Posts Tagged ‘ pro-choice ’

Heroine of the Week: Georgia Representative Yasmin Neal

February 23, 2012
By
Yasmin Neal

Georgia Representative Neal

After a week of men talking about men who are trying to write laws about women, we are happy to announce a new Heroine of the Week. Georgia Representative Yasmin Neal has introduced House Bill HB 1116, which would seek to criminalize vasectomies.

Georgia lawmakers are currently considering HB 954, a bill that would outlaw abortion after 20 weeks, instead of the current 26. The difference in time, some doctors say, would force people to make a decision about ending a pregnancy before they were able to complete a full battery of testing.

Neal’s bill underscores the absurdity of lawmakers overriding both medical and personal decision making with regard to reproductive rights. HB 1116 seeks to protect the rights of unborn children who are deprived from being born due to vasectomies. The bill states, “It is patently unfair that men can avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly.” And the bill clearly states, “It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men in this state and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men.”

If this kind of legislation is what it takes to point out the hypocrisy and the absurdity of the current assault on women’s rights sweeping the nation, then keep it coming ladies.

For more on the War on Women, check out our Pinterest board here and follow our updates on The Skinny Scoop. Ladies, we are under attack. Stay informed. Stay vocal. Run for office.

 

 

 

 

News From Around the Web

February 16, 2012
By

woman reading newsNo 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 male dominated workplaces and power bases.

After the Obama administration offered a compromise to the Affordable Care Act, allowing religious-affiliated institutions to opt out of coverage for contraceptives for employees but requiring their insurers to offer the coverage directly to the employee at no cost, Representative Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) filed new legislation. The Blunt amendment would allow an employer to exclude any health service from the coverage they provide based on any religious beliefs or moral convictions. Scary stuff. Contact your legislator today at 1-888-838-5169 and ask them to oppose the Blunt amendment.

Meanwhile, on the airwaves, men are talking about men creating laws that would affect women. Classic. A study found, during a four day period, the leading cable channels had twice as many men as women discussing contraception. Think Progress reported, “Out of a total of 146 guests who discussed contraception, the cables invited 91 men compared to 55 women as commentators. In other words, males comprised 62 percent of the total guests who commented on contraception.”

On the road to the GOP convention, Rick Santorum is surging in the polls. Women beware. The Atlantic wrote about Santorum’s woman problem. But we think it’s more accurate to talk about women’s Santorum problem. This presidential hopeful is opposed to contraception, has questionable views about women in the workplace and strong views about women in combat. It seems Santorum wants us all to stay home and have babies – forever.

And, at a workplace near you, pregnancy bias is alive and well. You probably already knew that. (We did). But here is a new story from MSNBC that supports what many women experience.

 

 

 

Heroine of the Week: Constance Johnson

February 10, 2012
By
Constance Johnson

Constance Johnson

Oklahoma State Senator Constance Johnson is our heroine of the week. Johnson proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 1433, that would criminalize some ejaculation. The amendment read, “any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman’s vagina shall be interpreted and construed as an action against an unborn child.”

Senate Bill 1433 declares personhood starts at conception and that, “The laws of this state shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of the unborn child at every stage of development all rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens and residents of this state.”

Johnson wrote in the Guardian that she offered the amendment, “to draw attention to the absurdity, duplicity and lack of balance inherent in the policies of this state in regard to women.”

Johnson’s amendment comes less than a month after Virginia State Senator Janet Howell proposed an amendment that would have required men to undergo a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before getting a prescription for erectile dsyfunction drugs.

This is why we need more women in office.

Heroine of the Week: Janet Howell

January 31, 2012
By

State Senator Janet HowellBrava 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.

 

 

 

 

 

In Support of Reproductive Rights on Roe v. Wade Anniversary

January 22, 2012
By

Blog for Choice Day 2012For the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling which made abortion legal in the United States, we are participating in NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Blog for Choice Day by answering the question: What will you do to help elect pro-choice candidates in 2012?

It’s an important question. According to NARAL, in 2011 26 states enacted anti-choice measures. And in the GOP presidential primary race, four anti-choice candidates are vying for the nomination.

In the good news category, on Friday the Obama administration announced it would uphold a ruling that will provide women access to birth control with no co-pays as part of the  Affordable Care Act. And today, President Obama issued a statement reaffirming his commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose.  It read, “While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption.  And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.”

And ultimately, that’s what reproductive rights are all about. Choice and reproductive freedom are about a woman’s right to govern her own health and body, and lead her own life – and not to allow the government to make those decisions for her. So, to help elect pro-choice candidates in 2012 we will:

  • continue to assert that social issues are as important as economic issues in the election.
  • never shy away from political conversations because they are impolite. They are about our lives.
  • ask candidates, who purport to care about the sanctity of life, to take a stance on maternity leave policies, infant care and maternal health.
  • donate to pro-choice candidates.
  • volunteer on campaigns for the candidates we believe in.
  • go to the polls and vote.

 

 

Do Iowans Use Birth Control?

January 4, 2012
By
Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

While former governor Mitt Romney was the technical winner in Iowa last night, Rick Santorum was the real winner, trailing Romney by only eight votes. What do we know about the man that has positioned himself well in the GOP race for the presidential nomination?

We know, of course, the former Senator and Congressman from Pennsylvania opposes a woman’s right to choose. According to NARAL Pro-Choice America, Santorum cast 27 anti-choice votes in the House. And as a Senator he  authored the Federal Abortion Ban, a law that criminalizes some abortion services.

But Santorum’s pro-life stance seems to go beyond the standard conservative messages about protecting the unborn. Santorum is also opposed to contraception. Of birth control he has said, “One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country. It’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.” He defined those “things” in an interview a few years back (video clip below). He’s referring to sex outside of marriage.

According to Santorum, birth control is harmful to women and society. “The pill made it possible for women to walk through doors that had once been closed to them,” author Elaine Tyler May told Hannah Seligson in an interview for Forbes last year. Wrote Seligson, “That was certainly the case for Gloria Feldt, 68, the former CEO of Planned Parenthood…As someone who had three children by the time she was 20, ‘the pill literally saved my life,’ says Feldt. ‘Without the pill, I would have had one or two more. It enabled me to purposefully have a life that I designed. It allowed me to start college and begin a career.’” Is Santorum trying to protect us, his family values, and the society in which he wants to live, from the threats of women leading lives outside their homes? Clearly he’s not concerned about unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases which contraception helps prevent.

Luckily, most don’t think Santorum can go all the way in the election. Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic writes, “Santorum’s position on contraception is so extreme that it’d likely cost him even if only Catholics showed up to vote for the general election.”

So we know a little bit more about Rick Santorum. But I want to know about the 30,000 Iowans  who voted for him. Research from the Guttamacher Institute reports more than 99 percent of women aged 15–44 who have had sexual intercourse have used at least one contraceptive method. Are the Santorum supporters the less than one percent?

 

Photo by Gage Skidmore used with Creative Commons license.

 

Women Newsmakers in 2011

December 31, 2011
By
Betty Dukes and Walmart plaintiffs

Betty Dukes and Walmart plaintiffs

Another year almost over, another few cents narrowing the wage gap. Here’s a look back at some of the stories that impacted or involved women in 2011:

Reproductive rights under attack: Three days into the year we wrote, “Congressman John Boehner (R-Ohio) will become Speaker of the House Wednesday and women should pay attention. … In fact, he represents a significant threat to women’s reproductive rights.” And indeed 2011 saw some of the most aggressive attacks on women’s reproductive health. Ashley Portero at the International Business Times has a round up of the staggering number measures related to reproductive health introduced in 2011 including:

  • H.R. 3 with its disturbing “forcible rape”  language (as if all rape isn’t forcible?)
  • H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act, or as some are called it, the Let Women Die Act.
  • The Heartbeat Bill, which would ban abortions after the first detectable fetal heartbeat- before many women even know they are pregnant. Two fetuses were witnesses at an Ohio legislative committee contemplating this bill.
  • And of course, the attack on Planned Parenthood.

Rape and intimate partner violence a very real threat: Speaking of women’s health, in November the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, a comprehensive survey on sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence revealing in the United States nearly 1 in 5 women have been raped,  and more than 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

DialloTwo brave women speak out: Two women bravely spoke out against sexual violence and took to the mainstream media thereby letting the world know the stigma of rape belongs to the rapist, not the raped. Nafitassou Diallo, the woman who accused Dominique Strauss Kahn (DSK),  former head of the International Monetary Fund of raping her in a New York hotel room, and Lara Logan, the CBS correspondent who was brutally assaulted in Egypt went on primetime television and shared their stories.

Ginni Rometty

Ginni Rometty

IMF and IBM appoint women to top spots: Following the allegations against Strauss Kahn, Christine Lagarde, France’s finance minister, was named the new head of the International Monetary Fund. And technology giant IBM appointed its first ever woman CEO, Virginia (Ginni) Rometty while former eBay chief Meg Whitmasn was named CEO at Hewlett Packard. However, Avon’s CEO Andrea Jung, stepped down and Carol Bartz was fired by Yahoo. While there was plenty of movement, the 2011 Catalyst Census:Fortune 500 Women Board Directors, Executive Officers and Top Earners reported in the corporate world “women have made no significant gains in the last year and are no further along the corporate ladder than they were six years ago.”

The Supreme Court blocks Walmart discrimination suit: In June, The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the Walmart v. Dukes case in favor of Walmart. The court ruled the gender discrimination suit against Walmart could not proceed as a class action. In doing so the court overturned a U.S. appeal court ruling that granted class action status to female employees of the giant retailer. The decision was widely viewed as a win for big business and a blow to women and we wrote, “The decision leaves women alone in their fight against discriminatory practices, steeling for a long, expensive, and sometimes nasty battle, or merely biting their tongue.”

The wage gap remains: Underscoring why the Walmart ruling matters, in March the White House Council on Women and Girls issued the report, Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economical Well-Being, which noted women have not only caught up with men in college attendance but younger women are now more likely than younger men to have a college or a master’s degree and the number of women and men in the labor force has nearly equalized in recent years. However, the gains in education and jobs has not translated into wage and equity. At all levels of education, women earned about 75 percent of what their male counterparts earned in 2009.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Three women win the Nobel Prize: In October, The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three women in recognition of “their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.” The Nobel Committee divided the award equally between Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman.

Politics continues to be a sexist sport: In August we published “The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics” so women could follow along during a wild year for women in politics. The year began with a horrific attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who we were thrilled to see return to the House in August for the debt ceiling vote. Also in January, the formidable Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski became the longest-serving woman in U.S. Senate history. Mid year Congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced her candidacy for president and thankfully former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin did not. In September, Elizabeth Warren officially entered the Massachusetts Senate race. And throughout the year, many in the  media, and certainly Herman Cain, continued to demonstrate sexist behavior towards women in politics. Name It Change It has a good roundup of sexist media coverage in 2011.

We said goodbye to two strong women and hello to many more: Former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, who was the first female vice presidential candidate of the United States, passed away in March as did Former First Lady Betty Ford in July. As we said goodbye to these inspiring women, we were introduced to emerging leaders like:

 

  • Afrykayn Moon who held her ground when a public transit bus driver ordered her to either cover up or get off the bus while she  was breastfeeding her child
  • Michelle Hickman, who staged a nationwide nurse-in at Target after she was asked by Target employees to relocate while nursing her child at the store
  • and Penis Mom who reminded us to speak out out against outdated gender stereotypes and biases and made us laugh while doing it.

We’re looking forward to covering more heroines in 2012.

 

 

 

If I Were Santa

December 14, 2011
By

Santa's gift bagIf I were Santa, I’d be making my list and checking it twice. And here are the gifts I would give:

For Our Daughters: The gift of self-esteem and positive role models

The mass media perpetuates a message that women and girls’ value comes from beauty and sexuality – and it affects us. Sixty-five percent of women and girls have an eating disorder. Eighty percent of the op-ed pages are dominated by men. The number of women in senior management positions globally has gone from 24 to 20 percent from 2004 to 2009.

For Corporate America: More women in leadership positions

There is a large, and growing, body of research connecting women at the tops of organizations to a strong bottom line performance. However, women comprise 53 percent of new hires, but only 37 percent of managers, 26 percent of vice-presidents, and just 14 percent of executive committees.

 

For Working Mothers: Flexible work arrangements … and a day of rest

The life of a working mother is challenging. Flexible work arrangements give parents the ability to work more flexibly and better manage the challenges of work and family.

For Working Families: Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, women earn, on average, just .78 cents for every dollar a man earns. And for women of color, the gap is much greater. Fair pay is not a woman’s issue, it’s a family issue. An estimated two-thirds of all U.S. households rely on a woman’s salary at least partially.”

For All Women: The ratification of CEDAW

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty that supports fundamental human rights and equality for women around the world. CEDAW was adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. To date, 186 of 193 countries have ratified the treaty. The United States has not.

For President Obama: The courage to stand up for women’s reproductive rights

Women helped President Obama get elected in 2008 and they can be expected to play a major role in the 2012 election too. In return, women need Obama to take a stronger stance on women’s rights, and in particular, women’s reproductive health – regardless of the pressures he’s facing from his opponents.

For the GOP: The Sanctity of Life

The US ranks poorly for infant mortality rates and maternal death rates; more than two women die every day from pregnancy related causes. Yet many lawmakers try to block women’s access to much-needed health services, supposedly  in the name of life. For Christmas, we want to give them the gift of truly honoring the sanctity of life – all life – and to see them work toward improving the health and life of mothers.

For Massachusetts: A woman Senator

Massachusetts has never sent a woman to the Senate. Although 51 percent of the U.S. population is female, women hold just 16.5 percent of the seats in Congress. That puts the US at 69th in the world for gender parity. We need more women in office.

For Victims of Domestic Violence: Hope

Domestic violence victims and their advocates need money to gain freedom from abuse, to protect children from abusive partners or ex-partners and develop public policy efforts related to domestic violence. Please donate and give them support and hope.

What gifts would you give? You can add to my list at The Skinny Scoop.

 

Legislation Watch: House Takes Up Protect Life Act Today

October 13, 2011
By

Rep. Joe Pitts

Taking a break from talking about the need to do something about job creation, the House of Representatives will take up the ridiculously named “Protect Life Act” or H.R. 358 today. The bill was introduced by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Penn.) who claims the legislation’s intent is to prevent federal funding for abortion – even though federal funding of abortions is already prohibited. But H.R.358 would also allow hospitals that receive federal funds to deny an emergency abortion even if it would save a woman’s life.  So the “Protect Life Act” doesn’t really protect lives at all.

The White House issued  a statement yesterday suggesting the President would veto the bill if it makes it that far.

“The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 358 because, as previously stated in the Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 3, the legislation intrudes on women’s reproductive freedom and access to health care and unnecessarily restricts the private insurance choices that women and their families have today.

“Longstanding Federal policy prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered. The Affordable Care Act preserved this prohibition and included policies to ensure that Federal funding is segregated from any private dollars used to fund abortions for which Federal funding is prohibited. The President’s Executive Order 13535 reinforces that Federal funding cannot be used for abortions (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered) and ensures proper enforcement of this policy. H.R. 358 goes well beyond the safeguards found in current law and reinforced in the President’s Executive Order by restricting women’s private insurance choices.”

Given the White House’s position and the fact H.R. 358  would be unlikely to pass in the Senate, today’s debate seems to be another dangerous exercise in using women as political bargaining chips and not much else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ignorant Legislator of the Week: Michele Bachmann

October 8, 2011
By
Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann

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 would be a loss of pregnancy symptoms and the absence of fetal heart tones found on an ultrasound.” When I got pregnant the second time, I was terrified I would miscarry again. I begged for an ultrasound so I could be reassured by the heartbeat, and even though my doctor urged me to reduce my stress, my insurance wouldn’t cover the test that would have reassured me my pregnancy was healthy.

As we’ve written before, “The United States ranks poorly for maternity leave policies, infant mortality rates and maternal death rates. More than two women die every day in the United States from pregnancy related causes. And the incidences of “near-miss” complications, where a woman comes close to dying from pregnancy or childbirth, have increased since 2005.”

Bachmann claims to value life, but shows no leadership when it comes to improving the health of mothers and babies. Instead, she voted against a Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act and recently vowed to cut off access to health services for so many women by defunding Planned Parenthood while she continues to profess her commitment to “life.” Trust women are smart enough to make their own decisions, Rep. Bachmann, and help them get access to necessary prenatal care and maternity leave. Help close the infant mortality gap and show us just how much you value mothers and children.

 

Photo by Gage Skidmore used with Creative Commons license.

 

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