Bi-weekly Brief: January 30, 2017
Brought to you by Women's Campaign Fund
The gender gaffe of the year (so far)
Oh, Washington Post. You guys (I don’t mean that colloquially) really blew it with this cover. They weren’t safe from the deserved vitriol, and Twitter let them hear it (scroll down to read some particularly good responses).
We are women, hear us roar
Just 24 hours after the inauguration, over 600 marches took place across the country (as well as many around the world) to send a message to the patriarchy: we will be heard. And heard we were – roughly 5 million marched worldwide for equality and women’s rights, among many other things. However, all I had to do was scroll through social media to find that not all women saw the Women’s March the same way. Some said it “weaponized feminism”; others claimed to not understand why women would march for something they already have; and, reading all this, I facepalmed. Repeatedly. Then, one writer put it like no one else had, and I’d recommend these words to anyone. And so, I propose a theme song.
**My two cents: the Women’s March isn’t a ride-or-die movement but rather a vessel to vocalize what millions of women fear will be stricken from the agenda in Trump’s presidency.
Coretta Scott King’s words still ring true today
Almost 50 years ago, we lost one of the greatest social justice warriors ever in Martin Luther King Jr. Then, in 2006, we lost his wife who posthumously carried his torch – strong lady that she was. This reminder from Coretta Scott King on her husband’s legacy has never waned in its importance and – surprise! – it’s still highly relevant reading. It never fails to inspire me to effect social reform. You too?
“Gender parity” key for U.N. success
António Guterres, the new U.N. chief, outlined four of his key focal points for USA Today. Personally, I’m thrilled to see gender parity at the top of the list. A global champion for more women in positions of power is a step in the right direction. In fact, he will appoint women to key positions on his staff. I feel like we’d be fast friends.
Millions of Americans’ futures hang on Affordable Care Act
In one way or another, this affects millions of us – women, men, and children. In the President-elect’s mad dash to repeal the ACA, I’m nervous that not all 320-odd million Americans’ perspectives will be considered. Apparently, my mother and grandmothers (along with 52 million other Americans) who have pre-existing conditions may not be guaranteed healthcare. What happens then? Politifact muses on the effects of the ACA being repealed here.
Republicans aim to increase their female representation in Congress
Former New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte has one answer: “Women need to understand that there will be a network of people who will help them have the resources they need to succeed in the race,” and I couldn’t possibly agree more (coincidentally, this organization does exactly that). This piece from Roll Call raises the right questions on how to make it happen.
