in the lap of luxury somewhere in the UK. As some like to say, if you have nothing to hide, you should have nothing to fear. Perhaps Assange found some loophole to that theory.

These are only a few of the stories that caught our eye this year - are there any others that should be obvious inclusions?

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