reproductive justice – Page 2

News you can relate to

Some stories that caught our eye this week:

What does it take for a woman to succeed in science? Evelyn M. Witkin, who was recently awarded the Lasker Award for groundbreaking work on DNA, has this to say:

When I was pregnant with my first child, [my boss] came to my lab and said it was important to make scientific careers possible for women. What did I need? I told him, maternity leave and to return only part time. He said, “Done, and we’re not going to cut your salary because I know you’re going to do a full-time job.” That act alone made it possible for me to stay with my research.

An NFL star gives a brutally honest account of the abuse he endured daily from his father as a child and, even worse, how no one around him tried to help.

I’ll never forget this moment when I was 10 years old…when my mother pulled me aside and whispered, “You better play well out there today, because if you don’t, it’s going to be bad tonight.” Right then, it dawned on me that my mother was never going to do anything about it. Our neighbors weren’t going to do anything about it. The other hockey parents weren’t going to do anything about it. I was going to have to stop it myself.

The Marshall Project has an in-depth look at a story we’ve talked about before: a young woman is raped and instead of believing her, the police convict her of the crime of false reporting. Years later, proof of her rape comes to light.

Recently, Marie was asked if she had considered not reporting the rape. “No,” she said….She wanted to help the police. “So nobody else would get hurt,” she said. “[So] they’d be out there searching for this person who had done this to me.”

And lastly, the story of Las Patronas, the women who feed immigrants on their way to the border:

News you can relate to

Some news stories that caught our eye this week:

Please don’t threaten my son when he dates your daughter

“It’s not ‘funny’ to threaten my son. It’s not ‘cute’ to treat your daughter as if she has zero common sense.”

Pregnant, Parenting , and Pro-Choice

“I can’t imagine how awful and horrifying it must feel to go through this experience against your will, and to be unable to do anything to stop it. It’s the difference between consensual sex and rape.”

Policy makes Plan B more accessible to American Indian women

“Just because you rely on the federal government for your health care doesn’t mean you should be subjected to a different standard that makes access more difficult.”

News you can relate to

Some news stories that caught our eye this week:

Here’s why we at Amnesty backed the decriminalisation of sex work “Any foray into the lives of sex workers reveals so many crucial human rights issues that urgently need addressing. .. these questions about health, safety and equality under the law are more important than any moral objection to the nature of sex work.”

Immigration detention is inhumane. But for pregnant women, it’s trauma “The government spends over $2.4bn each year to detain immigrants, many of whom – like me – have family and friends here who can support us at no cost to the government while we make our case to an immigration judge.”

Bernie Sanders, Black Lives Matter and the racial divide in Seattle “Black people in America are fighting for their lives. These protests aren’t just about an election, these protests are about a voice — a voice that will no longer be silenced. It may make some people uncomfortable, it may make some people angry — and if it does, you should ask yourself, why weren’t you angry already?”

News you can relate to

Some news stories that caught our eye this week:

One of the journalists who uncovered Jian Ghomeshi’s rampant sexual abuse is now writing a ‘tell-all’ book that threatens to identify the women who told their stories with the promise of anonymity. It’s just another example of why victims of abuse choose not to speak up.

Isiah Thomas was convicted of sexual harassment the last time he was president of a basketball team. So how in the world did he just land a job as president of WNBA’s New York Liberty?

Check out Amy Schumer’s hilarious birth control sketch.

What does it take to believe a woman?

We bring you this post from the Executive Director of a domestic violence program in rural Washington.

The domestic violence agency I work at often buys supplies that our clients need but can’t always afford, like diapers, toiletries, and contraceptives. Easy access to birth control supports a survivor’s control over their body, and promotes their safety and independence. Recently, I walked into our community’s only pharmacy to buy some Plan B. The young woman behind the counter asked me for ID and went into the back room.

Her: Here you go, all set.

Me: What did you do with my ID?

Her: Checked to see if you are over 18. (I think this is funny – I’m 39.)

Me: There are no restrictions on buying Plan B, so you don’t need to know my age. I work at the local domestic violence agency and for my clients, being asked to show ID can be scary if their abuser monitors what they are doing and checks public records. It is also scary for people who are worried about their immigration status.

Now the pharmacist comes out and joins the conversation.

Pharmacist: That’s not true. On the Plan B package it says “For Women Over 17 Years of Age.”

Me: It’s old packaging (wondering just how old the packaging is). The law has changed. Plan B should be able to be purchased as over-the-counter medication. I don’t have to show identification.

Pharmacist: That’s not true and it is my choice how to dispense it.

This same conversation continued over a few more visits. I brought in articles and the new federal regulations—none of it seemed to matter to the pharmacist. Then my town gathered a small team of community members interested in women’s reproductive health services that were available locally. One community member went back to the pharmacy, and while the same “it’s just not true” argument ensued, another visiting pharmacist broke into the conversation and said we were right. He confirmed the changes in law we had already shown the local pharmacist.

This pharmacy—the only place in town to buy Plan B—is now in compliance with the law. And while I’m very happy about that, I still find it frustrating that my local pharmacist would not listen to what we were saying (read: what we women were saying) and would not change the pharmacy’s practice until a man said our information was correct. How many laws that affect women’s health are ignored when women are telling the truth?

News you can relate to

We—along with the rest of the country and world—have our eyes on Ferguson, Missouri. This edition of our news round-up features some of the amazing writers who are sharing their voice, perspective, experience. Here are just a few:

The Murder of Black Youth is a Reproductive Justice Issue

When Parenting Feels Like a Fool’s Errand: On the Death of Michael Brown

Why I Don’t Call the Police

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