Reversing a decision I reported here a few weeks ago, the Women’s Health Department will now be fully funded.
Cycles
A recent Washington Post article about a book called Cycle Savvy: The Smart Teen’s Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body, discusses the debate going on as to whether or not teenagers should know anything about when they’re more or less likely to become pregnant. Charting your cycles is intricate work that requires diligence, & for that reason alone some people think it’s not a good idea, “since a little information is a dangerous thing,” according to one woman who ended up pregnant as a result of screwing up her own chart-keeping.
I’d argue there might be teens who are more diligent – or maybe even brighter – than her.
But the usual suspects chime in about how sex information only ever encourages girls to have sex. A spokesperson for Concerned Women for America proffers “high ideals,” instead.
Come now: doesn’t that sound like “keep your knees together” all over again?
Feminist Art
Last week the largest feminist art installment opened in Brooklyn, at the Brooklyn Museum.
Here’s a list of other feminist art exhibitions happening throughout the country.
Unplanned Stupidity
Say there’s a good pre-screening program for early detection of cervical and breast cancer that’s free to women & partially funded by the state.
Say there’s a governor of said state who, under pressure from anti-choice forces, decides that no matter how good the program, it must be stopped because the screenings are taking place in Planned Parenthood clinics.
Now say that said Planned Parenthood clinics didn’t even provide abortion procedures.
What do you say now? These kinds of politics are idiotic: a functioning, useful program that was saving women’s lives has now been gutted for no goddamn good reason. Missouri Governor Matt Blunt decided to grandstand instead of backing useful services for poor and uninsured women.
What’s Good for the Goose Is Good for the Other Goose
South Carolina wants women who are considering an abortion to view the ultrasound first.
I say okay if women who aren’t considering abortion have to take tours of foster care and chat with Child Services first, too, then have their finances and future earnings analyzed by a forensic accountant, and their support network (extended family, friends, etc.) evaluated for soundness.
Ditto for the father. (Who?)
Maybe a short spiel on population control and global carrying capacity might be in order, too.
Women’s Health Budget Cut
The Office of Women’s Health – which researches funding on women’s medical issues such as menopause, birth control, pregnancy & the like – was allocated $4 million. $2.8 million of that is already spent or appropriated, and the final $1.2 million won’t be coming at all.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to withhold 30 percent of the funding allocated for the Office of Women’s Health in 2007, an unnamed, high level official told the Washington Post.
The source isn’t allowed to speak publicly about it and remained unnamed.
Um, isn’t that our money?! As taxpayers? Shouldn’t we at least know who made this decision and why? This type of mumblefuck is exactly why we need more women in government. Sure we’re 51%, but with nothing close to that in terms of representation. I guess this is the way the Feds decided to celebrate Women’s History Month: thanks, guys.
Cool Women: Frances Allen
Frances Allen is the first woman to win the Turing Award, often called “The Nobel Prize of Computing.”
She recalled being one of four women in a room of 100 when she was a manager at IBM.
Even cooler? “Allen plans to create a scholarship fund for working class computer science students with the award money.”
Cool Women: Mary Ann Wright
From the Feminist Daily News:
Adding to the chorus of women leaders demanding that President Bush retreat from the possibility of war against Iran, retired Army Reserves Colonel and former high-ranking diplomat Mary Ann Wright asked military personnel to refuse potentially imminent orders to attack Iran.
More after the break. Continue reading “Cool Women: Mary Ann Wright”
Nawal al Saadawi
Nawal al Saadawi’s latest book, God Resigns in the Summit Meeting, was destroyed by her publisher. You might know her as a woman who spoke out about female genital mutilation, as both a doctor and victim. She was a political prisoner for many years. Complaints were made that the book was irreligious and offended religious sensibilities.
Simultaneously, she is talking to the general prosecutor in Egypt on behalf of her daughter, Dr. Mona Helmi, who suggested that children be named after their mothers & not their fathers, which resulted in her being accused of renouncing religion.
Not since Mary Wollstonecraft and Frankenstein author Mary Shelley have their been a mother-daughter pair like these two.
I Hope It’s the Name
I don’t know about anyone else who’s watching, but I’m kind of stunned and pleased that 62-year-old Helen Mirren is, hands down, the sexiest woman at the Oscars.