HERvotes Blog Carnival: Economic Security
by Terry O’Neill, National Organization for Women In time for Mothers Day, the 12th HERvotes blog carnival is dedicated to getting the word out about economic security for women, especially in their retirement years. Women need better benefits — not cuts — under social safety net programs. The economic slump in both the U.S. and...
HERvotes Blog Carnival: Tell Congress to Reauthorize VAWA
by Eleanor Smeal, Feminist Majority Foundation For the eleventh #HERvotes blog carnival, we’re joining together to urge the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Domestic violence results in over two million injuries every year. Three women die every day in the United States as the result of domestic violence. Since the passage of...
HERvotes Blog Carnival: What Health-Care Reform Means to Women
By Cindy Pearson, co-founder of Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need For the tenth #HERvotes blog carnival, we’re celebrating the second anniversary of the new health-reform law, the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Why are women so excited about the ACA? Well, for a start, the law has already started removing barriers...
Health Reform: Winning for Women
by Tara Mancini, co-chair of WIN’s Women’s Health Policy Network I think it is no coincidence that the 2nd anniversary of the ACA coincides with the celebration of Women’s History Month. Women have made numerous contributions to society that throughout the ages have received little attention, much like the important protections afforded to women through...
HERvotes Blog Carnival: No Religious Exemption for Birth Control Coverage
Despite enormous pressure from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Obama Administration recently decided not to broaden the religious exemption for contraceptive coverage under the Preventive Care package of the Affordable Care Act. This demand for additional exemptions, would have denied millions of American women contraceptive coverage, including students, teachers, nurses, social workers, and...
Seven Things You (and the Media) Need to Know about Birth Control
by Jacqueline M., Planned Parenthood Action Fund We were thrilled with President Obama’s decision a few weeks ago to protect access to birth control for women who work at religiously affiliated universities, hospitals, or institutions. By not further expanding a refusal clause to the birth control coverage benefit under the Affordable Care Act, he is...
One more time…
by Jill Morrison, National Women’s Law Center Abortion. [uh-bawr-shuhn] Contraception. [kon-truh-sep-shuhn] These are not the same. Yet I’ve repeatedly seen claims that the HHS decision on contraceptive coverage requires religious employers to cover “abortifacients.” Clearly, those opposed to the preventive services rule know they are on shaky ground when it comes to rallying their troops against...
HERvotes Blog Carnival: Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act
by Emily Alfano, National Council of Jewish Women For the eighth #HERvotes blog carnival, our coalition of women’s groups is joining forces for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found alarming rates of sexual violence, stalking, and domestic...
Joining Forces – Women Veterans Speak Out: The Trenches, Remembered
by Joan Grey, Business and Professional Women’s Foundation Mentoring Liaison We all have our stories. Maybe these narratives, rather than DNA, are really what make us human. On the topic of military sexual trauma, I turned to my West Point women classmates for their input. Ours was the first co-ed class. Out of over 900...
HERvotes Blog Carnival: Protecting Unemployment Benefits
by Hannah Gordon, Feminist Majority Foundation Welcome to the seventh #HERvotes blog carnival on the need to protect women and employment during these tough economic times, with a focus on the importance of extending Unemployment Insurance (UI) before the December 31st deadline. It is critical that Congress acts before the end of this calendar year...
Unemployment Insurance in the 1930s and Today
by Michael J. Wilson Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) was founded in 1947 by Eleanor Roosevelt and other liberal luminaries in order to protect the legacy of her husband, the recently-deceased President Franklin Roosevelt, a legacy that included unemployment insurance (UI). That legacy was under attack by a rabidly conservative Republican Congressional majority recently swept into power...
Happy Holidays, Congress! It’s Time to Extend UI
by Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel, National Women’s Law Center After the Thanksgiving feast, some lament how quickly the focus shifts to next round of holidays – but I have to admit I embrace it. Christmas music in the air 24/7? Fine by me. My tree is up, the house is bright with twinkly lights, and...