Sexual harassment allegations by four women against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain have made the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace headline news. What many people may not realize is that such harassment is a widespread problem in middle and high schools, too. During the 2010-11 school year, nearly 48 percent of students in […]
HERvotes
The #HERvotes campaign for women to vote in 2012 to preserve our health and economic rights
NEWS BRIEF: Mississippi Voters Get One Right, One Wrong
Yesterday, voters in Mississippi overwhelmingly rejected a personhood amendment that would have defined fertilized eggs as people and given them the full legal rights and protections of real humans. Polling shows that 55 percent of voters voted against the initiative, which would have: potentially outlawed birth control pills, IUDs, emergency contraception and other forms of […]
Personhood Amendment Threatens Women of Mississippi, Hits Home
Mississippi’s Initiative 26—the so-called “Personhood Amendment”—hits close to home for me. I was born in Mississippi and attended school there until I graduated from college. My immediate family and many, many friends still reside in the state. In just a few short days, my loved ones and all Mississippians will vote on the statewide question: […]
HERVotes Blog Carnival: Mississippi “Personhood” Amendment
Welcome to the fourth #HERVotes Blog Carnival! This time, we’re writing with an especially urgent focus. There’s an extremely dangerous constitutional amendment to the Mississippi state constitution on the November 8th ballot. It grants personhood and constitutional rights to a fertilized egg. Election day is just one week away. We must stop the outrageous movement […]
Race, Class and Rights in Mississippi: Save the Pill and Save the Vote
Two upcoming Mississippi ballot initiatives–Number 26, on so-called “personhood,” and Number 27, on Voter ID exclusions–may be one of the most important on-the-ground opportunities for the pro-choice and reproductive justice movements to work together. By co-joining race (Voter ID-27) with gender (so-called “Personhood”-26), we have an excellent opportunity to experience intersectionality in practice. Black women […]
Why I’m Glad My Miscarriage Wasn’t in Mississippi
I had a miscarriage in 1991. No one accused me of murder. No one arrested and jailed me on suspicion of abortion. No one charged me with endangering the miscarried fetus. If Initiative 26 to amend the Mississippi constitution passes next week, that won’t be true for the next woman who miscarries. She will be […]
Mississippi Blues
Folks, we’ve got a situation in Mississippi. In September, the state’s Supreme Court decided to allow a so-called “personhood” amendment to appear on the ballot this November 8. In addition to electing a governor, a secretary of state, an attorney general and members of the state legislature, voters will be asked to decide whether to […]
#HERvotes Blog Carnival Takes on Health Care
Welcome to the third #HERvotes Blog Carnival! This time, the focus is on women and health care. The blog posts below contain lots of information about the new benefits from the Affordable Care Act, and offer original insights on what’s at stake for women–especially in the 2012 election. You’ll also find personal stories and analysis […]
It’s in the Law: Breaking Down What’s In It For You in the Affordable Care Act
Greater protections against insurance company abuses: NO MORE RESCISSIONS: Insurance companies are prohibited from dropping your coverage if you become sick. NO MORE LIFETIME LIMITS: Insurance companies are prohibited from limiting the amount of money they will pay for your benefits over your lifetime. NO MORE ANNUAL CAPS: Insurance companies are prohibited from limiting the […]
“Care,” the New Four-Letter Word
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 […]