Publisher’s Weekly Top Ten list of “The Best Books of 2009” included a grand total of zero books by women. SheWrites called a day of action in response, asking more than 5000 members – women writers – to write about the exclusion of women from the list.

This post, like others written for the collective day of action, isn’t written to convince any jury that women can write: WE know we can write, and write well. Men know it, too. The spotlight just doesn’t shine on outstanding women authors – just as it doesn’t shine on women in media, women in government, women in business, or women in general. The media bias is the bias is the general bias: To overlook and trivialize women.

This bias desperately needs to change, and change soon, for the good of all. And I believe that the media bias against women, seen increasingly in the Bush years, against Hillary, and in countless other ways, has peaked and will shift – if we work with dedication. SheWrites’ Day of Action is part of a larger call-to-action women have initiated and are spreading across the globe, and at a time when women’s voices, actions, and hands are needed to positively change many aspects of a very troubled world.

Two books by women, while not published in 2009, are indicative of the qualities women must bring into world consciousness, and segue into key research and writing that was recognized and awarded in 2009, with Elinor Ostrom being awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. While only one of the books specifically links gender to actions and qualities, the qualities and actions described in one book, and in Ostrom’s work, clearly indicate qualities inherent in women, and what women need to bring to world consciousness.

UCLA Professor Shelley Taylor’s book The Tending Instinct states that rather than fighting and fleeing, women tend to nurture and help one another in times of stress. In The Soul of Money, Lynne Twist, a former leader in The Hunger Project, states three key fallacies about money and resources: First, that there’s not enough to go around; second, that someone has to “win” and someone has to “lose” in a battle for money and resources; and third, “That’s just the way it is”. Twist says that’s NOT just the way it is: There is enough to go around, and we don’t have to be competitive and grab as much as we can for ourselves – in other words, we can share, we can adjust our priorities, and we can do things differently, for the good of all.

Elinor Ostrom’s expositions on common resources also explore working collectively. Unlike previous economists (all male) who promoted a view of competition, scarcity, and lack, Ostrom states that people can work together to achieve common goals benefiting individuals as well. While Ostrom and Twist do not specifically identify the qualities necessary to work for the common good as women’s qualities, Taylor’s book makes the link: Compassion, sharing, and the common good are qualities associated with women, especially in times of stress. Most women inherently know this.

We women must act collectively to overcome media bias, change perceptions, and bring to the world the qualities the world sorely needs now. Our writing will lead the way, and we must not let our writing sit on shelves or servers and go unnoticed. We must bring our writing into public view and public works.

Note: You’ll notice books are linked to The Tattered Cover. One of the largest independent bookstores in the country (three big stores and an extensive website), Tattered has always been a voice for and a place for people to go in Denver. Owner Joyce Meskis is much loved for the ambience, selection, and principles she has established. A few years ago, she took a case defending First Amendment rights to the Colorado Supreme Court and won: She refused to release purchase records of a client to the police. I no longer live in Denver, but value Tattered’s online services, and love to support women-owned businesses. (And no, I’m not being compensated for this: I just love independent bookstores and appreciate Tattered.)