Update! Friday: Women’s health care White House roundtable

As mentioned last week, on Friday there was a White House-hosted roundtable on women’s issues in health care. Totally awesome. Cindy Pearson (executive director of the National Women’s Health Network and Raising Women’s Voices representative) was asked to be there and speak for women’s reproductive health care. The meeting was filmed and streamed live online. There were about 30 people there representing 25 or more organizations: some of those represented were the NWLC, National Partnership, ACOG, ANA, Feminist Majority, YWCA, Black Women’s Health Imperative, NAPAWF, National Council of La Raza, NFPRHA, PPFA, Women Heart, NBCC, National Ovarian Cancer Alliance, OWL, National Council of Women’s Organizations, Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, National Alliance of MCH Programs, NWHN, Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, Society for Women’s Health Research, and the Columbia University School of Public Health.

Cindy was even able to give Raising Women’s Voices fans to Christina Tchen (White House Director of Public Liaison), Neera Tanden (Senior Advisor to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Health Reform), and Nancy-Ann DeParle (head of the White House Office of Health Reform). Pretty awesome!

International Women’s Day is this Sunday, March 8th, 2009!

The first National Women’s Day took place in the U.S. in 1909.  The following year, the first International Women’s Day took place in Copenhagen where over 100 women gathered representing 17 different countries.

Looking for way to celebrate this Sunday?  Listen to a 2-hour radio special this weekend.  Check out the details below:

What: “A New Agenda for Girls and Women’s Health and Rights”.

When:  Sunday, March 8th, 2009,  1-3 pm

Who:  Listen to an interview with Adrienne German, President of International Women’s Health Coalition

Where:  Tune into MA radio station WOMR at 92.1 FM or listen online .

Why: To learn more and support the global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Learn more about International Womens Day.

“Women are the gatekeepers of their families’ health”

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and House Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) led a conference on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, at which a resolution prompting congressional women’s health care reform was introduced.

“The resolution commits Congress to passing, within 18 months of adopting the resolution, legislation that guarantees health care for women and all individuals and establishes coverage that enables women to attain good health that they can maintain during their reproductive years and throughout their lives.”

Congressional leaders insisted that the current economic crisis is no excuse for postponement of such needed reform.  If anything, our strained economic and employment situations exacerbate many Americans’ health care and insurance problems, and vice versa.  Better care for women was presented as central to any course of reform because it is we who are often the primary caregivers, decision-makers and providers for our families.

“‘If we are serious about keeping children and families healthy, we must focus more attention on keeping women healthy,” said Senator Stabenow.  “Women must have affordable health care that they can rely on through their life transitions, including starting a family, working part-time or full-time, divorce, or caring for a sick or elderly parent.’”

At the event, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health released a report on comprehensive reproductive health care as a key component of women’s overall health through all stages and transitions of our lives.