Delight the feminist on your holiday shopping list with these priceless gifts. (Click the bottom of the list to view it on The SkinnyScoop and get more details.) View this SkinnyScoop List
No time to write this week and so much to discuss. So here’s a round up of news from around the web affecting women. Click the links to learn more. Let’s start with Virginia, where this week the legislation passed two disturbing bills. The first gives a fertilized egg rights. The second forces a woman seeking an abortion to undergo a vaginal ultrasound -an invasive probe that is medically unnecessary. The Washington Post reports on Virginia House Deputy Majority Leader Todd Gilbert who believes “the vast majority” of abortions are just “matters of lifestyle convenience.’’ The Frisky’s Jessica Wakeman writes of the bills, “I’m frightened, quite frightened.” We should all be worried. The war on women wages on in Washington as politicians continue to argue about a woman’s access to contraception – which, we just want to point out, has nothing to do with creating jobs. In fact, if the GOP and the Catholic Bishops had their way, we could be looking at layoffs at birth control manufacturers such as Merck Pharmaceuticals and Bayer Healthcare. Nor, does it have anything to do with religion despite how some try to spin it. This is about controlling women and maintaining a status quo of [...]
The United States ranks low among industrialized countries when it comes to maternal care and lacks a nationwide policy of paid maternity leave. However, women in one of the largest states, California, are now guaranteed maternity care health coverage thanks to a bill introduced by Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) and signed into law this past week by Governor Jerry Brown. SB 222, the Maternity Coverage Availability Act, requires health insurance plans to provide maternity coverage as part of their individual health insurance policies. Although the law has required group insurance plans to include maternity coverage, the number of policies that include that coverage has dropped from 82 percent in 2004 to only 12 percent in 2010. Governor Brown also signed SB 299 this week, another maternity-related bill shepherded by Evans. This legislation prevents California women from losing their employer-provided health insurance coverage while on maternity leave. Currently many women pay steep out-of-pocket costs for maternity care and/or cut short their pregnancy leave because they can’t afford to take it. According to Moms Rising, almost four in five workers report being unable to take leave because they could not afford it. “Healthy mothers mean healthy babies. I want the next [...]
This week’s Ignorant Legislator award goes to Congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann. Earlier this week, Bachmann introduced the Heartbeat Informed Consent Act, legislation that would require abortion providers to perform an ultrasound on a woman and “make the heartbeat of the unborn child visible and audible to its mother” prior to performing the abortion. In a statement Bachmann said, “An unborn baby’s heartbeat can be detected as early as five weeks after conception and ultrasound technology is an amazing medical advance that provides a window for a pregnant woman to see her unborn child. My legislation will not only enable this technology to be better used to protect life, but also to ensure that a woman who is considering abortion is finally able to give full and informed consent.” I take issue with legislation that forces the use of ultrasound technology on a woman planning to terminate a pregnancy especially when it is not always available for a woman who wants to carry a pregnancy to term. My first pregnancy ended in a “missed” miscarriage, which, according to the American Pregnancy Association is, “when embryonic death has occurred but there is not any expulsion of the embryo. Signs of this [...]
Corporate lactation programs. Private pumping rooms. Informed, supportive HR specialists. If you read enough Best-Places-to Work-for-Mothers articles, you might think this is the reality for mothers returning to work post-baby. But for many women, pumping at work has its challenges. August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, designed to remind us breast milk has many health benefits for both mother and baby. And there are benefits for businesses too. The World Alliance Breastfeeding Action (WABA) reports the benefits are significant, resulting in, “more satisfied, loyal employees and cost savings to the business” from a reduction in sick time for childrens’ illnesses and lower health insurance. The organization recommends all businesses “create a maternity policy that supports women in their desire to breastfeed and create a dedicated space where women can express milk in privacy.” But working women often face challenges when they return to their jobs after maternity leave. Finding the time and a private place to pump can be difficult. Storing milk and cleaning breast pump equipment can be frowned upon in employee break rooms, and working out a pumping plan can be an awkward conversation to have with an unsupportive boss. Even when a company is supportive, it can be exhausting for [...]
While we wait for a Supreme Court decision on the Walmart v. Dukes class action suit, here are some other important court cases that impact working women. The Missouri Court of Appeals is allowing Francine Katz, who was the highest ranking woman at Anheuser-Busch, to continue her gender discrimination suit against the brewer. Anheuser-Busch wanted the matter to be dealt with in arbitration. Katz, the former vice president of communications and consumer affairs for the company, has accused Anheuser-Busch of a frat-like, locker-room atmosphere and of paying her less than her male peers. Katz was paid 50 percent less than her male predecessor and learned that every male member of the company’s strategy committe was classified as a Tier I officer, but both women on the committee were Tier II officers. Several months ago, employees at Bayer Pharmaceutical filed a discrimination case against the company for unfair policies around “pay, promotions and pregnancy leave” and for creating a hostile work environment. The suit was originally filed by six female employees and then expanded to include all female sales representatives and women in the Bayer Healthcare Consumer Care unit. The women say Bayer ignored their complaints. One incident cited in the suit is garnering media [...]
A Major League Baseball player took paternity leave and another April fool was revealed. Following Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis’ decision to be present at the birth of his child instead of pitching a game, Dallas Observer writer Richie Whitt expressed his displeasure. Whitt wrote, “Baseball players are paid millions to play baseball. If that means “scheduling” births so they occur in the off-season, then so be it. Of the 365 days in a year, starting pitchers “work” maybe 40 of them, counting spring training and playoffs. If it was a first child, maybe. But a second child causing a player to miss a game? Ludicrous.” Wow. Whitt’s column, even if it was just intended to grab attention, makes it easier to understand why women, and mothers in particular, face discrimination at work. Clearly, the attitude that childbirth and parenting is great but… is deep-rooted. I am reminded of one former boss who told me how annoyed she was that I got pregnant. She worked very hard running the company, she told me, and because of my due date, she would have to reschedule her vacation. Oh, and by the way, no bonus for me that year. I get the challenges [...]
Anti-woman action and legislation in this country is out of control. Take a look at what’s happening right now: Congress The House voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides millions of people affordable healthcare including sex education, contraception, and screens for cervical and other cancers. The move came under the guise of trimming the budget. Meanwhile, the Army’s multimillion dollar sponsorship of NASCAR, was approved. Pending legislation includes H.R. 3, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act“, which caused an uproar because it included language about “forcible” rape. Isn’t all rape forcible? Legislators promised to remove that phrasing but guess what? It’s still there. And remember, there is no federal funding of abortion today. H.R. 358, the so-called “Protect Life Act,” can be interpreted so that medical personnel can refuse services to a woman in need of an abortion, even if the woman’s life is in jeopardy. State-level Activity Georgia: There’s a bill on the books in Georgia, HB 1 which seeks to make prenatal murder unlawful and punishable by death. Miscarriages are exempt from the bill so long as “there is no human involvement whatsoever.” And how is that determined? According to the bill, “When a spontaneous fetal death [...]
Here is a look back at just a few of the political stories we were talking about in 2010. What do you think 2011 will bring?
We love the holidays because we have time to finish all of the books we’ve started during the year. The house is clean, the office is closed and the parties are over. We just sit in front of the fire and turn pages. Need some reading recommendations? Here are our top five picks: “No Excuses:9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power” by Gloria Feldt Gloria Feldt is a powerhouse – and she knows how to use her power for the greater good. She’s a leader, a mentor, and an inspiration. This book will clear your path to success, stripping away any of the barriers you think are in your way. “A is for Asshole: The Grownups’ ABCs of Conflict Resolution“ by Victoria Pynchon. You know how inspired we’ve been by the She Negotiates course –read the book from one of the course leaders. You too can master the conflicts in your life. “Her Place at the Table” by Deborah M. Kolb, PhD; Judith Williams, PhD; Carol Frolinger, JD “Her Place at the Table” is another great book grounded in negotiating skills that helps women navigate the challenges of the business world. The authors do a fantastic job of [...]
Does it come in my size?
Trent Franks Plans to Expand Abortion Ban Nationwide
Memo from the media: you're not thin enough
