Celebrate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with Action!

Violence against women is a crippling problem. It destroys families and divides communities, and no nation is immune. In some countries, 70% of women and girls will experience violence in their lifetime. The reverberating impact of this violence is felt all over the world.

November 25^th is the 10th annual observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The United Nations resolution, passed December 17^th, 1999, honors the lives of three political activists, the Mirabel sisters, who were brutally assassinated in 1960 on orders from the Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo.

For too long violence against women has been a silent oppressor, imprisoning victims and their families in an ongoing cycle of abuse and secrecy. Today the UN, in conjunction with numerous state governments and millions of activists around the globe, are raising awareness about this issue to ensure that victims of violence no longer feel alone, and to advocate for those still unable to break their silence.

Please join the Say NO to Violence Against Women Campaign led by UNIFEM and find an action in your community!  Post to this blog and let us know about the incredible events happening in your community.

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment Sets Women Back!

In the aftermath of Saturday evening’s House vote on health care reform, the choice community- advocates, Members of Congress, the grassroots network- have been scrambling to understand how this 11^th hour anti-abortion amendment passed and what we can do to keep the egregious language out of the Senate bill.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act, HR 3962, is an incredible step towards comprehensive health care. It will eliminate embedded discriminatory insurance practices against women, banning pre-existing conditions and gender rating, and it will expand coverage to millions of the previously uninsured. And yet, this bill is the single greatest setback for women’s rights since the Hyde amendment and with potentially worse repercussions.

The Hyde amendment banned the use of federal dollars to pay for abortions. The Stupak-Pitts amendment upholds and expands the ban on federal dollars for abortion services- prohibiting women from using their own funds to buy comprehensive coverage that includes abortion services through the new insurance exchange.
For the 60 million women in this country who have insurance in the private market, the Stupak-Pitts amendment jeopardizes the quality and scope of their health care. Insurance companies excluded from the new exchange could have difficulty competing in the private market, placing them at a financial disadvantage, why then should they continue offering abortion coverage?

To prevent the abortion issues from becoming the Achilles heal of the health care debate, we made a compromise that advanced neither the pro-life nor the pro-choice agenda.  The Capps amendment would have inserted language that was abortion neutral; abortion coverage would be excluded from the public option plan and federal subsidies could not be used for abortion services, but women could use the money from their premiums to pay for such services.

Neither side was happy with this solution, but we recognized (at least it appeared so) that health care reform should not be a vehicle to debate abortion rights in this country.

And then suddenly the Capps language was too lenient, the opposition arguing an accounting technicality could not guarantee that federal subsidies would not be used for abortions. Despite the reality-insurance companies currently have the ability to maintain two separate funding streams- fear forced the unnecessary passage of the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

The lesson to take away from this experience is that we, as advocates, cannot let our guard down. We need to spend attention and energy both on converting our opposition and encouraging our champions.

As a woman I want health care reform, but I refuse to endorse an amendment that marginalizes my right to choose and undermines my equality.

Also read: Marci A. Hamilton at FindLaw.

Women are the major beneficiaries of health care reform: Our voices must be heard on Capitol Hill!

On Saturday evening the House of Representatives will vote on health care reform. Now is the time for YOU to make the call!

CALL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AT 1-877-264-4226. The switchboard will ask for your home phone number and then direct you to the correct office.

When connected to your Representative’s office, give them your information:

“My name is ____. I live in (city, state). I am your constituent.”

Explain that you want health care reform that gives women and girls access to quality care at an affordable price. You believe health care reform must

• Eliminate Discriminatory Practices Against Women: Insurance companies routinely factor gender into setting premium levels, charging women more than men for identical coverage.
• Ban unfair “Pre-existing Condition” Practices: Women are often denied or excluded from coverage because of their health history.
• Ensure Comprehensive Benefits: Women often choose to forgo necessary heath services because their ‘bare bones’ health plans do not cover benefits that are critical to maintaining their health.
• Make Health Care Affordable: Health care coverage is simply too expensive now. For health reform to be successful, Congress must guarantee that women can afford to purchase and utilize quality health coverage.

Every call makes a difference. Send these talking points to your friends and family – encourage them to make the call.

Every day 14,000 Americans lose their health care.

Don’t Wait. It’s time for you to make the call.