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The intersection of feminism and life
The Susan G. Komen Board of Directors and Founder/CEO Nancy Brinker issued a statement today revising the controversial funding policy that caused an uproar earlier this week:
We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives. The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.
Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.
It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics – anyone’s politics.
Starting this afternoon, we will have calls with our network and key supporters to refocus our attention on our mission and get back to doing our work. We ask for the public’s understanding and patience as we gather our Komen affiliates from around the country to determine how to move forward in the best interests of the women and people we serve.
We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.
Cecile Richards, of Planned Parenthood Federation issued this statement:
“The outpouring of support for women in need of lifesaving breast cancer screening this week has been astonishing and is a testament to our nation’s compassion and sincerity.
“During the last week, millions spontaneously joined a national conversation about lifesaving breast cancer prevention care and reinforced shared values about access to health care for all. This compassionate outcry in support of those most in need rose above political, ideological, and cultural divides, and will surely be recognized as one of our nation’s better moments during a contentious political time. Planned Parenthood thanks each and every person who has contributed to elevating the importance of breast cancer prevention for so many women in need.
“In recent weeks, the treasured relationship between the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and Planned Parenthood has been challenged, and we are now heartened that we can continue to work in partnership toward our shared commitment to breast health for the most underserved women. We are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders and volunteers. What these past few days have demonstrated is the deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer, and we honor those who are at the helm of this battle.
“Planned Parenthood has been a trusted partner with the Komen Foundation in early cancer detection and prevention services. In particular, Planned Parenthood helps the Komen Foundation reach vulnerable populations — low-income women, African-American women, and Latinas — especially in rural areas and underserved communities where Planned Parenthood health centers are their only source of health care. With Komen Foundation grants, over the past five years, Planned Parenthood health centers provided nearly 170,000 clinical breast exams and more than 6,400 mammogram referrals. With the outpouring of support over the past week, even more women in need will receive lifesaving breast cancer care.”
Congresswoman Speier
Remember Congresswoman Jackie Speier? Last February, during the House debate over Title X funding to family planning service providers including Planned Parenthood, she bravely shared a very personal story about abortion.
Today Speier again addressed Congress about Planned Parenthood — this time to speak out against Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure’s decision to pull funds from Planned Parenthood. The breast cancer organization, which claims to put the “highest priority on the women they serve,” pulled its funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides women with breast health education, screenings, and referrals for mammograms.
Here is Congresswoman Speier’s statement about Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
And here is the speech she made last February.
A female leader who speaks powerfully and from the heart – this is why we need more women in Washington.
Click here to support Planned Parenthood.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, is pulling the funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood centers. In a statement on its website, Planned Parenthood attributed the decision to, “pressure from anti-women’s health political organizations,” and said, “At immediate risk are low-income women, many located in rural and under served communities, served by 19 Planned Parenthood programs funded by the Komen Foundation. This funding has enabled designated Planned Parenthood health centers to provide women with breast health education, screenings, and referrals for mammograms — lifesaving care for women where Planned Parenthood is their only source of health care.”
According to the New York Times, a Komen spokeswoman told the Associated Press, “ the main factor in the decision was a new rule adopted by Komen that prohibits grants to organizations being investigated by local, state or federal authorities…. Planned Parenthood was therefore disqualified from financing because of an inquiry being conducted by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, who is looking at how Planned Parenthood spends and reports its money.”
Just last week, the Susan G. Komen organization issued a press release touting the benefits of screening women of all economic levels. The release read:
Officials with Susan G. Komen for the Cure hailed new government figures that found the gap between white and minority women is narrowing when it comes to breast cancer screening rates, but expressed concern that the numbers still fall short of national goals.
“We’re heartened by word that breast cancer screening rates have been relatively stable in the past decade, but more than concerned that we’re not meeting national targets for breast screenings across all population groups,” said Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, Komen founder and CEO. “These figures underscore the need for more women to get educated and get screened if we are to make progress against breast cancer, which is still the number one cancer killer of women worldwide.”
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that overall, breast cancer screening rates in 2010 were 72.4 percent, well below the national target of 81 percent in CDC’s Healthy People 2020 goals.
and
“This gap in care for uninsured and low-income women is particularly troubling and one we have been working very hard to fill at Susan G. Komen,” Brinker said. “It’s clear that we have far more work to do for women who have no resources, no insurance, and no steady source of healthcare. They need our help the most.”
Planned Parenthood is raising funds to offset this disturbing move. You can make a donation here.
Brava to Virginia State Senator Janet Howell who made a statement this week when she proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 484, which would require a pregnant woman to undergo an ultrasound and have the option to view her fetus before having an abortion. Howell’s amendment would have required men to undergo a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before getting a prescription for erectile dsyfunction drugs.
Proponents of the mandatory ultrasound before abortion argue its part of informed consent – making sure a woman seeking an abortion knows her legal rights and alternatives, and to be sure the confused little lady really understands what she is undertaking. Perhaps Howell just wanted to make sure that men, distressed by their sexual dysfunction, were clear about the risks of Viagra and the choices they had – like abstaining.
Or maybe, she just wanted to make the point that no one should control another person’s body or create legislation requiring unnecessary and invasive procedures on another human being.
Not surprising, Howell’s amendment failed and the bill passed the Senate Education and Health committee. However according to the Richard Times-Dispatch, a new amendment, “being formulated by Democrats would require a physician to offer an ultrasound, but make the ultrasound optional for the patient.” It is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate on Wednesday.
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Some pay us less than our fair share. Some want to control our bodies and make us pay more for health insurance. Others want us to run only after dawn and before dusk and never with headphones and never alone. Being a woman requires nerves of steel.
And so many of us reward ourselves for perservering, heck, powering through, by focusing on what’s fun about being a woman. Like being a mother. And having girlfriends. And shoes. We love our shoes.
But now new data threatens to ruin that pleasure. A study from The Journal of Applied Physiology is garnering lots of alarmist headlines:
Study says high heels cause permanent leg damage
High heels ruin the way you walk: study
Before you toss your Manolos, know this: the researchers studied only nine “habitual high heel wearers.” That’s not a very extensive research field. If you’ve ever donned a heel higher than three inches, you don’t need a study to know high heels aren’t natural. But sometimes the emotional benefits of wearing a Louboutin outweigh the risks. Just be careful of your calves. And for more footwear choices, check out our “Complete Wardrobe” board on Pinterest.
Image from Le Petit Poulailler
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Georgia Rep. Yasmin Neal, plans to introduce HB 1116, which would prevent men from having vasectomies and depriving children of birth.
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