n***@smoking.it
2008-10-29 15:14:16 UTC
Obama vs. McCain: Progressive Voter Guide to Reproductive Justice and
Gender
AlterNet. Posted October 14, 2008.
Find out how the candidates compare on the 10 most important
reproductive justice and gender issues, from abortion to equal pay.
In 1916, Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the
United States. Just 10 days later, the clinic closed and Sanger was
arrested. It took seven years of court battles before she was able to
open another clinic, 20 years before the United States stopped
classifying information about birth control as obscene, and another 36
years before the Supreme Court extended the right of privacy to
include the use of contraceptives outside of marriage. Today,
virtually every woman (98 percent) who has ever had sexual intercourse
has relied on some form of contraception. Yet that right, along with
so many other hard-fought gains (reproductive choice, equal pay for
equal work, gender equity in education), is under assault.
The list of setbacks is as depressing as it is long: A growing number
of pharmacists is refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, the
Department of Health and Human Services is trying covertly to redefine
contraception as abortion, Roe v. Wade is on the brink of being
reversed, equal pay for equal work has never been fully realized,
women's sports continue to be underfunded, domestic violence is
routinely ignored, and on and on.
At the same time, the past two years have seen big gains and historic
firsts for women in politics: Nancy Pelosi was sworn in as the first
female speaker of the house, Sen. Hillary Clinton came within a hair's
breadth of being the first female presidential nominee for a major
political party, and now the Republican Party carries a woman -- Gov.
Sarah Palin -- on its ticket for the first time. Unfortunately,
Palin's support of abstinence-only sex education programs and recent
troubling statements on forcing sexual assault victims to bear their
rapists' children raise serious questions about her views on
reproductive justice and gender.
Whether women's rights continue on their downward trajectory depends
in large part on the next president, and the differences between Sens.
Barack Obama and John McCain are not small. To help you determine
which candidate's positions most closely match your own, we've put
together an election guide, summarizing voting records and public
statements on a range of issues from equal pay to abortion.
1. REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE
Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that allowed
women the right to safe, legal abortion, is under threat of being
overturned. A 2007 Quinnipiac poll shows that 62 percent of Americans
support Roe. The legislation's fate is largely in the hands of the
next U.S. president, who will be in a position to nominate several new
Supreme Court justices, as six of the nine sitting justices will be
over 70 on Jan. 20, 2009. A restacking of the court could mean the end
of Roe.
Solutions: Electing a pro-choice, progressive president is the surest
safeguard against dismantling reproductive freedoms, including
abortion.
Obama's position: Obama supports a woman's right to choose and says he
would make preserving Roe a priority. Obama supports late-term
abortions when medically necessary and is open to receiving advice
from reproductive rights groups on legislation.
McCain's position: John McCain says he thinks Roe needs to be
overturned and would fight vigorously to make that happen. McCain
thinks abortion should be decided individually, state by state. He
then recommends that anti-choice grassroots groups build momentum and
dismantle abortion rights at the state level. It is also worth noting
that McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, also opposes abortion, even
in cases of rape and incest.
Learn more: RH Reality Check, NARAL Pro-Choice America, The Guttmacher
Institute
2. CONTRACEPTION
Birth control is basic health care. And education about and access to
affordable contraception is one of the surest ways to prevent
unintended pregnancies. Yet some forms of contraception have been
under assault, as the Department of Health and Human Services has been
working covertly to redefine contraception as abortion.
Solutions: Contraception should remain available to men and women
nationwide and should be covered by health insurance.
Obama's position: Barack Obama supports legislation that would expand
access to contraception, including emergency contraception. In 2007,
Obama introduced the Prevention First Act, which would also end
insurance company discrimination against contraception.
McCain's position: John McCain has either been unable or unwilling to
answer questions regarding contraception. When asked about his
position on contraceptive use in the United States, McCain said he
thinks he supports the president's policy. When asked if he thought it
was unfair that insurance companies will cover Viagra and not birth
control, he said -- after a long pause -- that he did not know enough
about it to give an informed answer. McCain has voted against
legislation that would ensure insurance coverage for birth control. He
also voted against legislation that would increase awareness about
emergency contraception.
Learn more: RH Reality Check, Planned Parenthood, Guttmacher Institute
3. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING
The ability of a woman to choose the number and spacing of her
children is fundamental to gender equality, women's health, and the
health of families, communities, economies (local, national and
international) and the environment. Publicly funded family planning
clinics, which provide women with the resources -- contraception,
health services, abortion counseling, etc. -- to do this are in
danger. While 89 percent of the voting public supports publicly
funding these services, Title X funds (which make a wide variety of
health care services available to lower-income families) have not kept
pace with medical inflation. As more and more individuals become
uninsured, these strapped-for-cash clinics are unable to meet that
rising demand and, in some cases, are closing.
Solutions: Fully fund family planning services and increase awareness
of them through comprehensive sex education.
Obama's position: Obama supports family planning services. The
Prevention First Act, legislation he introduced in 2007, would
increase funding for Title X to expand access to family planning
services for low-income women.
McCain's position: McCain has voted to end Title X, voted against
programs that would help prevent teen pregnancy and voted against
promoting family planning services.
Learn more: NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Family Planning and
Reproductive Health Association, United Nations Fund for Population
Activities (UNFPA)
4. SEX EDUCATION
Abstinence-only education has been a 10-year, $1.5 billion failed
federal project. Studies have shown that teens who attend schools with
abstinence-until-marriage programming are just as sexually active as
those who don't. But, in spite of all evidence against them, the Bush
administration has been a stalwart champion of these ideologically
motivated programs, which downplay the effectiveness of condoms and
other types of contraception, exaggerate and sometimes fabricate
health risks associated with abortion, hype medically inaccurate
information, reinforce damaging gender stereotypes and generally use
fear and shame in an attempt to control sexuality. Many states have
begun to turn down federal funding for chastity-based education, but
many others -- including those with some of the highest rates of STIs
and unintended pregnancies -- still support it.
Solutions: Federally fund comprehensive sexuality education in all
states to ensure that kids have access to medically accurate
information that helps them make emotionally and physically healthy
decisions about sex.
Obama's position: Obama strongly supports comprehensive sex education
and opposes abstinence-only education. He has called for comprehensive
sex education in all grades -- as long as it is age-appropriate. Obama
supports the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, which would
fund science-based sex education, and co-sponsored the Prevention
First Act -- legislation meant to increase access to contraception
services and information. He voted yes on an amendment to the Senate's
fiscal year 2006 budget that would put $100 million toward reducing
unintended and teen pregnancy through education and contraception.
McCain's position: McCain opposes comprehensive sex education. He
voted against legislation to allocate $100 million for preventing
unintended and teen pregnancy through education and contraception. He
has also voted no on legislation to fund programs that provide
comprehensive, medically accurate sex education and voted no on
legislation that would require abstinence-only programming to be
medically accurate and scientifically based.
Learn more: Coalition for Positive Sexuality, Planned Parenthood,
Guttmacher Institute, Sexuality Information and Education Council of
the United States (SIECUS), RH Reality Check
5. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Domestic violence is an ongoing problem in the United States. One in
four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. One in
six women has either been raped or experienced an attempted rape.
Besides its emotional and health tolls, domestic violence affects the
economy, with an estimated cost of $5.8 billion each year in medical
bills and lost productivity.
Solutions: Develop a national legislative agenda to address and help
prevent domestic violence and to identify the needs of its victims.
Obama's position: Barack Obama has supported legislation to reduce
domestic violence. He co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act,
which helps give nonprofit organizations and police the resources
needed to combat domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
McCain's position: McCain has been largely silent on this issue. He
did not vote on legislation that would increase funding for domestic
violence programs by $17 million. He has also opposed grant programs
for children who have witnessed domestic violence. McCain has also
made public jokes about wife-beating.
Learn more: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Amnesty
International USA, Women's Human Rights Program, Feminist Majority
Foundation
6. EQUAL PAY
Women make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, and the
Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C., estimates
that, if progress continues at its current rate, it will take until
2057 for the gender wage gap to close.
Solutions: Expand enforcement of the Equal Pay Act.
Obama's position: Obama is a strong advocate of gender pay equity. He
supports improving women's economic situations at every level, from
strengthening the Equal Pay Act to increasing investments in women-run
small businesses.
McCain's position: McCain has said publicly that he supports equal pay
for equal work, but his legislative record shows otherwise. McCain
opposed a recent Senate bill (the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act)
seeking equal pay for women. The bill would have made it easier for
women to sue their employers for pay discrimination.
Learn more: 9to5, National Association of Working Women, National
Committee on Pay Equity, Women's Institute for Secure Retirement
7. PAID FAMILY LEAVE AND WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY
The United States is the only industrialized country that does not
provide workers with paid maternity leave. This, combined with other
discriminatory workplace policies, can make work-life balance nearly
impossible for women.
Solutions: Create more family-friendly workplace policies and expand
the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Obama's position: Obama strongly supports expanding the Family and
Medical Leave Act and wants states to adopt paid-leave systems. He has
proposed providing $1.5 billion in aid to states to assist in start-up
costs for instituting a paid-leave system.
McCain's position: McCain voted to pass the original Family and
Medical Leave Act in 1993. Since then, he has remained silent on the
issue.
Learn more: National Partnership for Women and Families, Moms Rising,
Progressive States Network
8. MINIMUM WAGE
Women disproportionately represent the number of people living in
poverty, both globally and domestically. Fifty-six percent of
Americans 18 or older living in poverty are women.
Solutions: Raising the minimum wage is a crucial step toward pulling
women out of poverty. Of the workers who would benefit from a raise in
the federal minimum wage, 59 percent are women.
Obama's position: Obama has voted for minimum wage increases. He is
also a co-sponsor of the Global Poverty Act, which aims to cut extreme
global poverty in half by 2015 -- an outcome that would greatly
benefit women.
McCain's position: McCain has voted both for and against minimum wage
increases. McCain did vote to increase the minimum wage in February
2007; however, historically, he has voted against minimum wage
increases.
Learn more: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Economic Policy
Institute, UNIFEM
9. GENDER-BASED HEALTH DISPARITIES
Heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, STDs and autoimmune diseases
are just a few of the health conditions that disproportionately affect
women. Disparities are even greater for low-income women and women of
color.
Solutions: Conduct more research on the biological links to health,
allocate more funding for research on women's health, and include more
women in medical studies.
Obama's position: Obama supports legislation to examine gender health
disparities and increase low-income women's access to health services.
He has been an advocate for the Centers of Excellence in Women's
Health at the Department of Health and Human Services.
McCain's position: McCain has been silent on this issue.
Learn more: Society for Women's Health Research, Women's Health
Research at Yale, Office of Research on Women's Health
10. TITLE IX
Title IX, the 1972 legislation that guarantees equal opportunities for
women and girls in federally funded sports and education programs, has
made significant strides toward achieving gender equity in the
classroom and on the playing field. But it still faces challenges and
sometimes goes unenforced when schools have trouble deciding how to
allocate money for sports facilities, events, etc. Women's teams still
often wind up with smaller budgets and have to fight harder to get
their fair share of budgetary resources.
Solutions: Increase resources for monitoring and enforcing compliance
of Title IX.
Obama's position: Obama is a strong advocate for Title IX. He has said
he will improve its enforcement (in sports and academia) at the
Department of Education. He also supports the High School Sports
Information Collection Act, which compels schools to make publicly
available information on gender equality in sports programs.
McCain's position: McCain's support of Title IX has been less clear.
While he has acknowledged Title IX's successes, he has also been quick
to say that its enforcement should not cause the elimination of any
existing athletic programs. Essentially, McCain thinks Title IX should
provide women and girls more opportunities -- as long as that doesn't
interfere with men's programs. His position, however sugarcoated,
would allow for women's programs to get short shrift.
Learn more: Feminist Majority Foundation, Association for Gender
Equity Leadership in Education
Gender
AlterNet. Posted October 14, 2008.
Find out how the candidates compare on the 10 most important
reproductive justice and gender issues, from abortion to equal pay.
In 1916, Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the
United States. Just 10 days later, the clinic closed and Sanger was
arrested. It took seven years of court battles before she was able to
open another clinic, 20 years before the United States stopped
classifying information about birth control as obscene, and another 36
years before the Supreme Court extended the right of privacy to
include the use of contraceptives outside of marriage. Today,
virtually every woman (98 percent) who has ever had sexual intercourse
has relied on some form of contraception. Yet that right, along with
so many other hard-fought gains (reproductive choice, equal pay for
equal work, gender equity in education), is under assault.
The list of setbacks is as depressing as it is long: A growing number
of pharmacists is refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, the
Department of Health and Human Services is trying covertly to redefine
contraception as abortion, Roe v. Wade is on the brink of being
reversed, equal pay for equal work has never been fully realized,
women's sports continue to be underfunded, domestic violence is
routinely ignored, and on and on.
At the same time, the past two years have seen big gains and historic
firsts for women in politics: Nancy Pelosi was sworn in as the first
female speaker of the house, Sen. Hillary Clinton came within a hair's
breadth of being the first female presidential nominee for a major
political party, and now the Republican Party carries a woman -- Gov.
Sarah Palin -- on its ticket for the first time. Unfortunately,
Palin's support of abstinence-only sex education programs and recent
troubling statements on forcing sexual assault victims to bear their
rapists' children raise serious questions about her views on
reproductive justice and gender.
Whether women's rights continue on their downward trajectory depends
in large part on the next president, and the differences between Sens.
Barack Obama and John McCain are not small. To help you determine
which candidate's positions most closely match your own, we've put
together an election guide, summarizing voting records and public
statements on a range of issues from equal pay to abortion.
1. REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE
Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that allowed
women the right to safe, legal abortion, is under threat of being
overturned. A 2007 Quinnipiac poll shows that 62 percent of Americans
support Roe. The legislation's fate is largely in the hands of the
next U.S. president, who will be in a position to nominate several new
Supreme Court justices, as six of the nine sitting justices will be
over 70 on Jan. 20, 2009. A restacking of the court could mean the end
of Roe.
Solutions: Electing a pro-choice, progressive president is the surest
safeguard against dismantling reproductive freedoms, including
abortion.
Obama's position: Obama supports a woman's right to choose and says he
would make preserving Roe a priority. Obama supports late-term
abortions when medically necessary and is open to receiving advice
from reproductive rights groups on legislation.
McCain's position: John McCain says he thinks Roe needs to be
overturned and would fight vigorously to make that happen. McCain
thinks abortion should be decided individually, state by state. He
then recommends that anti-choice grassroots groups build momentum and
dismantle abortion rights at the state level. It is also worth noting
that McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, also opposes abortion, even
in cases of rape and incest.
Learn more: RH Reality Check, NARAL Pro-Choice America, The Guttmacher
Institute
2. CONTRACEPTION
Birth control is basic health care. And education about and access to
affordable contraception is one of the surest ways to prevent
unintended pregnancies. Yet some forms of contraception have been
under assault, as the Department of Health and Human Services has been
working covertly to redefine contraception as abortion.
Solutions: Contraception should remain available to men and women
nationwide and should be covered by health insurance.
Obama's position: Barack Obama supports legislation that would expand
access to contraception, including emergency contraception. In 2007,
Obama introduced the Prevention First Act, which would also end
insurance company discrimination against contraception.
McCain's position: John McCain has either been unable or unwilling to
answer questions regarding contraception. When asked about his
position on contraceptive use in the United States, McCain said he
thinks he supports the president's policy. When asked if he thought it
was unfair that insurance companies will cover Viagra and not birth
control, he said -- after a long pause -- that he did not know enough
about it to give an informed answer. McCain has voted against
legislation that would ensure insurance coverage for birth control. He
also voted against legislation that would increase awareness about
emergency contraception.
Learn more: RH Reality Check, Planned Parenthood, Guttmacher Institute
3. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING
The ability of a woman to choose the number and spacing of her
children is fundamental to gender equality, women's health, and the
health of families, communities, economies (local, national and
international) and the environment. Publicly funded family planning
clinics, which provide women with the resources -- contraception,
health services, abortion counseling, etc. -- to do this are in
danger. While 89 percent of the voting public supports publicly
funding these services, Title X funds (which make a wide variety of
health care services available to lower-income families) have not kept
pace with medical inflation. As more and more individuals become
uninsured, these strapped-for-cash clinics are unable to meet that
rising demand and, in some cases, are closing.
Solutions: Fully fund family planning services and increase awareness
of them through comprehensive sex education.
Obama's position: Obama supports family planning services. The
Prevention First Act, legislation he introduced in 2007, would
increase funding for Title X to expand access to family planning
services for low-income women.
McCain's position: McCain has voted to end Title X, voted against
programs that would help prevent teen pregnancy and voted against
promoting family planning services.
Learn more: NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Family Planning and
Reproductive Health Association, United Nations Fund for Population
Activities (UNFPA)
4. SEX EDUCATION
Abstinence-only education has been a 10-year, $1.5 billion failed
federal project. Studies have shown that teens who attend schools with
abstinence-until-marriage programming are just as sexually active as
those who don't. But, in spite of all evidence against them, the Bush
administration has been a stalwart champion of these ideologically
motivated programs, which downplay the effectiveness of condoms and
other types of contraception, exaggerate and sometimes fabricate
health risks associated with abortion, hype medically inaccurate
information, reinforce damaging gender stereotypes and generally use
fear and shame in an attempt to control sexuality. Many states have
begun to turn down federal funding for chastity-based education, but
many others -- including those with some of the highest rates of STIs
and unintended pregnancies -- still support it.
Solutions: Federally fund comprehensive sexuality education in all
states to ensure that kids have access to medically accurate
information that helps them make emotionally and physically healthy
decisions about sex.
Obama's position: Obama strongly supports comprehensive sex education
and opposes abstinence-only education. He has called for comprehensive
sex education in all grades -- as long as it is age-appropriate. Obama
supports the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, which would
fund science-based sex education, and co-sponsored the Prevention
First Act -- legislation meant to increase access to contraception
services and information. He voted yes on an amendment to the Senate's
fiscal year 2006 budget that would put $100 million toward reducing
unintended and teen pregnancy through education and contraception.
McCain's position: McCain opposes comprehensive sex education. He
voted against legislation to allocate $100 million for preventing
unintended and teen pregnancy through education and contraception. He
has also voted no on legislation to fund programs that provide
comprehensive, medically accurate sex education and voted no on
legislation that would require abstinence-only programming to be
medically accurate and scientifically based.
Learn more: Coalition for Positive Sexuality, Planned Parenthood,
Guttmacher Institute, Sexuality Information and Education Council of
the United States (SIECUS), RH Reality Check
5. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Domestic violence is an ongoing problem in the United States. One in
four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. One in
six women has either been raped or experienced an attempted rape.
Besides its emotional and health tolls, domestic violence affects the
economy, with an estimated cost of $5.8 billion each year in medical
bills and lost productivity.
Solutions: Develop a national legislative agenda to address and help
prevent domestic violence and to identify the needs of its victims.
Obama's position: Barack Obama has supported legislation to reduce
domestic violence. He co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act,
which helps give nonprofit organizations and police the resources
needed to combat domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
McCain's position: McCain has been largely silent on this issue. He
did not vote on legislation that would increase funding for domestic
violence programs by $17 million. He has also opposed grant programs
for children who have witnessed domestic violence. McCain has also
made public jokes about wife-beating.
Learn more: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Amnesty
International USA, Women's Human Rights Program, Feminist Majority
Foundation
6. EQUAL PAY
Women make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, and the
Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C., estimates
that, if progress continues at its current rate, it will take until
2057 for the gender wage gap to close.
Solutions: Expand enforcement of the Equal Pay Act.
Obama's position: Obama is a strong advocate of gender pay equity. He
supports improving women's economic situations at every level, from
strengthening the Equal Pay Act to increasing investments in women-run
small businesses.
McCain's position: McCain has said publicly that he supports equal pay
for equal work, but his legislative record shows otherwise. McCain
opposed a recent Senate bill (the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act)
seeking equal pay for women. The bill would have made it easier for
women to sue their employers for pay discrimination.
Learn more: 9to5, National Association of Working Women, National
Committee on Pay Equity, Women's Institute for Secure Retirement
7. PAID FAMILY LEAVE AND WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY
The United States is the only industrialized country that does not
provide workers with paid maternity leave. This, combined with other
discriminatory workplace policies, can make work-life balance nearly
impossible for women.
Solutions: Create more family-friendly workplace policies and expand
the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Obama's position: Obama strongly supports expanding the Family and
Medical Leave Act and wants states to adopt paid-leave systems. He has
proposed providing $1.5 billion in aid to states to assist in start-up
costs for instituting a paid-leave system.
McCain's position: McCain voted to pass the original Family and
Medical Leave Act in 1993. Since then, he has remained silent on the
issue.
Learn more: National Partnership for Women and Families, Moms Rising,
Progressive States Network
8. MINIMUM WAGE
Women disproportionately represent the number of people living in
poverty, both globally and domestically. Fifty-six percent of
Americans 18 or older living in poverty are women.
Solutions: Raising the minimum wage is a crucial step toward pulling
women out of poverty. Of the workers who would benefit from a raise in
the federal minimum wage, 59 percent are women.
Obama's position: Obama has voted for minimum wage increases. He is
also a co-sponsor of the Global Poverty Act, which aims to cut extreme
global poverty in half by 2015 -- an outcome that would greatly
benefit women.
McCain's position: McCain has voted both for and against minimum wage
increases. McCain did vote to increase the minimum wage in February
2007; however, historically, he has voted against minimum wage
increases.
Learn more: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Economic Policy
Institute, UNIFEM
9. GENDER-BASED HEALTH DISPARITIES
Heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, STDs and autoimmune diseases
are just a few of the health conditions that disproportionately affect
women. Disparities are even greater for low-income women and women of
color.
Solutions: Conduct more research on the biological links to health,
allocate more funding for research on women's health, and include more
women in medical studies.
Obama's position: Obama supports legislation to examine gender health
disparities and increase low-income women's access to health services.
He has been an advocate for the Centers of Excellence in Women's
Health at the Department of Health and Human Services.
McCain's position: McCain has been silent on this issue.
Learn more: Society for Women's Health Research, Women's Health
Research at Yale, Office of Research on Women's Health
10. TITLE IX
Title IX, the 1972 legislation that guarantees equal opportunities for
women and girls in federally funded sports and education programs, has
made significant strides toward achieving gender equity in the
classroom and on the playing field. But it still faces challenges and
sometimes goes unenforced when schools have trouble deciding how to
allocate money for sports facilities, events, etc. Women's teams still
often wind up with smaller budgets and have to fight harder to get
their fair share of budgetary resources.
Solutions: Increase resources for monitoring and enforcing compliance
of Title IX.
Obama's position: Obama is a strong advocate for Title IX. He has said
he will improve its enforcement (in sports and academia) at the
Department of Education. He also supports the High School Sports
Information Collection Act, which compels schools to make publicly
available information on gender equality in sports programs.
McCain's position: McCain's support of Title IX has been less clear.
While he has acknowledged Title IX's successes, he has also been quick
to say that its enforcement should not cause the elimination of any
existing athletic programs. Essentially, McCain thinks Title IX should
provide women and girls more opportunities -- as long as that doesn't
interfere with men's programs. His position, however sugarcoated,
would allow for women's programs to get short shrift.
Learn more: Feminist Majority Foundation, Association for Gender
Equity Leadership in Education