We’re coming down to the wire on the health care bill. The travesty drafted by an all-male, all-white Republican panel is a massive tax cut for the rich, and a disaster for everyone else. It brings back lifetime coverage caps, and allows insurance companies to price insurance out of sight for pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions can include sexual assault or domestic violence, leaving survivors with the dilemma of reporting and losing their insurance vs. letting the assailant go free.
Call your Senator. Tell them NO. Sample script.
As always, major thanks for links and behind-the-scenes discussion by ramara, mettle fatigue, Besame, NoBlinkers, elenacarlena, Eyesbright, and the rest of the WOW crew.
Reproductive Freedom:
NY’s Attorney General is suing anti-abortion protesters for harassing patients outside a women’s clinic, including violent threats, physically blocking their paths, and deliberately “colliding” with clinic escorts.
Missouri voted to allow job and housing discrimination against women who have abortions, or anyone using birth control, along with other restrictions on reproductive freedom.
British court rules that women who travel from Ireland are not entitled to free abortions under National Health Service.
Vogue profile of Planned Parenthood leader Cecile Richards.
Violence:
Two brothers talk about the abuse that led to their father killing their mother, their sister, and himself.
Genocide by any other name - forced sterilization of Indian women in the last century.
A horrifying story that starts with a woman reporting rape, only to find herself criminally charged, and ends with her committing suicide.
Medical App Aims to Tackle Rape, Flag War Crimes in Conflict-torn Congo.
The mistrial in the Cosby rape case shows once again that powerful men can get away with just about anything— and people seem willing to believe just about anything before believing a woman is telling the truth about rape. A juror believed Andrea Constand was lying about the rape, based on — you guessed it — what she was wearing. To think that Bill Cosby is guilty, you don’ t even have to believe the 60 women who’ve come forward. You only have to believe Cosby’s own words. Meanwhile, Cosby says he’s going to hold workshops on how to avoid being “accused” of sexual assault.
Workplace Issues:
What Should Gender Equality Look Like In 2017? That's a massive question, so let's condense that by asking what's gender equality in the workplace look like today?
“My female boss told me she needed to allow each man to interrupt her four times before protesting in a meeting. If she protested more often, there were problems.”
Ivanka Trump talks about empowering women. The women who work in her factories have a different view.
After a scathing post from Susan Fowler went viral, there have been multiple shakeups at Uber, including long-overdue sexual harassment investigations that resulted in at least 20 firings. In the past month, they’ve also ousted Emil Michael (who famously threatened to “dig up dirt” on reporter Sarah Lacy after she reported on harassment problems at Uber), Eric Alexander (who obtained the medical records of a woman raped by an Uber driver), and now CEO Travis Kalanick. Here’s a detailed timeline of how it all fits together.
Tech venture capitalist Justin Caldbeck has taken an indefinite leave of absence after multiple women reported him using his position to pressure them for sex. Following a familiar pattern, Caldbeck initially denied the allegations and called them “attacks on his character.” Then, after three women came forward with saved text messages from him, he issued a “sorry I made you uncomfortable” semi-apology.
There is another elephant in the room here: All three of the women who came forward are Asian. As is Ellen Pao. As is Tina Huang who sued Twitter for discrimination. As is Chia Hong who sued Facebook for discrimination. Other women of color like Tracy Chou and Susan Wu have also been outspoken in sharing their experiences and demanding the industry become more inclusive….
I don’t quite know what to make of this clear correlation that no one wants to seem to publicly acknowledge. Are women of color more frequently targeted by abusive men in Silicon Valley? Or are they just more likely to be the ones who come forward?
Health:
Responsibility for elder care overwhelmingly falls on daughters. The Republican plan to slash Medicaid will make things worse for women.
A long and complicated look at women and pain, mental and physical.
Education:
Trump’s Dept. of Education will be scaling back civil rights investigations.
Women owe two thirds of student loan debt.
Uncategorizable:
Jill Filipovic on how electing anti-feminist women sets women back.
Israeli court rules that airline cannot make a woman move because a man’s religious beliefs forbid him to sit next to her.
Dr. Nerdlove on why the movie version of love, and the Grand Romantic Gesture, teach the wrong lessons in real life.
Good News and Action Items:
The Girl Scouts have been up to some impressive stuff lately. A Girl Scout helped bring the issue of child marriage to the public’s attention, and now NY state has outlawed the practice. Also, check out Walter Einenkel’s diary: the Girl Scouts now give a merit badge in cybersecurity. Be prepared!
Urge the Dominican Republic to decriminalize abortion.
If you haven’t called you Senator yet about the “health care” bill, do it now. If you already have, call again.
If you haven’t already been there, please check out WOW2, to discover all the women of accomplishment who’ve been left out of the history books.