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February 24, 2017 | Deeds Digest No. 40
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Hello #ChangeMakers!
What a fabulous week it has been! All across the country, you stepped up and made your voices heard at congressional town halls (well, at least where congressional representatives had the courage to face their own constituents).
Remember right after the women’s marches across the country when everyone was wondering whether that would just be a one-time thing that would immediately flame out? You’re obviously proving that it wasn’t. And I could not be more proud to see you in ACTION!
This week’s Digest brings us news that I hope inspires you as it does me. We’ve got examples of women stepping forward in the workplace and asserting their rights to equal treatment, we’ve got reports from those town halls demonstrating how powerful people can be when they demand to be heard, and because of folks like you who’ve demanded access to reproductive healthcare, we’ve got some good news about how that care has allowed us greater control over our bodies and therefore our lives.
All of this is happening because you have refused to participate in your own marginalization – because you are standing up and speaking out. Because, in short, you are DOING, not just TALKING!
From the amazing #ChangeMakers I get to meet across the country like those at Denison University pictured above, to those I'm so grateful to have reading this newsletter each week... Keep it up you amazing warriors, you!
xo,
-wendy
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This week’s #ChangeMaker: Susan J. Fowler
Our #ChangeMaker of the week is engineer Susan J. Fowler, formerly an employee of Uber where she spent a “very, very strange” year.
Despite multiple instances of harassment and career setbacks due to blatant sexism, she continued to report every injustice that she and other female engineers faced at Uber. Facing the threat of losing her job from multiple levels of Human Resources – the entity supposed to protect her in instances like these – #ShePersisted.
When fighting within the system failed to bring her justice, she disrupted the system. Susan left the company where she was not being respected took her story to the outside world for her voice to be heard – not just for her, but for all the women in her shoes.
Thanks to her outcry and that of many others, negative publicity has driven Uber’s CEO to make some serious changes to their business model and commitment to their employees. Susan has now started work at Stripe, where she’s treated with the respect needed to do her job. Sometimes, if the system isn’t serving its purpose, outside pressure is what’s most needed to make change!
For questioning the system, her tireless fight and refusing to let her treatment go unanswered, Susan is a true #ChangeMaker!
Know a hero making a difference in their community, like Susan? Send us a picture of someone you’d like to see as #ChangeMaker of the week, along with their story, and you might just see it in the next Deeds Digest!
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Last week we asked our #ChangeMakers to show up to meetings with their elected officials and show up they did! Read about the crowds at local Town Halls across the nation and how they faced off with their reps
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As evidenced by the verbal attacks our founder Wendy Davis experienced while in office, being a woman in politics is no easy job. Perhaps it has something to do with the way our male politicians talk about women, supporting the idea that this is ok. The mural We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident uses art as activism to showcase odious public remarks nearly 40 male politicians made about women's rights and bodies.
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Eventually becoming a born again Christian and backing away from her support for abortion, Norma McCorvey should still be recognized for the important role she played in advancing the rights of women in this country as "Jane Roe".
Though McCorvey has passed, her legacy lives on through American women's long-denied right to control our own bodies. Read more about her fight for legal abortion access and the impact it had on her life.
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**Warning: Heavy content that may upset some viewers, but will inspire many #ChangeMakers to keep up the fight**
Watch this video from women who had abortions before roe v. wade was passed and you'll understand just how important McCorvey's legacy is. #WeWillNotGoBack
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#LifeHacks from the queen: Check out this video from the notorious R.B.G. on how to achieve that seeemingly unattainable work-life balance, just as she has with her career and motherhood.
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Melinda Gates has made it clear that, “when a woman has the power to decide if and when to get pregnant, she has power over her future.” We couldn’t agree more! Check out her inspirational video above about the importance of giving women the right to choose and why affordable contraceptives are a must.
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Last week, we learned why Melinda Gates supports access to birth control. This week, she followed up with more information to lend strength to that support, and we've got some too:
Family planning provisions through the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and Title X funding have reached millions of Americans in need of birth control, lending considerably to women’s ability to control our reproductive autonomy. Together, these public policies combine to help women access quality health care, including birth control. With these programs facing defunding or repeal, the impact on women’s lives and our health will be devastating.
The National Campaign confirms that the majority of Americans agree that these programs are valuable and should continue:
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75% of adults (including 66% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats) favor continuing the Title X Family Planning Program program.
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85% of adults (including 75% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats) favor maintaining federal funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and the Personal Responsibility Education Program.
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79% of adults (including 73% of Republicans and 81% of Democrats) believe teens should receive more information about abstinence and birth control rather than either/or.
And this agreement applies to Americans on BOTH sides of the aisle, as we saw in the article on Sam Sparks above and is confirmed by the image below…
Let’s make sure those able to protect this vital healthcare understand why it’s so important to continue it! Here's where you come in.
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Voice Your Support for Access to Contraception
While we are facing federal threats that should alarm us all, “new or expanded state contraceptive coverage requirements could help to mitigate this harm and even improve coverage, both within a state’s borders and beyond”. While we continue to fight at the Federal level, let’s shore up our rights by supporting a state-by-state effort to get the coverage we need and deserve!
Currently, 28 states have their own requirements that private insurance plans must cover contraceptive drugs and devices if they cover other prescription drugs - but only 4 states have requirements as protective as the now-endangered federal contraceptive coverage guarantee.
All states could act to ensure that health plans cover the full list of contraceptive methods and services required under the federal guarantee. Let’s make sure our representatives know that!
Who to call:
What to say:
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It’s time for us to take action in our state to stand up for contraceptive access that’s being threatened federally.
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Use what you ‘Learn’ed above to make the case for how Americans of all political persuasions want to see the teen pregnancy and abortion rates decline through the use of counseling and contraceptives, creating a healthier society for all of us.
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