tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89064826354058571702024-02-18T22:19:00.868-08:00NWPC BlogThe National Women's Political Caucus is a multicultural, intergenerational, and multi-issue grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process and creating a true women’s political power base to achieve equality for all women. NWPC recruits, trains and supports pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all levels of government regardless of party affiliation.
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-3785656514276896162015-10-16T07:50:00.000-07:002015-10-16T08:07:16.825-07:00Representation 2020: Their Mission & Why it May Just Work<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; text-indent: 36px;">
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By Alexa Zogopoulos & Mallory McPherson-Wehan</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Women make up 50.8% of the population in the United States, but only 19% of Congress. Do we still live in a representative democracy if women are not being equally represented? It is easy to advertise these statistics and demand change, but if you have no actual plan to achieve gender parity, then your quest may be in vain. Representation 2020 seeks to present a plan with reasonable goals in order to “raise awareness of the underrepresentation of women in elected office, to strengthen coalitions that are supportive of measures to increase women's representation, and to highlight the often overlooked structural barriers to achieving gender parity in American elections.” Before we explain how exactly Representation 2020 seeks to raise awareness and make these landmark changes, let’s first explain why we need groups like this. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why should we elect more women to office? Women represent over half of the country’s skills, knowledge, and talents. Women have a different perspective on needs in policy areas such as healthcare, transportation, education and jobs. Women in elected office increase the likelihood of conceiving and implementing effective legislation and just solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems. With more women in office, there will be a greater desire among politicians to reach out to their female voters and represent their concerns. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How do we get more women elected to political office? Well, first we need women to run. Representation 2020’s first goal is to recruit more women through intentional action. Whether it be targeting college-age students to get more involved in politics or recruit women from the local level to run, we need to identify women who want to run in this age of “political apathy.” While grassroots organizing will greatly assist in getting women’s names on the ballot, we must also hold political parties accountable for encouraging women to run for all offices. It is the duty of the parties to support their candidates, but it is important that they pay close attention to which members of their party are actually represented by the candidates. State Democratic and Republican parties must establish gender parity committees to acknowledge the level of gender parity among their candidates, while also supporting more women within their party to run for office. Political parties must make female representation a priority. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So now that we have women who want to run, how do we get them to win? Voting systems have a huge impact on gender representation. America is very unique with our “winner take all” system. This system does not reflect diversity or minorities. Representation 2020 claims that the best way to deal with our voting system is to implement ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank their desired candidates in order of preference, as opposed to just choosing one. These rankings then allow for second and third choice candidates to still gain “seats” in multi-winner elections while also allowing higher chances of winning for second and third-choice candidates in single-winner elections. This system rewards candidates who reach out to the most voters and helps lesser known candidates become recognized. Ranked choice voting also revolutionizes campaigns by forcing candidates to rely on more than just one group of supporters to get elected. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How do we know that this system actually works? Ranked choice voting has been implemented in the cities of Minneapolis, Oakland, San Francisco, Cambridge, and San Leandro. In all of these cases, there was a dramatic increase in women and minorities being elected. Even many universities including Ivy Leagues use ranked choice voting to elect their student representatives. In every case, from local to college-level, the implementation of ranked choice voting has been nothing but successful in increasing fair representation.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> And how is it that something as seemingly simple as changing the way we vote leads to more minorities and women in office? The answer is simple: there is a change in the dynamic of competition in elections. Rather than elections being between one wealthy party leader and another wealthy party leader, ranked-choice voting opens up the pool to candidates of all different backgrounds and political statuses. With more than one “winner,” ranked choice voting allows more voters to feel as though their vote counts while also encouraging politicians to focus more on their own policies than attempting to crush their competitor with the monetary strength of their party.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The problem with enacting ranked choice voting is that no incumbent will want to implement a new voting system that would hurt his/her chances of being reelected. To start implementing this system, we would have to start by targeting communities that need the most revolutionary change in their representation. Representation 2020 seeks to start at the local level. As Americans, we tend to think that federal office is where representation matters the most-and it is very true we need representation there, but in order to get more women to run for office, we must start at the local and state level. </span></div>
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NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-24905621609042057662015-07-29T08:51:00.001-07:002015-07-29T08:51:52.049-07:00My Internship with NWPC<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"> BY: Piper O'Keefe,</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"> <i>NWPC Development Intern</i></span></div>
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<i>In this post, Piper reflects on her experience interning for the National Women's Political Caucus for the Summer of 2015.<span id="goog_1303298456"></span><span id="goog_1303298457"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As
I was searching for internships for this summer, I wanted to find a way to
channel my passion for women in politics. At Gettysburg College, I am a
Political Science and Globalization Studies double major and German minor, so I
am especially interested in the role that women play in politics throughout the
world. Although there are many ways in which the United States is a leader when
it comes to human rights, only about 20% of the House of Representatives is female,
meaning it ranks 72</span><sup style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> in the world for the percentage of women
representatives in national lower houses. We can and should elect more women
than this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
was incredibly excited when I discovered the internships offered through the
National Women’s Political Caucus because NWPC is an organization that truly
reflects my belief that more pro-choice women from both parties need to be elected
to all levels of government. Being a Development Intern with NWPC for the
summer has meant that I get to spend the summer in Washington, DC (which is great
in itself!) and has given me innumerable opportunities. I have been able to
work both in and out of the office furthering women’s equality, and I have learned
more than I ever could in a classroom. From meeting with women leaders from across
the nation and world to helping to plan and run a major convention, my
internship has been packed with more amazing experiences than can even be described.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One
of the exciting opportunities I had early this summer was meeting with a
delegation of women political leaders from Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey,
and Ukraine. We primarily talked with them about what political participation is
like for women in the United States and their respective countries.
Interestingly, the women shared that in most of their countries there really is
no abortion debate in politics- almost everyone is simply pro-choice. They were
shocked and confused that the issue of abortion is still a topic of political
debate in the US. Until that meeting, the only experience I had with women in
politics internationally was comparing statistics; I really enjoyed getting to
personalize the facts by meeting these women and hearing what their involvement
in politics in other countries has been like.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
NWPC’s 22<sup>nd</sup> Biennial Convention took place in Washington, DC this July and the theme for the weekend was <b><i>50/50 by 2020: Marching Towards
Parity. </i></b>NWPC members from around the nation came together for three
days to elect new national officers and attend panels, events, and workshops
filled with incredible speakers. As an intern, I helped to plan the convention
beforehand and then actually run it. It was incredibly rewarding to see events that
we spent months preparing for unfold successfully before my eyes. The Good Guys
Gala, for example, was a seated dinner where we honored four men who are committed
to helping women reach equality- Former NWPC Political Director Nick Demeter;
the late Dr. Howard Lessner; Baltimore City Councilman, Nick Mosby; and
Missouri State Representative Stephen Webber. The Keynote Speaker for the event
was Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Working from the beginning
of the summer to help to get nominations for these awards, contact the
honorees, put together their bios, order the awards, and create the event
program made hearing their speeches and meeting them an even better experience
than it would have otherwise been.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Interning
with NWPC has been great for so many reasons- instead of just learning about
women in politics, I have met and helped support women in politics; instead of
just attending a convention, I have helped to plan and run a convention; and so
much more. It has been a pretty incredible summer, to say the least!</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><i><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To apply for a Fall 2015 internship with NWPC, click here: </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.nwpc.org/intern">http://www.nwpc.org/intern</a> </span></span></b></i></span></div>
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NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-82203571817751066272015-04-07T09:31:00.001-07:002015-05-12T07:53:20.533-07:00A busy woman’s guide to being an informed voter<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">BY: Nancy Poling,</b><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"> author of <i>Had Eve Come First and Jonah Been a Woman</i> and <i>Out of the Pumpkin Shell</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When
I think of scary election scenarios, I imagine David Duke in his Grand Master
of the Ku Klux Klan garb sitting at a desk in front of the state seal of
Louisiana. In 1991 he ran for governor there and got 39% of the votes. He didn’t
win because black voters turned out. That’s why I refuse to let cynicism over
American politics overpower my determination to make my political voice count—because
the voices of a group of like-minded voters can make a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If
we allow ourselves to be convinced that politics is dirty, that all politicians
are dishonest, that the world’s headed for disaster anyway—so
why do anything?—there’s
no chance of rectifying the situation. Our disinterest will become a self-fulfilling
prophecy. The alternative is to be like
the black voters in Louisiana in 1991, to be informed and mobilize our forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s
the being informed I want to address here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Political
campaigns depend on our not keeping up on current events. In the weeks leading
up to an election, sound bytes and misinformation blast the media. There’s
usually something to fear—ISIS, ebola, criminals, big government—and
those who haven’t been paying much attention respond
to the fear that best fits their situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unfortunately
staying informed requires time and energy, two luxuries most working women don’t
have. How might a woman fit it into her already hectic schedule? I’ve
got a few suggestions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1.)
Set a reasonable goal. You’re not likely to have enough time to
be well informed on every topic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2.)
Just like you schedule exercise, set a goal of reading or listening to current
topics for fifteen minutes a day. You can do it while you pedal the exercise
bike, commute to work, or by grabbing a little time for yourself at the end of
the day. (Beware the gym that keeps the TV tuned to Fox News.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3.)
Pick one or two issues that matter the most to you. For me they’re
the environment and racial justice—though I glance at news related to all
events of that day. Here are a few websites that may coincide with your
interests. Environmental issues: <a href="http://sierraclub.org/planet"><span class="Hyperlink0">sierraclub.org/planet</span></a>. Racial justice issues: <a href="http://naacp.org/blog"><span class="Hyperlink0">naacp.org/blog</span></a>. Women’s issues: <a href="http://huffingtonpost.com/women/"><span class="Hyperlink0">huffingtonpost.com/women/</span></a>.
There are plenty of sites out there, but be sure if you’re
googling the topic to choose a reliable source. I find that a search on Twitter
under “feminist,” “environment,” or
“racial justice” connects
me with people who’ve already done the hard work of
locating informative material.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.)
Check on what your representatives are doing. Many post on Facebook. Does their
voting reflect your values? Also pay attention to what elected officials at the
state level are talking about. By the time the election comes around you’ll
know whether you want to vote for or against them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fifty
years ago, John Lewis was in the front line of people crossing the Edmund
Pettus Bridge. He and others marched—put their lives at risk—for
the right of African Americans to vote. Lewis has said, “The
vote is precious. It’s almost sacred. It’s
the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let’s
use that tool responsibly. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-30324845431657860672015-02-27T08:25:00.004-08:002015-02-27T13:04:58.381-08:00“Islam In The Media: How Global Events Tarnished Its Reputation”<br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">BY: Usma Hosain, </b><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Senior at The Bryn Mawr School</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The
latter half of 2014 was a busy time for global events and happenings. Not only
was the Gaza-Israel conflict appearing everywhere, but the execution videos released by ISIS were dominating headlines. Topping all of this off was the
coverage done on the behalf of media, tarnishing and slandering Islam as a
religion and muslims as a population. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">In
late September, I was watching CNN, eager to hear about the conflicts filling
the world and praying it would have nothing to do with muslims. My heart
dropped, however, as I read the headline posted on the screen. “Does Islam
promote violence?” I felt tears fill my eyes and the lump in my throat made
itself known. The screen flashed and changed to two news anchors interviewing
one of my favorite authors and scholars of religion, Reza Aslan. As I listened
to Aslan critique the remarks of Bill Maher regarding muslims, one of the
anchors interrupted him and brought up an aspect of Islam I had never heard of;
the reason being that it doesn’t exist. She questioned why Islam is so
misogynistic towards women. I could hear my heart pounding and all of a sudden,
I couldn’t hear the interview anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> Thoughts were running through my
head faster than I could process. Words regarding muslims that I had heard
throughout the years flashed through my head. ISIS, Al-Qaeda, jihadist,
terrorist, monster, murderer, and more. I fixated on one, however: “jihadist.”
Alongside all these events, I had been writing college essays and I had used
jihad in one of them. I looked up the dictionary definition, wanting to verify
I was using it correctly in terms of how people hear it today. Yet again, I was
let down. The dictionary definition is as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 48pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i><span style="color: #191919;">ji•had noun \ji-'häd, chiefly British, -'had\</span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 48pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>"a war fought by muslims to defend or spread their
beliefs"</i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 48pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 48pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>1. a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; also
a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual
discipline</i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 48pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 48pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><i>2. a crusade for a principle or a belief </i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The
definition provided by not only Merriam-Webster but also the Oxford English
Dictionary (slightly varied) puts muslims and Islam in a light that is less
than tasteful. Although the second definition is closest to the original,
deriving from Arabic, the former is less than accurate. I consulted my
Arabic-English dictionary that I had purchased for school. Among the hundreds
of definitions listed, ‘a holy war’ did appear, however, there was nothing to
suggest it had anything to do with Islam. In fact, in the Qu’ran, it is written
that those who wage war on behalf of Islam are not true muslims. After emailing
and exchanging several correspondences with the editors of Merriam-Webster, my
concerns with their inaccurate definition were politely dismissed. And so, I
set out to right the wrongs that I had seen. I started to write a petition to
have the definition changed. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48pt;">
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I’m not sure what I expected to happen, nor am I sure I had any
expectations. I knew that if I could draw enough attention to the issue, even
in the case that it did not get changed, I would have done my part. Be it one
person or one hundred that read it, I would know that I tried, and I did change
the way some people viewed my religion and my culture. I did not, however,
expect that this project would take as long as it has. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48pt;">
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">More often than not, we are much too eager to put people into a
box based on what we can see. More often than not, we blindly follow and agree
with what the media says, not taking into account that the information they
provide may not be the full story. <b><i>More often than not, we do nothing to speak
up, for it is easier to maintain silence than break it.</i></b> Of course, as I grew
older, I came to understand this, but it was not until I began writing the
petition that my heart swelled with pride and I embraced my identity. Until
that moment, I had not found the courage to break the silence. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">My
journey, however, does not end here. Over the months that I’ve been doing
research and emailing scholars of Islam, I have been envisioning my future. I
know that as a woman in politics, I will come to face many hurdles. There will
be days when I want to give up. There will be days when I feel my effort is
wasted and I am making no difference at all. I will, however, have days when I
take pride in having the courage to undertake such a huge project at the age of
17. I will have days when I know that I may be inspiring other people to speak
up for their beliefs. I will have days when I feel I have started a movement, for
a movement starts not with thousands of people but one person, courageous,
willing, and brave enough to begin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">They
say women in politics is a bad idea because we’re so hormonal. They say we’re
too emotional to make sound decisions and keep in mind what matters. They say
women can’t do it on account of their gender. I beg to differ. Women have been
the unsung heroes of the world for hundreds of years. In the absence of men,
instead of shying away, women stepped up to the plate, ready and willing to
help with anything and everything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
suppose my education at an all girls’ school for 13 years has shaped me into what
some would call a die-hard feminist. Some may say my views on women in politics
makes me a radical feminist. Some may say that my hopes, goals, and aspirations
for my petition are far too ambitious. I, however, refuse to back down. I
refuse to walk away from a cause I feel so passionately about. I refuse to
silence the voice I was given. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">My
name is Usma Hosain. I’m a 17 year old first generation American from
Baltimore, MD. I am a feminist and I am an advocate for what is right. Above
all, I am and always will be proud to be a Muslim. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-86347253813987696382015-02-10T11:53:00.002-08:002015-02-10T11:54:05.387-08:00Rape. Then and Now<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">BY: Kate Nace Day, </b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Director/Producer of
<a href="http://vimeo.com/38032409">A CIVIL REMEDY</a></i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">Twenty-five years
ago, survivors of rape and domestic violence in the United States started
telling their stories to Congress. For four years, their stories joined the
testimony of physicians, law professors, representatives of state law
enforcement and private business in the eight separate Reports issued by
Congress and its committees that led to the enactment of the </span><a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-136/subchapter-III"><span style="color: #0c0ba2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">Violence Against Women Act of 1994</span></a><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">. On rape, Congress found:</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 64.0pt; margin-right: 64.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> “Three-quarters
of women never go to the movies alone after dark because of the fear of rape and nearly 50 percent do not use public transit alone after dark for the same
reason.”</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 64.0pt; margin-right: 64.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> “According
to one study, close to half a million girls now in high school will be raped
before </span></i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">they graduate.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 64.0pt; margin-right: 64.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">“[One
hundred twenty-five thousand] college women can expect to be raped during this
-- or </span></i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">any -- year.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 64.0pt; margin-right: 64.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 64.0pt; margin-right: 64.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">“[Forty-one]
percent of judges surveyed believed that juries give sexual assault victims less </span></i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">credibility than other crime victims.”</span></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 64.0pt; margin-right: 64.0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"><i>“An
individual who commits rape has only about 4 chances in 100 of being arrested, </i></span></span><i style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">prosecuted, and found guilty of any offense.”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">In September 1994,
the VAWA was enacted, declaring for the first time: “All persons within the
United States shall have the right to be free from crimes of violence motivated
by gender.” Violence against women became more than a crime or personal
injury. Such violence was now, in national law, sex discrimination, a violation
of civil rights. Victims were given the same </span><a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/13981"><span style="color: #0c0ba2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">civil rights remedy</span></a><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"> as victims of crimes motivated by race or religion: a
federal civil action for damages against perpetrators. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">That September, Christy
Brzonkala was an 18 year-old freshman at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. In her dorm, minutes after she met two varsity
football players, one of them asked her to have sex with him. She told him
“no,” twice. When she went to leave, she says they raped her – first one,
then the other, and then the first again. As he left, the first warned her,
“You better not have any fucking diseases.” He later announced publicly, he
“liked to get girls drunk and fuck the shit out of them.”</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">After </span><a href="http://www.oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1999/1999_99_5"><span style="color: #0c0ba2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">Christy Brzonkala complained to the school</span></a><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">, two rounds of
disciplinary hearings were held. One football player was acquitted and
the other was found guilty of sexual assault and suspended for two
semesters. His suspension was quickly voided. He was then found
guilty of “using abusive language.” The University Provost personally
intervened and overturned his second suspension. He returned the next
fall, on a full athletic scholarship.</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">Christy Brzonkala sued
under the civil remedy provision of the VAWA. As her case made its way to
the Supreme Court as </span><a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZO.html"><span style="color: #0c0ba2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">United States v. Morrison</span></a><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">, the only question
had been framed early on by the trial court. It was not the question whether
her civil rights had been violated, but a question of federalism. The Supreme
Court answered: Congress had no power to place law in the hands of women
victims. In the entire record of her case, Christy Brzonkala has only one
word, “<i>no.”</i></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">It is </span><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-size: 11pt;">fifteen years since
the Court’s decision in </span><a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZO.html"><span style="color: #0c0ba2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">Morrison</span></a><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">. The s</span><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">tory of rape on American campuses has been
building - on new social media, like the websites of survivors like </span><a href="http://knowyourix.org/"><span style="color: #090058; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">Know Your IX</span></a><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;"> and student
organizations, </span><a href="http://safercampus.org/home"><span style="color: #090058; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">SAFER</span></a><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">, and blogs like </span><a href="http://feministing.com/"><span style="color: #09006b; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">Feministing</span></a><span style="color: #09006b; font-size: 11pt;"> and in the unprecedented </span><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">political and legal
responses of the Department of Education's Office of Civil
Rights' disclosures of </span><a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-list-higher-education-institutions-open-title-ix-sexual-violence-investigations"><span style="color: #090058; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">Title IX investigations</span></a><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;"> and </span><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/report_0.pdf"><span style="color: #09006b; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect
Students from Sexual Assault.</span></a><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">This past year,
survivor stories became newly visible in documentary film. In Cecilia
Peck's </span><a href="http://www.bravemissworld.com/"><span style="color: #0e24b2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">BRAVE MISS WORLD</span></a><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">, rape survivor and activist Miss Israel and Miss World
Linor Abargil encourages victims of campus rape in America to speak out, and
they do. The director </span><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 11pt;">of the award-winning </span><a href="http://jacksonfilms.com/film/the-greatest-silence-rape-in-the-congo"><span style="color: #0e24b2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO</span></a><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 11pt;">, Lisa Jackson
follows five survivors as they fight for accountability on campus and in
federal court in </span><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;">her </span><a href="http://www.pivot.tv/"><span style="color: #0e24b2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">newly released</span></a><span style="color: #0b0b0b; font-size: 11pt;"> film, </span><a href="http://www.ithappenedhere.org/"><span style="color: #0c0ba2; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">IT HAPPENED HERE</span></a><span style="color: #141414; font-size: 11pt;">. </span><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="color: #141414; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #141414; font-size: 11pt;">Just days ago, </span><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-size: 11pt;">Kirby Dick's film
about campus rape, </span><a href="http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com/"><span style="color: #103cc0; font-size: 11pt;">THE HUNTING GROUND</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-size: 11pt;">, premiered at
Sundance. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"> Dick
is known for telling human stories of inequalities and power, violence and impunity.
</span><a href="http://invisiblewarmovie.com/"><span style="color: #103cc0; font-size: 11pt;">The Invisible Wa</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;">r, his 2012 film
on rape in the US military, </span><span style="color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 11pt;">pressed for accountability in how the
military handles rape. In March 2014, a bill to take military sexual assault
prosecutions out of the hands of commanders fell only </span><a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=2&vote=00059"><span style="color: #103cc0; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;">five votes short</span></a><span style="color: #1b1b1b; font-size: 11pt;"> of beating a Senate filibuster. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11pt;"> I have not seen
THE HUNTING GROUND, described by the </span><a href="http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival"><span style="color: #27547e; font-size: 11pt;">Sundance Film
Festival</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11pt;"> as
a “piercing, monumental exposé of rape culture on campuses.” While it may
be too early to know the specifics of the film’s policy agenda, US Senators
Barbara Boxer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand were at Sundance speaking on a
related panel. Both </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/us/college-sexual-assault-bill-in-senate.html?module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=U.S.&action=keypress&region=FixedLeft&pgtype=article"><span style="color: #27547e; font-size: 11pt;">are backing
legislation</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11pt;"> requiring schools to disclose publicly the result of
anonymous surveys concerning assaults. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope colleges and
universities will use these films to teach the vulnerability and violence of
rape, its entrenched inequalities and shocking failures of accountability. To teach
what the law says, what law <i>does, </i>what
law has the power to change – in rape at home, at school, and on the streets, rape
as pornography, rape for profit, rape as spectacle, rape in the military, rape
as genocide, rape as war too extraordinary to be believed, rape in peace too commonplace
to be visible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 11pt;">To those in colleges
and universities who try to silence survivors </span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11pt;">or erase the small details and remembered
events of their stories, then and now, young women are saying, “<i>no</i>.”</span></span></div>
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NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-71054717962692251622015-01-27T11:11:00.001-08:002015-01-27T11:11:36.303-08:00Observations from my first "March For Life"<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"> BY: Jessica Greer,</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"> <i>NWPC Political Planning & Action Intern</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i>In this post, Jessica reflects on her experiences attending the "March For Life," an annual anti-choice rally held in the nation's capital on the anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB8HttzAUsGjQtxx75qbt4ahGE3kTt_Edvtsh1p_j4gT2ttuSDgEpGzhz8YysES-76XIGEqTP6y0HqvpweL3-KqiSQIOyCHTnI44NdDClS6-BDZfnH-NT1aBLwqYY1oy3lbxdxbKUP84i/s1600/Jessica+Greer+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB8HttzAUsGjQtxx75qbt4ahGE3kTt_Edvtsh1p_j4gT2ttuSDgEpGzhz8YysES-76XIGEqTP6y0HqvpweL3-KqiSQIOyCHTnI44NdDClS6-BDZfnH-NT1aBLwqYY1oy3lbxdxbKUP84i/s1600/Jessica+Greer+pic.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> It felt very cold on one
of the last Thursdays in January when I went to protest the March for Life. However,
after talking with older women who have been coming to this rally for years,
forty degrees was nothing. I was quickly given a sign and became a part of my
first feminist protest. I have been to protests before, but never one for
women’s rights. I felt more impassioned during this protest than others, and after
hearing the pro-choice men, I realized how important it is to have other groups
actively support you. I have met many men who support reproductive rights, but
never ones who went out of their way to prove how important my rights were to
them. It meant a lot to me. However, the good feelings did not last long, as
pro-lifers starting trickling in bit by bit. At first they were passive,
walking around with their signs, babies, and rosaries. There were also
occasional prayers said for our souls, so nothing out of the ordinary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> About an hour later, the
hoard arrived and we blocked the road while chanting in unity. The police gave
us the right to protest for a while, but eventually we had to clear the street
in order to let them pass. A few young (and old) brave women refused and were
arrested. All I can hope is that when I am old, I have the gusto that these
women do. Watching the pro-lifers march past was an interesting experience. I
went to a catholic school for 12 years, so I know what they can be like, but I
never saw them in their full glory—and it was terrifying. Seeing all the
younger children march past with confused faces was incredibly disheartening. I
wouldn’t bring my children to a march for anything at that age. The babies were
worse. These people shout about how much they care about babies, but they bring
theirs in cold weather to an event with thousands of screaming people. Something
else that disturbed me was how many men were marching. They were telling
stories over loudspeakers about how their girlfriends had abortions and they
felt as if they “lost their fatherhood.” They really brought themselves into a
debate that they have no business being in. How can someone be so against
something that doesn’t even affect them? The women in the march also barely had
respect for their fellow females. Of course, abortion is a choice and you can
always choose <i>not</i> to have one. Nonetheless,
women should still respect other women who feel that they are unready for a
child or simply do not want to be pregnant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Despite all this, there
was one thing that gave me hope. Seeing all the kids around the junior high age,
pressured to be there by their religion, was not as discouraging to me. I am
certain that one day these children’s minds will lead them away from their
religious bubble. After all my time in that bubble, I know that many kids will
find their way out; I watched it happen. Against the pro-lifers loud and repetitive
chant, I do not believe there will be an up and coming “pro-life generation.” </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-6968452224635702282015-01-14T13:06:00.000-08:002015-01-15T06:57:56.622-08:00Feminism and Politics: A Rising Tide<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">BY: Ellie Grabowski, </b><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Senior at The Bryn Mawr School</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcjR_sqRPik5peep8fVevcGzXktVh8VKXzvD7UoaNlOXe3fceO7WSjqxjFsPAZseQf4JG1spIeUA8Ee8phO_Z64vgSVwt42gwSiURgA6wZ49tDb1mskeP32HXxUMmYMso5vW244EcWtcn/s1600/ellie+senior+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcjR_sqRPik5peep8fVevcGzXktVh8VKXzvD7UoaNlOXe3fceO7WSjqxjFsPAZseQf4JG1spIeUA8Ee8phO_Z64vgSVwt42gwSiURgA6wZ49tDb1mskeP32HXxUMmYMso5vW244EcWtcn/s1600/ellie+senior+pic.JPG" height="320" width="222" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <b><i>"I a</i></b><i style="font-weight: bold;">m an ambitious feminist."</i> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand’s words rang out in the auditorium. A split second later,
the room filled with cheers and applause. Her words had electrified the
audience of teenage girls, and I was caught up in the tide of confidence,
inspiration, and awe. For a brief moment, despite all I knew about this unbelievably
unjust world in which we live, I was invincible, sitting on the crest of this
wave of idealism and determination.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I
attend <a href="http://brynmawrschool.org/">The Bryn Mawr School</a> in Baltimore, Maryland, an all-girls college preparatory school known for its philosophy of women's empowerment. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This past November, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York visited
and gave a talk followed by a question-and-answer session. She discussed how
she entered politics, the struggles she faced and overcame along the way, and
her views on issues like sexual assault in the military and paid maternity
leave. She was confident. She was intelligent. She was immensely inspiring to
the hundreds of teenage girls in her audience. But what struck me the most
about her visit was her bold, unapologetic, determined declaration: “I am an
ambitious feminist." Me too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> There
aren’t many self-declared feminists in American culture, let alone American
politics. 2014 saw a relative deluge of feminism in mainstream pop culture — ask
anyone, and they’ll name <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/showbiz/music/beyonce-feminism-yours-and-mine-video/">Beyoncé</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/24/taylor-swift-feminist-_n_5704691.html">Taylor Swift</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9SUAcNlVQ4">Emma Watson</a>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/09/29/352276798/lena-dunham-on-sex-oversharing-and-writing-about-lost-girls">Lena Dunham</a> — but that doesn’t mean that mainstream pop culture is suddenly feminist.
This, after all, is the culture that allowed domestic abuser <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11949855/ray-rice-baltimore-ravens-wins-appeal-eligible-reinstatement">Ray Rice to be reinstated to the NFL</a>, the culture that tells <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/21/school-dress-codes-girls-shame-modesty">high school girls that their bodies are distracting</a> to their male classmates, and the culture that was
documented by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XGPvbWn0A">ten hours’ worth of street harassment</a> a woman recorded while
simply walking down the streets of New York City. This is the culture that resulted
in </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://time.com/3576870/worst-words-poll-2014/">Time</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://time.com/3576870/worst-words-poll-2014/"> picking “feminist” as an option</a> for its poll of words of 2014 to ban on November 12</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> this
year. This is the culture in which that option received the most votes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> And yet, time and time again, I’ve seen
and heard people protesting that feminism is unnecessary. I’ve heard people decry
the way it’s supposedly been shoved in their faces. I’ve heard people insist
that women’s issues really aren’t as big a deal as they’re made out to be, and that
those who pick up the label “feminist” only do so because it’s trendy. On the
contrary, the very fact that those who call themselves feminists are accused of
being shallow is proof that feminism is necessary. How can feminism be only a
fashion statement if it is obvious that those who embrace it are relentlessly
criticized? One need only look at the shocking amount of </span><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/emma-watson-threatened-by-hackers-after-celebrated-un-heforshe-speech-2014239" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;">hatred and harassment thrown at Emma Watson</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> after her (relatively mild) speech at the UN to see that we need
feminism now more than ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> There
are even fewer feminist politicians today than there are pop stars. Hillary
Clinton is one; Senator Gillibrand, clearly, is another; and some people might
be able to name Wendy Davis, but it’s hard to think of any more off the top of
your head. This persistent absence of women who represent feminism and the
realities of women’s lives from the political sphere is the reason why my
classmates and I were so inspired by Senator Gillibrand when she visited our
school. She is someone rare and necessary. We need more politicians and people
like her, people who are not afraid of the word “feminist.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> For
me, it wasn’t hard to call myself either ambitious or feminist. It seemed
obvious to me. I have big dreams, so I am ambitious; I believe in equal rights
and opportunities for women, so I am a feminist. Senator Gillibrand, it is clear
to me, feels the same way. As a politician, by definition, she works with
people with whom she does not see eye-to-eye, but she has not let anyone else’s
refusal to accept her opinions prevent her from working together with those
people to come up with real solutions to real problems.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="http://www.nwpc.org/statistics">According to the National Women’s Political Caucus</a>, women currently make up less than 20% of Congress and less than 25% of state legislators</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are two women in </span><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">President Obama’s Cabinet</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> and three
women on the </span><a href="http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/levels_of_office/USSupremeCourt.php" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">U.S. Supreme Court</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. And yet, </span><a href="http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">according to the United States Census Bureau</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, women make up 50.8% of America as of 2013. These numbers do not match.
They do not make any sense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We
need women in politics. That much is blatantly obvious, but it’s not where it
ends. We need, more than anything, ambitious, feminist women in politics. We
need them now. We cannot solve any problem, be it sexual assault or global
warming, paid maternity leave or world hunger, if women are not represented in
the government that makes decisions about our lives. We cannot solve any
problem if half of the country cannot contribute to the solution.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I am
a teenager; I am a young woman; I am a student. I have a voice in this world,
and I am determined to use it. The sense of invincibility that I felt during
Senator Gillibrand’s visit in November does not have to fade away; the crest of
that wave is not necessarily fated to come crashing down back to reality. We
have the power to use our momentum to keep pushing higher and higher.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> I am not an aspiring politician, but
Senator Gillibrand’s visit inspired me, as it did many of my classmates, to
take a stand once again for issues that are important to me. I am an ambitious
feminist. You can be, too.</span></div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-89243536636777109962014-11-20T09:40:00.004-08:002014-11-20T09:45:32.749-08:00Looking to the Future: Political Parity in Florida<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>By: Rijaab Mansoor</b><i>, NWPC Communications Intern</i></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKhHO8-yJ7IksV4g3RJAe3xxKEChLY29gku4bC8d4LddeN0WjxZ_EZFMi7BZ8t5ZBD9SathsLarQZvRfMZQ4eFe_DI_D1rgSUL_UrdDHyImidwnous5v9Kug6LdF-34dux1Y0D4GeVI4z/s1600/Rijaab+Mansoor+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKhHO8-yJ7IksV4g3RJAe3xxKEChLY29gku4bC8d4LddeN0WjxZ_EZFMi7BZ8t5ZBD9SathsLarQZvRfMZQ4eFe_DI_D1rgSUL_UrdDHyImidwnous5v9Kug6LdF-34dux1Y0D4GeVI4z/s1600/Rijaab+Mansoor+Picture.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">November 4<sup>th</sup> was a sad
day for women in Florida. With the reelection of anti-choice incumbent Governor
Rick Scott, as well as the victories of several other anti-women candidates, significant
ground has been lost in the fight for equal rights and access to reproductive
health services. It was no surprise to see the overwhelming swing towards the
right this election cycle. However, post-election day, it is clear that there
needs to be progress made in the role of women in politics in Florida. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Florida doesn’t have the best
reputation of being friendly to women voters (remember the <i><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/10/college-republicans-say-yes-to-the-dress-in-new-ad-campaign/">Say Yes to the Dress</a></i>
ad debacle?), but that hasn’t deterred some from running for office. In this
election cycle, there were many races that represented women’s issues, as well
as several districts where both candidates were women! For the Florida State
Senate, there were a total of 5 women running between 10 contested districts.
There were also 9 women running in 8 districts for a seat in the US House of
Representatives. Although these numbers show an uptick in female participation
in politics, the results of these elections were not as hopeful. 5 of the 9
women running for a seat in the US House of Representatives were victorious. In
the Florida State Senate race, only two of the five were able to secure a seat.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Fast-forward to today, and the
picture of political parity in Florida is as grim as ever. Of our Congressional
delegation, only 6 of the 29 Representatives are women, which is just 20%. There
are only 12 female Senators in our State Senate of 40, or about 30%. The
Florida House of Representatives has 21 female Representatives in the total
House of 120, which is again just 20%. With numbers this bleak, it is hard to
imagine a future where women will have equal power in government in Florida. And
yet, we will not lose hope! Women in Florida must continue to fight for
equality on all fronts, including equal pay and reproductive rights. The best
way to ensure this is through continued participation in the political process.
We cannot stop trying to break through the glass ceiling which continues to
hold us down. With the support of groups such as <a href="http://www.nwpc.org/">the National Women’s PoliticalCaucus</a> and its state branch, <a href="http://www.nwpcfl.com/">the National Women’s Political Caucus of Florida</a>,
women in Florida will surely reach the goal of political parity and equal
rights for all!</span></div>
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">All data taken from Florida Election Watch: <a href="http://enight.elections.myflorida.com/">http://enight.elections.myflorida.com/</a></span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-42743537222921214312014-11-14T12:13:00.000-08:002014-11-14T12:20:09.936-08:00An Inspiring Afternoon with an Inspiring Woman<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>By: Alexis McCruter</b><i>, NWPC Political Planning and Action Intern</i></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwz0KvZPO1Z3Fcw7gFyAjgdOSjiXEpSATTW8u6AfPjgZqN7Wca8__hnBJDONmJpBlbw3fhyl5C2rd2C5qxhLkHNjqEsYyy4XC0SNbBxCneAJpTu5DPO9wFtHr3_asctjL9nsciV-DVgkEB/s1600/Alexis+Picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwz0KvZPO1Z3Fcw7gFyAjgdOSjiXEpSATTW8u6AfPjgZqN7Wca8__hnBJDONmJpBlbw3fhyl5C2rd2C5qxhLkHNjqEsYyy4XC0SNbBxCneAJpTu5DPO9wFtHr3_asctjL9nsciV-DVgkEB/s1600/Alexis+Picture.png" height="200" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Through my internship at the
National Women’s Political Caucus, I was given the opportunity to go to a
Leadership Seminar </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">at Georgetown Law
that ended up serving as both an awakening and pivotal experience.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The Leadership Seminar was hosted by Liberty
and Access for All, in conjunction with the Black Law Student Association of
Georgetown Law School. Liberty and Access for All is a new nonprofit
organization committed to raising bipartisan leadership amongst minorities and
underrepresented groups in America. When I got there, I immediately started to
shake hands and introduce myself to people.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I was in for a treat when
the invited speaker walked into the room.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The invited speaker was former Federal
Prosecutor Sharon Eubanks. Scurrying to a front row seat, I took out pencil and
paper so that I was ready to soak in all the wisdom she was going to give to
us. She spoke so transparently about her climb to the top. It’s always refreshing
to listen to a professional speaker who has not forgotten the exact place where
her audience comes from. She came down to a level at which we all could closely
identify with. Her story was not only interesting, but it reignited a flame
inside me which had been burning out. Even though the room was full of people,
it felt as if she was directly speaking to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ms. Eubanks has led and continues
to lead a very successful career. She has proven that as both a woman and a
minority, she is a force to be reckoned with. She spoke very openly about the
prejudice she faced being a woman of color in her field. There was one point in
her presentation where she said something that I, as an African American woman,
could closely relate to. She said, <i>“As a
black woman, I couldn’t skip any of the ladder steps. My white male counterparts
were constantly getting promoted over me and they weren’t half as qualified as
I was…. I had to work twice as hard to be just as good.” </i> I knew all too well the struggle of walking
into a room and having to prove and help others see that I actually was
qualified to do what I’d come to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The second talking point she made
that resonated with me was about career moves. Her career in Law was so
extensive. She said, <i>“I took what I could
get until I could get what I wanted. Most times that will actually lead you to
exactly where you need to be.” </i>The idea was so simple but so profound. That
was the story of my life seemingly for the last 8 months or so. It was so funny,
because even though in some instances I was taking what I could get, it always
landed me where I needed to be and even further than my original plan would
have gotten me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I stuck around and waited patiently
for her to speak with all those who’d lined up to shake her hand. When the room
was near empty I walked up to her and said, “Can I speak with you?” She said,
“Sure!” I took a deep breath and asked for her contact information and without
hesitation she jotted it all down for me. I was amazed by her willingness to
help me. This was by far one of the best experiences my internship has given
me. Ms. Eubanks helped me in a multitude of ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">“Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be
striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand
on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is
not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that
imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's
confronted with it. We need equality. Kinda now.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: #181818;"> <span style="background: white;">―</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span></i></b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18015.Joss_Whedon"><b><i><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Joss Whedon</span></i></b></a></span><b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-9891536781508148042014-11-10T21:16:00.001-08:002014-11-14T12:19:20.862-08:00Carol Shea-Porter and the Fall of America's Only All-Female Delegation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQz8uzU9IV2NJ3jutAcgWCPqel1YiEjG-w5ckClly7lVi7dNXqzOIOXayDquE85og1a2c94EQTS_-bojyiTO_-ICrUnMKu1pnxwpKLYbI3H8abDsBOJXRE0VyfjXRRlr3f_ELOmw8ZsSV/s1600/women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQz8uzU9IV2NJ3jutAcgWCPqel1YiEjG-w5ckClly7lVi7dNXqzOIOXayDquE85og1a2c94EQTS_-bojyiTO_-ICrUnMKu1pnxwpKLYbI3H8abDsBOJXRE0VyfjXRRlr3f_ELOmw8ZsSV/s1600/women.jpg" height="197" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>By: Shannon MacLeod</b>, <i>NWPC Po<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">litical Planning Intern </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and former Intern for Rep. Shea-Por</span>ter</i></div>
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3dvmgP-6sO8t1OmoUKexYqnr8kSYtJKbKWSZnZ5XobXWFAOr4hLSfufkTgALJzmFmrgDDsYxNfoVf69JfXPrFMa45w5bUM4sV3DiUSkB2VT2Hngxe-cmMd5b9kOC4HWMtpGZYBZb64PX/s1600/shannon+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3dvmgP-6sO8t1OmoUKexYqnr8kSYtJKbKWSZnZ5XobXWFAOr4hLSfufkTgALJzmFmrgDDsYxNfoVf69JfXPrFMa45w5bUM4sV3DiUSkB2VT2Hngxe-cmMd5b9kOC4HWMtpGZYBZb64PX/s1600/shannon+headshot.jpg" height="200" width="147" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The people of New Hampshire have a lot to be proud of. They
were the first state to declare their independence from Great Britain
(#trendsetters), incredibly popular fictional President Josiah Bartlett lived
there (so did incredibly unpopular real president Franklin Pierce, but we don’t
have to talk about that), and they were the only state to ever have elected an
all-female Congressional delegation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As
Democrats everywhere said a somber goodbye to their Senate Majority, they also
said goodbye to two-time (yes, that’s <i>time</i>,
not <i>term</i>) Congresswoman Carol
Shea-Porter. Shea-Porter lost a heated battle with one-time congressman Frank
Guinta. The two have been dueling for the opportunity to represent the 1<sup>st</sup>
district since 2010 when Guinta unseated Shea-Porter in the first Republican
Wave. New Hampshire voters then changed their minds when they re-elected
Shea-Porter in 2012, but apparently changed their minds yet again in 2014. These
fickle New Hampshirans (New Hampshireites?) seem to have found the solution to
the problem of congressional races: Taking turns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I,
like 48.2% of voters in the New Hampshire 1<sup>st</sup>, am sad to see Carol
Shea-Porter go. She has been a staunch supporter of women’s issues,
co-sponsoring bills like the Supporting Working Moms Act and the Women's Health
Protection Act. She has steadfastly voted against anti-choice legislation that
would limit access to abortion, such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child
Protection Act. Frank Guinta’s record is far more troubling, having voted for
the No Tax Payer Funding for Abortion Act and stating that he supports </span><a href="http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/media/fact-sheets/abortion-cpcs.pdf" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Crisis Pregnancy Centers</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. Thankfully, we have probably not have seen the last of
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. She has run in every congressional race since
2006, regardless of incumbency, and her dedication to the citizens of New
Hampshire never seems to falter. New Hampshire might not have an all female
delegation anymore, but that doesn’t mean they won’t again soon. </span></div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-66113653401785810812014-11-10T13:33:00.002-08:002014-11-10T21:23:36.222-08:00So What’s Next? A Liberal Take on the Midterm Elections and the Future of the Democratic Party<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDqj4bWU89R4yvTvPdORw36cgM2bqPTXPFUi-ycD15Rs2i7_OSNWU2inWymdj8m-b3g1nng7XqREJpmYyp8mLAtnsjZpu2EaATHKidvSxyt5JrHoh6wOFo3hLzST7tDNxZYtJPrTDhAIE/s1600/Election+2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDqj4bWU89R4yvTvPdORw36cgM2bqPTXPFUi-ycD15Rs2i7_OSNWU2inWymdj8m-b3g1nng7XqREJpmYyp8mLAtnsjZpu2EaATHKidvSxyt5JrHoh6wOFo3hLzST7tDNxZYtJPrTDhAIE/s1600/Election+2014.png" height="217" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15.3333320617676px;"><b>By: Alexis McCruter</b>, <i>NWPC Political Planning Intern</i></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwWVzGULZCANpeXxZ2KvpbLRw0fG3-vxhyphenhyphenaILsVEH2xIInIbUm7D5BNJndCaGIJrey-PMvzS3-RQca_82a7ObUsDO6OdJD3bjlXQrkOX3UoFbOHk8fwVq433q-NPXnORzBbIPkcQCaK7B/s1600/10382863_10152892839242774_5102421165558309693_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwWVzGULZCANpeXxZ2KvpbLRw0fG3-vxhyphenhyphenaILsVEH2xIInIbUm7D5BNJndCaGIJrey-PMvzS3-RQca_82a7ObUsDO6OdJD3bjlXQrkOX3UoFbOHk8fwVq433q-NPXnORzBbIPkcQCaK7B/s1600/10382863_10152892839242774_5102421165558309693_n.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
the recent midterm elections, the Democratic Party took a bit of a fall.<span style="color: red;"> </span>On November 4<sup>th</sup>, the Republicans gained
control of the Senate in what is now being called a “Republican Wave.” The GOP
dominated, now controlling 52 of the 100 senate seats. There has a lot of speculation
as to what these numbers mean for Americans and women in particular. Notable
Democratic losses include Senate seats in both Iowa and Colorado as well as
governor races in Florida and Wisconsin, and the losses don’t stop there! The
Democratic Party also lost competitive governor races in Illinois, Maryland,
Maine and Massachusetts. Thankfully, the night was not all bad. Marijuana
became legal in Washington, D.C. and Oregon, and the minimum wage was raised in
Arkansas, Illinois and Nebraska. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Republican Party is not generally seen as the party of women and minorities,
but this election was just as much about women’s rights as it was about the
country’s deficit. Both sides of the aisle made a conscious effort to include
women’s issues in the conversation in the hopes of garnering support from a
group that makes up more than 50% of the electorate.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While
many Democrats ran on the platform of continuing to fight for a women’s right
to choose, Republicans were busy creating a new meaning to the phrase “War on
Women.” That being said, the Republicans still seemed to do a great job of regaining
the trust of American women. This couldn’t have been the easiest task
considering the recent attacks on women’s reproductive rights, including cuts
to funding delegated to Planned Parenthood, ultimately leading to limiting
access to abortions in America.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #281b21; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So what does this mean for Hilary in 2016? Assuming
that she is running, will she be viewed as a capable heroine, able to stand up
against the Republican Party, or will Americans see her as just another candidate
trying to defeat Republicans for the sake of it?</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #281b21; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This onslaught of Republican representatives might
not mean that we can expect a Republican president. Midterm elections hardly
ever favor the party of the President, and if the even larger Republican wave
of 2010 didn’t predict the winner of the 2012 election, we cannot expect 2014
to do so for 2016. It is far too early to count out either party, and the
Presidential elections should be an exciting race to watch.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #281b21; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now is as good of time as any to come together
as women regardless of political party, and set the stage for the battle for
the White House in 2016. Let’s make the next election about women’s issues and
really force the candidates from both parties to answer to female voters. This
could be the fight to maintain your voice and reproductive freedoms.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-90600598696888833392013-06-10T13:12:00.002-07:002014-11-06T16:37:54.145-08:00Representative Vern Buchanan “De-friends” American Women<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">Guest Blogger: Caitlin Highland, NWPC Political Planning Intern</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">Representative
Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has “de-friended” American women.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Imagine
this scenario: your friend is using your computer to look at the Facebook
profile of her new coworker. She forgets that she is on your account, and sends
a friend request. Later, you have a notification that the coworker is now your
Facebook friend. You do not know her, but you look through her profile to
research her. You have little in common, it seems. She likes action movies, and
you prefer horror. She may be a little more liberal than you. She seems nice,
though. Do you make the effort to defriend her, or do you let your Facebook
friendship be? You most likely let it be. To actively defriend her is to go out
of your way to demonstrate disassociation.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">Representative Buchanan found himself in a similar situation last week, and he chose to
take a stance against American women. On June 3, 2013, his name appeared on the
list of co-sponsors for H.J. Res. 43, a bill to remove the deadline for
ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). To supporters and ERA
activists, this move signaled some bipartisan support for the bill, as Buchanan
was the first Republican co-sponsor. However,
on June 6th, Buchanan withdrew his name from the list. When the National
Women’s Political Caucus contacted his office for information on the
withdrawal, his legislative aid claimed that Buchanan had been signed on as a
mistake, and more information would likely not persuade the Congressman.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">His
co-sponsorship may have been an accident—almost like an accidental friend
request—but support for the ERA should be uncontroversial. It simply promises equality
regardless of gender, and allows Congress to enforce gender equality. How does
this not align perfectly with the Congressman’s views? To actively oppose the
bill by withdrawing his name is offensive to all women. In fact, H.J. Res. 43,
the bill in question, only removes the deadline for ratification of the ERA, in
order to avoid restarting the ratification process. Currently, thirty-five
states have ratified the amendment and only three more are needed, but the
ratification deadline has passed.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;">By
“de-friending” this bill, Congressman Buchanan has made it clear that he is no
friend of American women. We know that he is aware of this important
legislation and that his absence from the co-sponsor list is not out of naiveté.
By withdrawing his support, he is actively refusing women the guarantee of
equal rights under the Constitution. Buchanan and other lawmakers should
co-sponsor this bill, or S.J. Res. 15, the Senate version, to demonstrate their
friendship with American women.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-26277048474347417412012-10-24T12:26:00.001-07:002012-10-24T12:30:48.462-07:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
importance of the upcoming November 6<sup>th</sup> Presidential elections
cannot be adequately stressed for women voters as we head to the polls. Due to some unfortunate, or possibly
fortunate, gaffes by both candidates, women’s issues have been placed front and
center in the spotlight of their messaging.
Women are being wooed, our votes being courted, but how do we know if
their promises are sincere?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While women
certainly are not one-issue voters, it seems that even candidates recognize
that there are some issues that uniquely resonate. When we make our decisions
it may just be these slight differences and assurances that make us feel secure
in their hands. Recent ads from both the
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33NT0_MgsVU&feature=youtu.be">Obama</a>
and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTyiwsW3fxs&feature=youtu.be">Romney</a>
camp have addressed the issue of choice.
Although rarely polling as the most important issue to women voters, it
is certainly something that can swing the vote of an undecided woman.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most jarring
to the audience of the recent Presidential debates was how women were included,
and not included, in the discussions of our policy. Although we may be able to point to
differences in the policies and positions of the two parties, the similarity we
saw in the first debate regarding National policy was that women were not
considered an important agenda item. As
51% of the population and still experiencing discrimination in political,
business and personal arenas it was a glaring error and representative of how
we must focus on all parties and candidates to include women as talking points.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Town
Hall and final Presidential debate on Foreign Policy were great improvements in
regards to the attention women’s issues received. Likely in response to the overwhelming
pressure women’s groups placed on the candidates to include women in the
discussions, we saw the issues of paycheck fairness and gender equality brought
up in both debates. Despite being
relegated to pages in a binder by one candidate, the attention brought much
needed discussion to where women are in the economy and how important it is to
improve this status.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The recent
Presidential debates are fresh in our minds; however, we need to take an
extensive look into what the candidates have been saying for the entirety of
their campaign and how it fits into each party agenda. We are still learning about GOP Candidate
Governor Mitt Romney’s exact stance in regards to women’s issues. President Barack Obama has been fairly
consistent in his statements in regards to women’s issues and does not need to
go on the attack. Both candidates do
have some areas that could be improved and neither is perfect but we need to
take an informed look before we can decide who receives our votes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The National
Women’s Political Caucus feels that this election is pivotal in maintaining and
enhancing women’s rights in the United States.
We will be spending the upcoming two weeks trying to help delineate what
the candidates are saying and how we can be the presence from the outside that
encourages <b>both</b> parties to strive
for women’s equality. Knowledge is power
and we plan to make as informed a judgment as possible and want to help others do
so as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-Bettina Hager, <i>NWPC Programs Director</i></span></div>
NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-76992725671904808102012-07-18T12:59:00.005-07:002012-07-18T14:06:44.753-07:00<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QATOVnmgVZZ7KKWYHD5apHPDVWTolHGaSBjR5kmbgyhmW3RO9tqOK1asL9bUiG_-MRt0BfAcMVAph3TjrdC69sV2f3Gg446ANnQjNAfG6TJzOAj4y7sXHOKbxolCkYU7iCFBU-u2B1tc/s1600/Allyson+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QATOVnmgVZZ7KKWYHD5apHPDVWTolHGaSBjR5kmbgyhmW3RO9tqOK1asL9bUiG_-MRt0BfAcMVAph3TjrdC69sV2f3Gg446ANnQjNAfG6TJzOAj4y7sXHOKbxolCkYU7iCFBU-u2B1tc/s200/Allyson+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Violence Against
Women at College? Something to Worry About<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">By: Allyson Bach, Political Planning and
Action Intern at the National Women’s Political Caucus<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">A</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I am a college student, a young woman,
and according to the U.S. Department of Justice, the most at risk of being
raped. Wait, what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It’s easy to think: “No way, I’m the
exception. I play it safe when I go out. I know how to protect myself at
parties: I always pour my own drinks, hang with a group, and stay away from the
creeps. I’ve stuck to these guidelines and so far, I’ve been just fine. <i>I have nothing to worry about</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Wrong. I may not have been a victim and
I may be lucky enough to never be a victim but that certainly does not suggest
that I have “nothing to worry about.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Sexual assault can happen in many
ways; it happens not just physically but technologically and emotionally as
well. Over half of all rape and sexual assault victims are females younger than
twenty-five but, due to concerns about privacy or being blamed for the
assaults, less than 20% of on campus and off campus assaults are even being
reported to the police. These victims are our peers, our friends, and our
sisters. In fact, the assaulters are no strangers to us either – 84% of raped
women admit to knowing their attacker, with 57% of those rapes happening on
dates. Yes, these numbers are shocking but this is no time to simply feel sorry
for the victims or for ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">What’s worse than pity is society’s
blame. “It is YOU who put yourself in that compromising position or YOU are the
one who prompted that moment for vulnerability – it is YOUR fault.” It is
easier to blame the victim than to acknowledge society’s wrongdoings. Accusations
that violence is a direct result of poor decision making and actions feeds into
society’s decision to ignore the issue of violence against women by refusing to
take responsibility. This
ignorance undermines a victim’s chance for rehabilitation since 60% of sexual
assault victims report that none of their friends knew how to help them. As
friends and sisters of these victims, young women need to take on society’s
responsibility in our own communities, which mean our college campuses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The ignorant are not the blissful;
rather, they become the victims. As young females, it’s important to stay
informed about the protection from violence that can be available to us. The
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides such protection for not just women
but the entire community and assistance for victims of crimes of domestic
violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. VAWA was originally
passed in 1994 and has been reauthorized twice since then, once in 2000 and
again in 2005. Since its implementation VAWA has provided legal assistance
programs for victims and created new programs to meet the emerging needs of
communities, including much-needed programs at college campuses, working to
prevent violence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">VAWA, unfortunately, expired in 2011. I
started my first year in college this past year – my community, my own campus,
my peers and I have been left vulnerable for over a year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I lived
in safe dorm. My floor was quiet and never unusually disruptive. I had two
residential advisors who both took shifts to patrol the floor to ensure
everyone was in safe hands. They made it seem as if we had nothing to worry
about. It was a friendly environment, trust filled the air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Again,
according to the Department of Justice, 60% of sexually violent acts against
women most often take place in the residence of the victim. Now, looking back,
the cavalier atmosphere of my dorm residence may have put me and my peers at a
greater risk for sexual assault. The welcoming environment and the naivety of
my peers and I would have easily allowed for potential perpetrators to develop friendly
relationships with us and put us at a great risk for being assaulted, by
allowing access to our own personal living quarters. Statistics from the same
study done by the Department of Justice continues on to report that 31% of
sexually violent acts takes place in some sort of living quarters, and with
women under the age of 25 being the most risk for sexual assault, college dorm
rooms may not be as safe as we perceive.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">What is worse is that I wandered at
nights going from one fraternity party to another, thinking that I was doing
everything right to be safe – that I was just fine. Those were selfish thoughts
because even if I ended each night returning back to my dorm room safely, other
girls, my very classmates, may not have. Over 10 of rapes on college campuses
take place at fraternity houses. In most likelihood, violence against my fellow
peers occurred as I carelessly partied the night away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This ignorance,
this hesitation, and this self-blame needs to stop. By reauthorizing the
Violence Against Women Act, the critical issues of sexual assault on college
campuses will once again be addressed in the limelight. VAWA will require our
colleges and universities to record and report dating violence on campus as
well as ensure victim’s safety by requiring schools to create plans to enforce
protective orders and notify the victim of their rights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It’s time to voice
your concern on your own campus and help reauthorize the bipartisan
Senate-passed VAWA. If we work together,
we can stop violence against women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-78569131671082000562012-07-18T12:13:00.004-07:002012-07-18T12:17:58.645-07:00<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Violence is
Violence, No Matter What Gender</span></u></b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndMWJ8u9bV2xEb9nykRh9tNQGKS0txOEdTipcARANeasFs7EhyphenhyphenEE_41oGlq3kpWtrt8SSjkDL1jKp9PGEigjupZui2Rq1aVGKtzfkzpOSh5TNV_YBPoeERJXCMZ-ckYjtaHHv8uTUUoSj/s1600/Samantha+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndMWJ8u9bV2xEb9nykRh9tNQGKS0txOEdTipcARANeasFs7EhyphenhyphenEE_41oGlq3kpWtrt8SSjkDL1jKp9PGEigjupZui2Rq1aVGKtzfkzpOSh5TNV_YBPoeERJXCMZ-ckYjtaHHv8uTUUoSj/s200/Samantha+Headshot.jpg" width="89" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Guest blogger: Samantha Aster, NWPC
Legal Intern<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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After reading comment sections and posts responding to
articles on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, it seems
that one of the most prolific criticisms of the act is that it focuses solely
on women. Many ask why women are singled out as a protected group when men are
the recipients of domestic abuse, too. Some go further, suggesting a Violence Against
Men Act. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Why does VAWA focus on women? Because up until the last 150
years or so, women were considered the property of their husbands, fathers, and
brothers. And as property, women did not have very many legal rights and
protections. Men could do as they pleased with the women in their households,
including physically and sexually abusing them. While there has been some
progress, the government has been slow to act on increasing certain protections
for women. For example, the first federal law making marital rape a criminal
act was not passed until 1993. And even still, many states have exemptions from
prosecution for husbands who rape. Today, women continue to be the most
frequent victims of domestic and sexual violence. VAWA was passed to help a group
that has historically suffered violence combat continuing and future abuse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the Violence Against Women Act is not entirely gender
specific. The spirit of VAWA is to help all victims of violence, and the bill
gives prosecutors and police tools to help them, regardless of gender. Male
victims who contact VAWA-funded groups are granted the same advocacy services as
female victims. Male and female victims
have the same access to pro-bono legal services. VAWA increased resources for
families who deal with domestic abuse, which helps both men and women in these
families. In 2005, VAWA was expanded to fund and provide sexual assault
programs that better meet the needs of male victims. And these protections work
well for men: since the law passed in 1994, the number of men killed by an
intimate partner has decreased 57%. These are just some examples of how men and
women are protected under VAWA.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ultimately, these criticisms of VAWA are unfounded. While
VAWA was originally passed with the idea of helping women, the act actually
works to combat violence against both sexes. VAWA must be passed in a way that
maintains the important protections that already exist for both men and women. Domestic
violence affects us all, so it is time for Congress to pass VAWA and protect us
all. </div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-53549920434122729592012-07-18T12:01:00.001-07:002012-07-18T12:19:56.366-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Class Matters: Why VAWA Needs
To Be Re-Authorized<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">Guest blogger: Danielle Marryshow</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6INvAh1efG4U_nCJSiUK15YNN2w6_aYTl775KCXP1i1L1J7rlFBxMFAvUSvcJEsa7ATh6Lpz-HeQEhxM2OkbWVqds0h7BQdKbljIHsDkOEifs4UkdhOyaeo7ug6OOUxf7mp0bQVyM66P/s1600/Danielle+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6INvAh1efG4U_nCJSiUK15YNN2w6_aYTl775KCXP1i1L1J7rlFBxMFAvUSvcJEsa7ATh6Lpz-HeQEhxM2OkbWVqds0h7BQdKbljIHsDkOEifs4UkdhOyaeo7ug6OOUxf7mp0bQVyM66P/s200/Danielle+Picture.jpg" width="109" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif;">As a college student, I must be especially
careful in my own relationships because victims of teen and college dating
violence, according to the Center for Disease Control, “may also carry patterns
of violence into future relationships” as a result of their experience. As a
child of domestic violence, I am more likely to exhibit increased tolerance for
violence in my own relationships. As such, I must be especially careful not to
fall into a “pattern of violence”. If violence is not prevented early, it is
even harder for victims to escape their abuser—even if they want to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
complexities of domestic violence hit me one day in November. I was leaving my
work-study job to get to class. As I stepped out onto the street, a woman
yelled out to me. In a shaking voice, she told me that she was attempting to
get to a battered women’s shelter. She informed me that she was pregnant, her
husband had locked her in a closet for the last three days, and she needed
money to get a cab, as the shelter was not accessible by public transportation.
She repeatedly kept assuring me that she wasn’t crazy, while looking around her
suspiciously as if he were right behind her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> I knew she wasn’t crazy, because I
recognized the look in her eye. It was the same look I had seen on my mother’s
face. It was the same look my mother had seen on my grandmother’s face. The
look was one of fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> The bipartisan, Senate-version of
the Violence Against Women Act must be re-authorized for several reasons, but
one of the most important is its provision to ensure safe homes and economic
security for victims. Though all women benefit from these programs, women from
lower socio-economic backgrounds especially benefit from the added security.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> The reauthorization of the Violence
Against Women Act revises eligibility requirements for transitional housing
grants to specify that any victims of domestic violence are eligible. This
would help make it easier for women to escape abusive relationships, by removing
the risk of homelessness. These grants would allow the woman I met to have more
time after leaving emergency shelter to find permanent housing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> They also allow battered women to
leave all at once, and catch their abuser off-guard rather than leave in stages
and invite further danger. In fact, leaving in stages is only possible when, as
in my mother’s case, you have a strong support system of people helping you
escape the dangerous situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When my mother began divorce proceedings,
my mother, father, brother and I continued to live under the same roof for
several months while she found somewhere to live. Had my grandmother not
decided to stay with us and my future stepfather not made himself a presence,
we would have been in much more danger than we were. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Many battered women aren’t that fortunate.
Many women’s abusers have isolated them from their family and friends, leaving
them utterly dependent. In order to leave, they often have to leave when their
abuser is asleep or away and all at once. Transitional housing is necessary so
that they have the time to secure permanent housing and get on their feet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> The transitional housing grants
aren’t just used for housing alone. They are also used for support services for
victims to secure employment such as counseling and training. This is critical,
as many victims are financially dependent on their abuser. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> The woman I ran into illustrates
that problem. She was so financially dependent on her husband that she didn’t
even have the $10 it cost to take a cab to the shelter. Guaranteeing the
relative financial security of victims is crucial to getting them away and <i>keeping </i>them away from their abusers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> My mother, in contrast, had a very
good job and made a comparable amount to my father. She had her own bank
accounts and assets her in name. Because of her financial independence, the
added risk of not being able to support us if she left was nonexistent. When we
finally did leave, she was certain that she would be able to find housing that
she could afford and that she would be able to support us financially.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> The Violence Against Women Act has
several provisions that help abused women (and men) get away from the terror
that has consumed their everyday lives. The section that helps women secure
homes and employment are critical in increasing the number of women who
successfully make it out of an abusive relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Class should not be a prerequisite
for safety. It is the government’s responsibility to make sure that its
citizens are as free from harm as possible. Since 1994, the United States
government has been committed to doing just that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> The act expired in September 2011.
For almost a year, these protections and many more have not existed for
battered women. Women have had to consider the fact that by leaving they could
become destitute. Many will make the calculation that they cannot afford to
leave—when they really can’t afford not to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Without its swift re-authorization,
thousands of women will be trapped in relationships where they are physically
and emotionally abused every day. As the House and the Senate square off, many
more women will die in these toxic relationships. It is imperative that the
House adopt the “gold-standard” Senate-version of the reauthorization, and help
women create lives for themselves and their children, free from abuse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-64907621485559020302012-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:002012-03-20T12:54:34.330-07:00Preventative Care: Protect the Affordable Care Act<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCB-JbE6dlvY2nSV4aqozoSydJWys6UjFDKyHdC7TlkBaCXS2-_-hviUbgmG83T_MIAXlZcKAZtlGXhtwIXnMqXentwPomFJGJ21_OJb5JQT75aZ91QlEnX5EJ5_WP9yqXhzmYRNbuu9s/s1600/Barack+Obama+Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCB-JbE6dlvY2nSV4aqozoSydJWys6UjFDKyHdC7TlkBaCXS2-_-hviUbgmG83T_MIAXlZcKAZtlGXhtwIXnMqXentwPomFJGJ21_OJb5JQT75aZ91QlEnX5EJ5_WP9yqXhzmYRNbuu9s/s1600/Barack+Obama+Signature.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Guest Blogger: Mallen Urso </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Two years ago, with the passage of Health Care Reform, women across the country gained necessary and equal access to healthcare.<span> </span>This groundbreaking effort has made women’s health a top priority, and for that we should celebrate. Young or old, sexually active or not, perfectly health or with a pre-existing condition, this non-discriminatory act is a huge step toward making it possible for us to begin and/or maintain healthy lifestyles.<span> </span>Oftentimes women’s health falls to the bottom of the list, but it doesn’t have to anymore.<span> </span>How did such fabulous progress happen in 2010 when in 2012 we have taken so many steps backwards?<span> </span>It is hard to remember a time when we weren’t under such brutal attack, but we must remember: we owe this progress to women voters. <span> </span>We got out, we voted, and we elected leadership that would make our healthcare a priority!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Once the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is in full effect, millions of women across the country will gain better, more encompassing service without unnecessary costs and obstacles.<span> </span>First and foremost, gender discrimination is outlawed under the Affordable Care Act.<span> </span>No longer will women be charged more money simply because we are women.<span> </span>We are granted fair and equal coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions.<span> </span>Moreover, <span> </span>we are now promised access to a well-woman package including annual OB/GYN visits that allow us to take care of our bodies and treat them with the respect they deserve.<span> </span>These services get rid of extreme deductibles and even co-pays.<span> </span>In addition, counseling for victims of sexual and/or domestic abuse will also be covered under the Affordable Care Act.<span> </span>These are imperative services that women across the country need for rehabilitation, but have been forced to live without.<span> </span>The ACA also eliminates a great deal of obstacles for women scheduling doctor’s visits.<span> </span>No prior approval is needed for a trip to your OB/GYN.<span> </span>Women can now directly access a health professional.<span> </span>Not only is this easier, but this will give women a greater sense of independence.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">The key here is prevention, and I’m not just talking about contraception.<span> </span>While contraception is a large part of preventative services, I am also addressing breast cancer screenings, mammograms, ovarian and cervical cancer screenings, and pap smears.<span> </span>Women can now access a full spectrum of preventative healthcare that will potentially eliminate a great deal of financial and physical hardship.<span> </span>It costs everyone less if major health problems are avoided. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Similar to most other policies that benefit women, the Affordable Care Act is under attack. <span> </span>In January of 2011, Republican leadership introduced a bill to overturn the ACA, and though it easily passed the Republican controlled House, the Democratic controlled Senate blocked the bill just as easily. <span> </span>Although this was a victory, we must defend healthcare reform once again. It is now up to the Supreme Court justices whether or not the ACA is overturned.<span> </span>Since the ACA was passed, 26 states have filed suit against it.<span> </span>On March 26<sup>th</sup>, the Supreme Court will begin oral arguments regarding the ACA and will vote just days later on March 30<sup>th</sup>.<span> </span><span> </span>This could lead to the reversal of healthcare reform, and thus reinstate legal gender discrimination on insurance costs, revoke women’s direct access to preventative care, and discontinue vital victim counseling services.<span> </span>Women’s health could be further suppressed if the Supreme Court chooses to overturn this decision.<span> </span><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Although I have heard numerous arguments for and against The Affordable Care Act, I am grateful that this measure has passed.<span> </span>Women and men across the country are now able to be proactive when it comes to their health.<span> </span>I am to proud live in a country where we value fairness, protection, and the quality of life for our citizens.<span> </span>Access to healthcare is something that we just can’t afford to push aside.<span> </span>The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not protected when we allow millions of Americans to unnecessarily suffer.<span> </span>That is why I am excited to celebrate the 2 year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act and will continue my support for this measure.<span> </span>Now that women’s health has become a priority, we are receiving fair and equal coverage under the law.<span> </span>Equal and fair shouldn’t feel so new and thrilling, but it certainly does.</span></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-50120747138229026202012-02-07T12:54:00.000-08:002012-02-07T14:38:05.694-08:00Co-Pay for Birth Control? Not Under my Conscience Clause<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Co-Pay for Birth Control? Not Under my Conscience Clause</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Blogger: Bettina Hager, NWPC Programs Director</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration decision to provide universal coverage of birth control without co-pay deserves unrestrained applause and celebration. Upon reflection, I do recall witnessing a moment on the day after the decision at a meeting when we cheered, applauded and celebrated. That feeling, so distant now, was momentary and fleeting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Almost immediately after the announcement, the backlash and public assault from the U.S. Catholic Bishops began. The momentum quickly shifted and women’s rights advocates found themselves retreating to a defensive position. Now it is difficult to remember that we actually won the fight. We aren’t working to change the system or looking for support on an initiative. We’re just hoping that we won’t be forced to take a step backward.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The facts in this case are simple. Women are now guaranteed, under the PPACA (aka Health Care Reform), access to preventative care in the form of birth control without co-pay. There really is very little to object to when you consider the benefits to women AND society that this new initiative creates.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">It is extremely costly both to women’s lives and society’s resources to care for unplanned or unexpected pregnancies. It is also unreasonable to expect that in times of financial destitution and struggle, such as we experience today, that all woman have access to the $600/ year that it currently costs to cover birth control. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">In essence, prior to this landmark decision, many women could not afford protection from unexpected pregnancy. And unwanted pregnancies will continue to require--in one way or another-- resources that are just not there, possibly for another 18 years of life. The resources won’t magically appear; the expenses won’t go away, and on and on. This is called a cycle, and a vicious one at that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Summing up the facts I’ve just presented, providing women with access to birth control allows them to have control over their body and their life. It reduces unnecessary costs to be taken up by society. Then why, you might wonder, are Catholic Bishops so upset? Control. Birth control gives women control and takes it away from such authority figures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Claiming moral superiority on the basis of religious doctrine is by no means a new tactic. Objecting to other peoples’ lives because they offend one’s personal “conscience” is not novel. In government, however, it has no place. This Nation was born on the principle of separation of church and state. It is generous of the government to listen to these outcries, but really it should be only out of an attempt to placate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Especially pertinent is that these views represent a minority objection. The Catholic Bishops assert that institutions that are religiously affiliated should be exempt from providing birth control without co-pay to its employees, whom I’d guess aren’t all Catholic. Even if they are, it’s statistically been shown that 90% of Catholic women use birth control. Whose conscience are we protecting while infringing on these women’s rights?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The tactics aren’t new, they aren’t even clever. Behind the fog of righteousness has always laid an ambition to control. Women don’t have to stand for it and we shouldn’t allow a club of men to bully some of life’s most important decisions. My conscience just won’t allow it.</span></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-27993021576756039452012-02-02T08:02:00.000-08:002012-02-02T08:11:39.409-08:00Fight Against the Catholic Attack on Preventative Healthcare for Women<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guest Blogger: Mallen Urso</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After reading the countless responses and op-eds in opposition to the recent HHS and Obama Administration ruling on birth control, I can’t help but wonder: Why are Catholic Bishops so hell-bent on being in bed with women’s reproductive health decisions?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V36aTj2vL6BHkFop6ztT3ckt3FFQYRC2jFnUhH5AorjL5M2Q2qqYcWVDwbaohZcy2raEkxRjNOqudlGUKQiC5CuD6_R0soSRAXoCKjDk8AX0bEbniXiQqRrVATUmvqLm4TuCVTDiUGPl/s1600/scary+bishop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V36aTj2vL6BHkFop6ztT3ckt3FFQYRC2jFnUhH5AorjL5M2Q2qqYcWVDwbaohZcy2raEkxRjNOqudlGUKQiC5CuD6_R0soSRAXoCKjDk8AX0bEbniXiQqRrVATUmvqLm4TuCVTDiUGPl/s200/scary+bishop.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Under <span class="st">The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, employer insurance plans are required to fully cover contraception for women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this mandate, women are now guaranteed control over their bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will lead to fewer unintended pregnancies, fewer abortions, and fewer painful decisions for women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Total win, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, if it were up to a small, yet powerful, group of men adorned in long, white robes, it would not be for everyone.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Catholic churches across the country are outraged about the new mandate that requires all employers, including faith-based, to include birth control and other reproductive services in their health care coverage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be clear, Catholic institutions are NOT required to fund abortions under this mandate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, if a company’s mission is primarily religious and the majority of their employees and clients share that faith; religious institutions do NOT have to provide contraceptive coverage to their employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This mandate respects religion, but also keeps it rightfully out of public policy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As said by Senator Barbara Boxer, “The truth is, the president's decision <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">respects </i>the diverse religious views of the American people, who deserve the right to follow their own conscience and choose whether to obtain contraceptives, regardless of where they work.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We must consider the women who work for faith-associated organizations but do not necessarily share in that faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why should these women be penalized?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Virtually all women have used birth control at some point in their life (including over 90% of Catholic women).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality is that these women are most likely using birth control and would be denied of their right to preventative healthcare simply because of their place of employment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s not forget-this mandate isn’t only for contraception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It provides necessary preventative healthcare on all levels, including annual exams and HIV screenings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s more, Catholic Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, is imposing this ruling with the full support of Catholic vice president, Joe Biden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, not all Catholics are appalled by this ruling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In today’s society, we simply can’t turn a blind on to the needs of our people in the name of religious ideals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Birth control can cost up to $600/year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have we forgotten about those women and families that are struggling just to pay their bills from month-to-month?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realistically, they do not have the spare $600 to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, one third of all women voters report struggling to pay for their birth control. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not providing contraception leads to greater issues and larger costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not handle this preventatively—make birth control accessible!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">From Arizona to Maine to New Orleans, Catholic Church leaders are urging their parishes to fight this “violation of their rights.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are demanding </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">exemption for businesses owned by religious interests, such as hospitals, universities, insurance companies, and social service agencies.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They fail to see the importance and necessity of this mandate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are a country based on religious freedom and separation of church and state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s not further marginalize women by letting a widely unpracticed religious ideal subject woman to unintended pregnancy and severe health risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-barbara-boxer/why-president-obama-is-ri_b_1242837.html"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-barbara-boxer/why-president-obama-is-ri_b_1242837.html</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/catholics-against-obama-contraception_n_1242622.html"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/catholics-against-obama-contraception_n_1242622.html</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-75301117034046374292012-01-31T12:05:00.000-08:002012-01-31T12:08:17.363-08:00Combating Domestic Violence: A Call to Reauthorize VAWA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgYIMccGtmBLyea4MkKE_OeCtQ-05_EWQTz98Br1wcWgdVlCyJkBgqOCVk4CMOTbCLzGJZ80UQG5bXb6tvnZHJBwMRtMXWGyVpwOJY-7WZ2U9nP41MvOpp7dSzBe2L66PhMGt537wa5D7/s1600/vawa+pic.jpg"><strong><img alt="" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgYIMccGtmBLyea4MkKE_OeCtQ-05_EWQTz98Br1wcWgdVlCyJkBgqOCVk4CMOTbCLzGJZ80UQG5bXb6tvnZHJBwMRtMXWGyVpwOJY-7WZ2U9nP41MvOpp7dSzBe2L66PhMGt537wa5D7/s200/vawa+pic.jpg" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px;" width="200" /></strong></a><strong>Combating Domestic Violence:<br />
</strong>A Call to Reauthorize VAWA<br />
<em>Guest Blogger: Mallen Urso, NWPC PPAC Intern</em><br />
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<strong>Consider the statistics: 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have been raped in their lifetime; 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner.</strong> <br />
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Domestic violence is permeating our lives and the lives of our loved ones. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that anyone reading this knows of someone that has been a victim of domestic violence or has been a victim themselves. From mild instances to those resulting in death, no one deserves to be a victim of this brutality, and no one has to be. This is not an obscure issue that we can sweep under the rug. We have no more time to waste when further addressing domestic violence.<br />
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Senate bill S.1925, also known as the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011, is currently winding its way through Congress. VAWA was reauthorized in 2005 and guaranteed funding for VAWA services and programs through FY2011. S.1925 will guarantee funding for VAWA for another 5 fiscal years. <br />
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VAWA 2011 makes great strides to correct any and all issues associated with past versions of VAWA. The bill streamlines and condenses VAWA programs in order to enhance the quality of services and protection for victims. With fewer programs, service providers are held more accountable. Furthermore, costs associated with VAWA will be cut by approximately $160 million dollars per year. VAWA 2011 also makes a greater effort to include marginalized populations like colored women, immigrants, men and the LGBT community. With discrimination already stacked against them, these populations are even less likely to report acts of domestic violence. We must guarantee protection for these populations, and VAWA 2011 can do just that. <br />
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VAWA 2011 continues program services for the four core crimes associated with partner violence (sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and domestic violence). It does so by enhancing its primary formula—S.T.O.P. (services, training, officers, prosecutors). This formula is expanded through specific provisions that alter previous VAWA language that failed to fully address males, teens, elders, and those with disabilities.<br />
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Just to mention a few provisions, S.1925 targets teens by instituting Rape Prevention Education (RPE), updated programs for cyberstalking, and funding for campus outreach regarding domestic violence education and assistance. Title VIII of the bill provides highly specific language regarding mandatory services for immigrants including the availability of U-Visas and exemption from the public charge inadmissibility ground. Title IX of the bill specifically addresses Indian women by granting more money to tribal programs and services and further including Indian women in mainstream VAWA programs. This version of VAWA contains more inclusive and effective language than previous versions. <br />
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Yes, statistics on domestic violence have improved over the years and protections for women are increasing with the help of VAWA; however, protection for domestic violence victims is still under attack. For example, two bills currently in the New Hampshire legislature, HB 1581 and HB 1608, attempt to stop police from making a domestic violence arrest unless the officer witnesses the domestic violence firsthand. How probable is that? Victims of this type of crime rarely speak out, and when they do, it tends to be in secret because they fear for their lives. Laws like these dismiss the horrific nature of domestic violence and leave victims with very little protection. This is precisely why we need a reauthorized federal mandate regarding help and rehabilitation for these victims.<br />
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This Thursday, February 2nd, VAWA will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a mark-up. It is important that we recognize that this issue does not just pertain to the victims, the abusers, and women’s rights advocates. This is an issue that is pertinent to everyone across the country. We must offer protection to the people of America—women, men, young and old. <br />
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Get to know VAWA. Get to know the issue of domestic violence and how closely it pertains to your life. Take a stand with VAWA to protect the people of this country from lifelong suffering associated with domestic violence. <br />
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For a brief summary of VAWA, try this fact sheet: <a href="http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/VAWA_Reauthorization_Fact_Sheet.pdf">http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/VAWA_Reauthorization_Fact_Sheet.pdf</a><br />
Check out a section-by-section analysis here: <a href="http://www.leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SectionBySection-ViolenceAgainstWomenReauthorizationAct.pdf">http://www.leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SectionBySection-ViolenceAgainstWomenReauthorizationAct.pdf</a><br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: LEFT;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-65701979445707465312011-11-15T07:49:00.000-08:002011-11-15T07:49:31.802-08:00Sexual Harassment in the Technology Era: “Apps Against Abuse”<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sexual Harassment in the Technology Era: “Apps Against Abuse”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Blogger: Soojin Ock, Political Planning and Action Intern</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Angry Birds, Wikipedia</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">,</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Fruit Ninja…</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">o</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ther than having the amazing capability of entertaining us during our morning commutes, what do these things have in common? Well, if you haven't figured it out already they're all Smartphone apps. With the rise of Androids and iPhones and everything else in between, there seems to be an app for almost everything you could ever need. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipes?</b> Check. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Directions? </b>Check. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sexual harassment and assault prevention</b>? Maybe? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">According to various studies on sexual misconduct, the</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> number of women being sexually harassed and assaulted is much higher than the number of reported cases. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The American Association of University Women for example, in a current study states that almost half of middle and high school students faced sexual harassment in the last year with most of the cases going unreported. With f</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ears of victim blame, judicial error and concern for privacy</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">,</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> there is no wonder why the reported numbers are so low</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. With a seemingly endless list of superfluous features offered by mobile companies these days, it seems that </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">technology and social media may be able to help to some extent. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">To combat sexual harassment, local and international organizations have launched new apps that allow victims and witness</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">es</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> to safely and an</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ony</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">m</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ous</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ly report</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> them</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. When</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> victims report</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> details of incidences</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">, a </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">campaign, started by Hollaback Philly, </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">maps out the location and time of assault as well as </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">sends supportive emails</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> to women to encourage reporting the incident</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. Whypoll, a women's nonprofit group</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> based in India</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">, is releasing a new app called Fight Back that allows women to send SOS messages to friends and the police. In addition, the app allows women to report the location of street harassment so that other women in De</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">lhi</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> can avoid these areas. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Here in the US, </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">the Department of Health and Human Services recently released a campaign </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">highlighting </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Apps Against Abuse.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">These new apps </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">are targeted at preventing sexual assault and partner violence by allowing women to quickly get in touch with friends or emergency contacts when in trouble. The app, “Circle of Six”, allows women to call friends with pre-programmed texts while, “On Watch”, activates a GPS coordinate to a friend if a situation goes south. These apps no doubt can and will help a lot of women who find themselves in trouble. However, technology can only go so far in protecting the rights </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">and safety </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">of women</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">.</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">For the most part, these apps are largely based on sexual harassment and assault that occur outside of the workplace.</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Though greatly supported by sexual assault groups</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">, these apps can do little to change the work culture if the complaints are not brought forth to the proper authorities.</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Yes, reporting these incidences anonymously online may help other women; however, it is only a small fix rather than a greater systematic change. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Smartphone apps may not be helpful in workplace or school situations but reporting sexual harassment and assault will. By reporting cases we are encouraging other women to do the same so that we can change the overall dialogue of sexual misconduct in any social situation. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">While a systematic fix only temporari</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ly</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> manages a problem, a systematic change can perm</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">an</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ently transform the rules</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> and enforce the protections that Title VII guarantees</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">.</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We need to empower ourselves, our friends and even strangers to report any misconduct that they may fall victim to either in the street, the workplace or classroom. Without accurate information, resources that could be used to combat harassment and assault will be diverted elsewhere while perpetrators continue to victimize others. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">While informally reporting grievances may prevent other women from being harmed, our society needs to encourage an atmosphere where no occurrence of sexual misconduct or violation goes unreported or uninvestigated. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As with any progressive social movement, this will undoubtedly be an uphill battle. While massive underreporting is a current problem, we need to also acknowledge that legislation and enforcement of the law are imperative to these measures. Without support from legislators and voters, over time sexual misconduct laws be degraded into nothing more than a joke. Without our votes and representatives, these laws and policies can lose the strength they had to protect against violations. It is imperative that we, from the unemployed to the employed, from the student to the teacher, vote for measures and legislators willing to fight on our behalf. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In the age of wireless tablets,</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">touch screen computers and talking phones</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">,</span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> anything seems possible. If science can go this far, there is no reason that we cannot go further. </span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> This is part of the #HERvotes blog carnival.</span></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-60374174151972585902011-11-15T04:06:00.000-08:002012-07-18T14:06:08.104-07:00Welcome to the Jungle: Sexual Harassment in College<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Welcome to the Jungle: Sexual Harassment in College<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Blogger: Bettina Hager, NWPC Programs Director </span></o:p></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">One commonly noted sign of progress in the gender equality battle is that women now make up the majority--yes that is <b>more than 50%</b>--of college students. This is an enormous advance and reflects the hard work and dedication of generations of women: Women who have fought to be heard and taken seriously in the education system. From an educational standpoint women definitely stand out; unfortunately, the college experience is not just consigned to lectures, exams and textbooks. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Sexual harassment is a paramount concern for young women in today’s social climate. We prepare our youth with college entrance exams, AP courses and “Week-One” icebreakers, but there is no curriculum or learning curve that adequately prepares for the new freedom college life offers. Maybe it’s a result of my own collegiate Biology major, but I can’t help but equate the social college experience to that of a wild animal jungle. Life may rely on discipline within the classroom, but once outside of those doors there is no truly enforceable law and order.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">To comprehensively analyze the issue of sexual harassment would require hundreds of pages. There is the fact that men, who throw the parties, inhabit the fraternities and dictate what makes their coed colleagues attractive, most often define social tiers and social order. There are the issues of self-esteem, bullying and lack of sisterhood to be dealt within the women’s culture. Worst of all there is the school administration that turns a blind eye--or worse blames victims--for fear of losing financial backing or support.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A few months ago I was visiting a friend in Brooklyn, and sincerely doing my best to leave work behind (there is no rest for the feminist), when I just couldn’t hold back. Our barista was lamenting that her college just released a report that stated that there were no rapes on her campus and she “just knew that was not true!” I admit it, I interjected. I explained to her that more often than not the reports are sent to potential donors including well-heeled parents, alumni and federal agencies, who, as hoped for by the college, will bring in an important source of their revenue. Federal law requires that colleges and universities, to retain federal student aid under Title IX, distribute these statistics annually.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I could tell that initially she wasn’t catching my gist. I decided just to lay it out for her, “People don’t donate and are reluctant to apply to schools that report a lot of rape and sexual harassment.” At first she didn’t want to believe that money beat out the safety of students, but after a short while it clicked. I launched into my conviction that schools should hire women’s advocates to assign to all cases of rape and sexual harassment to ensure the victim is treated respectfully and the facts are collected without bias. On my way out the door, she yelled out to me “this is why feminism can’t be dead.” I told her I agreed.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Unfortunately, sexual harassment is not a phenomenon that just pops up when young adults unpack their belongings, dreams and expectations at their new college campus. In fact, the American Association of University Women just published </span><a href="http://aauw.org/learn/research/crossingtheline.cfm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">a new study</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">documenting the growing pervasiveness and dire consequences of harassment experienced by students in grades 7-12. One approach that can help to combat this discouraging trend is to hold educational institutions to the level of accountability that is required to comply with Title IX to protect our youth.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Another important step is to protect the legislation under Title IX of the Education Amendments, prohibiting sex discrimination, including sexual harassment. A combination of pressures and congressional opponents are threatening to weaken the enforcement of Title IX. We can’t afford to let this important legislation, and legal resource, be taken away from our young women and children. Until we can fix the system, it’s the only recourse we have. Advocate with your voice, advocate with your vote.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Cond; font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">“Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, which can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Thus, sexual harassment prohibited by Title IX can include conduct such as touching of a sexual nature; making sexual comments, jokes, or gestures; writing graffiti or displaying or distributing sexually explicit drawings, pictures, or written materials; calling students sexually charged names; spreading sexual rumors; rating students on sexual activity or performance; or circulating, showing, or creating e-mails or Web sites of a sexual nature.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Cond; font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">—U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">·</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cond; font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">U.S. Department of Education. Office of Postsecondary Education. The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool. http://ope.ed.gov/security/, Accessed Nov 15, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Cond; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">This is a part of the #HERvotes blog carnival.</span></o:p></span></b></div>
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</b>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-6768969214528265772011-11-01T06:28:00.000-07:002011-11-01T07:24:21.431-07:00Initiative 26 and "Personhood": A Lesson in Deductive Reasoning<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e2AxdF5ywa49_cypxhLxl1g5ud6O-4H6VTRkFm6QJftNxItioTdtm_LBSfluNEybd49HXLfS6ebYCaww0rYX3o6ZMw74kjUsGTE7x6y3fWmD13F36OHGTZBsezNnppfZ0cYHktQvqiLM/s1600/imagesCA7XMAZY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e2AxdF5ywa49_cypxhLxl1g5ud6O-4H6VTRkFm6QJftNxItioTdtm_LBSfluNEybd49HXLfS6ebYCaww0rYX3o6ZMw74kjUsGTE7x6y3fWmD13F36OHGTZBsezNnppfZ0cYHktQvqiLM/s1600/imagesCA7XMAZY.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif'; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A Lesson in Deductive Reasoning</span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">Brought to you by Politics 2011</span></i><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Perpetua;">Blogger: Bettina Hager, NWPC Programs Director</span></em></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">IF</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">According to Justice Scalia in 2011: </span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">Women are not defined in the Constitution as “persons.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">AND</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">As asserted by Mississippi’s Initiative 26:</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Personhood” begins at the time of conception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heretofore, criminalizing abortion, miscarriage and birth control pills.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">THEN:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Only male life (as persons) begins at conception. Therefore, abortion, miscarriages and birth control that prohibits fertilization of female life is fully legal.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">No, that just doesn’t seem right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess two irrationalities really don’t make a logical point.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">We seem to be at the dawn of a new political era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A time when reason and logic are overruled by emotional reactionism, often at the result of a union of church and state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A time when the simple muttering of “initiative” or “resolution” can send chills down a woman’s back.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">On the ballot in the upcoming November 8<sup>th</sup> elections one can find a multitude of conservative measures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply put, the aim is to take back the Civil Rights that have been so passionately fought for over recent, and many, decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One not so discreet example can be found in Mississippi, under the guise of “personhood” or Initiative 26.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">Initiative 26 aims to assert that “personhood” begins at the moment of conception- when the sperm works its way into the egg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, any harm caused to this fertilized egg, embryo, fetus, or whatever term you prefer, would be criminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This technically would put not only the right to choice under assault, but also family planning via birth control and even miscarriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">One would hope that this knowledge would alarm women instantly of the possible harm and control the government would hold over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it’s polling rather well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">In a moment of liberal compassion, a group of young feminists and I tried to understand the logic behind the minds who put forth such legislation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a minute or two we stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We realized it didn’t matter and truthfully we didn’t care- it had little effect on our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their thoughts, their actions, their choices, that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legislation, well, that truly can affect us- our thoughts, our actions, our choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed unfair, oppressive, and yes, very illogical.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Perpetua','serif';">One may wonder why a single initiative in a single state is such a big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it goes back to that domino analogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you figure out the perfect angle to knock down the first piece in the set, the rest fall easily into place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must use our hands, voices and votes to block this initial play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we let even one state fall, we may not be able to stop the rest from following.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<em>This post is part of the </em><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23HERvotes"><span style="color: #2288bb;"><em>#HERvotes</em></span></a><em> blog carnival.</em></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-67089313329301333532011-10-11T07:27:00.000-07:002011-10-11T07:50:57.617-07:00“Care,” the New Four-Letter Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWSeZTVXwrbBweWkPTnGu8xdAC2chyEbtE_0Pj-T7Q6jd3tmAVAXP9BUBGsVGrQUigQWZHIoXXz2XoR3gUv0rSdGevmzDmEfDQZclYYwMqlVr8TRcYUAAuipYlhlyPH6dyYBvMdeNTwPh/s1600/Read+Between+the+LInes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWSeZTVXwrbBweWkPTnGu8xdAC2chyEbtE_0Pj-T7Q6jd3tmAVAXP9BUBGsVGrQUigQWZHIoXXz2XoR3gUv0rSdGevmzDmEfDQZclYYwMqlVr8TRcYUAAuipYlhlyPH6dyYBvMdeNTwPh/s200/Read+Between+the+LInes.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div> Blogger: Bettina Hager, NWPC Programs Director <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thank you Affordable Care Act. In the current political climate it is rare to hear praise for this important legislation that the last Congress fought so hard to pass. Healthcare Reform has become a dirty term and the efforts to undo it are an unfortunate distraction from the problems our country truly need fixed. I feel the need to point out; however, that the only four-letter word in the legislation is “Care.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em>We must look past the political rhetoric and evaluate the gains Healthcare Reform has provided to understand what is at risk if we do not fight to protect this legislation. </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The list of benefits obtained through the PPACA is remarkable. Wellness exams, mammograms, domestic violence screenings and colonoscopies will all be available without co-pay. Children cannot be discriminated against due to pre-existing conditions and are able to stay on their parent’s healthcare until 26 years of age. These services have already been implemented and more will be added by the year 2014.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The 2012 elections are important to protect those benefits we currently enjoy. They are also important as we protect those benefits that we have yet to see realized. In 2014, Americans will witness the end to the day that pre-existing conditions serve as a barrier to adequate healthcare. If the administration that takes office in 2012, however, does not want to uphold the current legislation we will never see these benefits realized.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As a young, and extremely fit, woman most would assume that healthcare is the least of my concerns. I’ve been told that I can for sure have adequate care for $50 a month- easy! What is not always easily seen or known is that even young people can have chronic health problems- well controlled petit mal epilepsy in this case-that either leave them with extraordinary fees or no “care” at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My current solution is COBRA, but that runs out eventually- luckily not before 2014. For me, keeping the Affordable Care Act safe is not just theoretically nice, it is personal. The results of the 2012 election will directly affect the following four years of legislation, but could have drastic impacts on our lives for decades. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We often forget just how important our votes are and the fight that women suffered in order to gain them. We truly stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Let’s make them proud. I c<a href="about:blank" name="_GoBack"></a>an’t wait to see you on the way to the ballot box next November. I’ll be voting for my <b>H</b>ealth and <b>E</b>conomic <b>R</b>ights, and yours too.</div><br />
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<em>This post is part of the </em><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23HERvotes"><span style="color: #2288bb;"><em>#HERvotes</em></span></a><em> blog carnival.</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWSeZTVXwrbBweWkPTnGu8xdAC2chyEbtE_0Pj-T7Q6jd3tmAVAXP9BUBGsVGrQUigQWZHIoXXz2XoR3gUv0rSdGevmzDmEfDQZclYYwMqlVr8TRcYUAAuipYlhlyPH6dyYBvMdeNTwPh/s1600/Read+Between+the+LInes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906482635405857170.post-12596668301881730052011-09-15T06:07:00.000-07:002011-09-15T17:41:24.185-07:00#HERvotes Blog Carnival v.2: Jobs & Economy<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqx2canW9W4wexWhkX3vf_HPnS1H0NdoLPXFdkqPORe7DOqWoGNigcUQBFaYdjt_CgyVVAmiqxIJK4_bvVcliBqo1oQg5pMEicx0RfPQnwWoUR3gbwbVNWXcyGt99tgeR7m7kJ4EfVyRX/s1600/HERvotes+Logo" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="53px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqx2canW9W4wexWhkX3vf_HPnS1H0NdoLPXFdkqPORe7DOqWoGNigcUQBFaYdjt_CgyVVAmiqxIJK4_bvVcliBqo1oQg5pMEicx0RfPQnwWoUR3gbwbVNWXcyGt99tgeR7m7kJ4EfVyRX/s200/HERvotes+Logo" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajaOcb8r6SkagDTT4wUAXJ_NyhF6qSxibG98oA-HvXiLLPViDqMlaQHdW2E_8I3pmSrGIEI7B7Ro9Yx9SrRilWSw-S43fKTcrvp3_QbvVty0qaX5zTkfvKX5SIrftCADIcYEJtvKuhZye/s1600/Abigail+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajaOcb8r6SkagDTT4wUAXJ_NyhF6qSxibG98oA-HvXiLLPViDqMlaQHdW2E_8I3pmSrGIEI7B7Ro9Yx9SrRilWSw-S43fKTcrvp3_QbvVty0qaX5zTkfvKX5SIrftCADIcYEJtvKuhZye/s200/Abigail+Adams.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rebounding from a “Mancession,” Remembering the Ladies</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Guest blogger: Bettina Hager, NWPC Programs Director </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">President Obama recently laid out his new “American Jobs Act” before Congress in the hope of revitalizing our economy, putting the willing to work and finally ending one of the Nation’s longest and worst recessions. With unemployment at a startling high--and making only marginal, if any, improvements monthly--the country has one thing on its mind…JOBS.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The White House put much time and effort into outlining the effects of the Jobs Act for all demographics, including a <a href="http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USEOPWH/2011/09/08/file_attachments/56898/FACT_SHEET_WOMEN%20American_Jobs_Act.pdf">fact sheet</a> devoted exclusively to the effect on women and the economy. Still it is hard not to wonder if, during this hoped for recovery from what is widely coined the “mancession,” we will again need to remind the Nation to “remember the ladies.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The fact is that men did see a greater overall job loss and increase in unemployment rate during the recession. However, the jobs that are being created are largely going to men. While the meager return of 27% of men’s jobs deserves little celebration, it looks healthy compared to the 9% return rate seen for women.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8906482635405857170#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference">[i]</span></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One must also question whether the "mancession" was an economic phenomenon that unfairly hit men or if it was in part due to the fact that women were the ones more willing to take the jobs men viewed as beneath their station or steps down the ladder. When it comes to mouths to feed and doctors’ bills to pay, most women quickly get over such objections. It takes blind faith to believe that as higher paying jobs are created, companies will reward these women’s efforts with promotions from within. As the nation rebuilds, we must make sure that women are at the decision-making table and voting their interests. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When Abigail Adams beseeched her husband, John Adams, during the writing of the Constitution to advocate for women’s legal rights, famously to “remember the ladies,” it was out of necessity. She knew that women did not have the right to vote, let alone a dream of serving in Congress or higher office. It is now our prerogative, nay, our responsibility to <b>make sure</b> no one forgets the ladies. We have the vote, we have the voice, let’s make sure we’re heard.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“If particular care is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no representation.”- Abigail Adams, March 31, 1776.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You tell ‘em sister. </div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8906482635405857170#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference">[i]</span></a>Quick Figures: Job Gap Between Women and Men Persists in August. September 2011. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. 13 September 2011. <<a href="http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USEOPWH/2011/09/08/file_attachments/56898/FACT_SHEET_WOMEN%20American_Jobs_Act.pdf">http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USEOPWH/2011/09/08/file_attachments/56898/FACT_SHEET_WOMEN%20American_Jobs_Act.pdf</a>><br />
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<i>This post is part of the <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23HERvotes">#HERvotes</a> blog carnival.</i> </div><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><br />
<b><span style="color: purple;">Our Sister Organizations are posting Blogs all throughout the Cybersphere in honor of #HERvotes. We heartily encourage you to read, share, re-post, tweet and Facebook about this important campaign. #HERvotes #jobs </span></b></div><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">President’s Jobs Plan Benefits Women, by Ellie Smeal<br />
<a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/09/09/president%E2%80%99s-job-plan-benefits-women/">http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/09/09/president%E2%80%99s-job-plan-benefits-women/</a><br />
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The Care Crisis, by Premilla Nadasen<br />
<a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/09/09/the-care-crisis/">http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/09/09/the-care-crisis/</a><br />
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<span style="color: #323232;">The Old Boys’ Club Still Meets on the Golf Course, by Holly Derr</span><a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/08/29/the-old-boys-club-still-meets-on-the-golf-course/">http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/08/29/the-old-boys-club-still-meets-on-the-golf-course/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Women Must Speak Up for Their Jobs, Sherry Saunders</span><br />
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://youngwomenmisbehavin.com/2011/09/15/hervotes-blog-carnival-women-must-speak-up-for-their-jobs/">http://youngwomenmisbehavin.com/2011/09/15/hervotes-blog-carnival-women-must-speak-up-for-their-jobs/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Women Must Be a Part of Our Recovery, by Linda D. Hallman</span><br />
<a href="http://blog-aauw.org/2011/09/15/women-must-be-a-part-of-our-recovery/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">http://blog-aauw.org/2011/09/15/women-must-be-a-part-of-our-recovery/</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Where are the Jobs for Recent Graduates,by </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Kendra McCormick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://ncwo.tumblr.com/post/10237744073/where-are-the-jobs-for-recent-graduates" style="font-family: inherit;">http://ncwo.tumblr.com/post/10237744073/where-are-the-jobs-for-recent-graduates</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Do you mind taking a short detour so I can vote?," by Emily Alfano </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Gill Sans MT'; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></b></div><a href="http://www.ncjw.org/insider/client/index.cfm/2011/9/15/Do-you-mind-taking-a-short-detour-so-I-can-vote"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.ncjw.org/insider/client/index.cfm/2011/9/15/Do-you-mind-taking-a-short-detour-so-I-can-vote</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">More Women Face Unemployment as Public Sector Jobs are Now Targeted</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.now.org/news/blogs/index.php/sayit/2011/09/15/more-women-face-unemployment-as-public-sector-jobs-are-targeted"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.now.org/news/blogs/index.php/sayit/2011/09/15/more-women-face-unemployment-as-public-sector-jobs-are-targeted</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where's the Women's Opportunity</span><br />
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</style> <![endif]--><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/07/01/wheres-the-womens-opportunity/">http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/07/01/wheres-the-womens-opportunity/</a></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A Recession for White Americans a Depression for Black and Latino Americans<br />
<u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/07/28/a-recession-for-white-americans-a-depression-for-black-and-latino-americans/">http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/07/28/a-recession-for-white-americans-a-depression-for-black-and-latino-americans/</a></span></u></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Mancession Gives way to He-covery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><u><span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2011/09/15/mancession-gives-way-to-he-covery/">http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2011/09/15/mancession-gives-way-to-he-covery/</a><br />
</span></u></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Young People Hit by High Poverty and Unemployment</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><u><span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://feministcampus.org/blog/index.php/2011/09/15/hervotes-young-people-hit-by-high-poverty-and-unemployment/">http://feministcampus.org/blog/index.php/2011/09/15/hervotes-young-people-hit-by-high-poverty-and-unemployment/</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span></u></span><br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>NWPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126425663683966182noreply@blogger.com1