A New Wave

1920-2008: Women's Rights Then and Now

Imagine the thrill and the deep sense of satisfaction among women on August 26, 1920 when Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the legal right to vote and thus extending voting rights guaranteed to all "men" in the 15th Amendment.

By way of perspective, my maternal grandmother was 15 years old; my paternal grandmother was 30 years old; and my mother was 1-year old. My maternal grandmother, no doubt, danced in the streets or something equally exhilarating, since she was a feminist in every way that counted. She was my introduction to feminism and created a powerful image for me of what was possible: an independent woman who did what made her happy rather than what made her husband happy; a woman who frequently spoke truth to power, in spite of her 5-foot, 4-inch frame, and for whom nothing seemed impossible.

 

 

Happy 4th of July! - Part III

Ah, the Swedes. So insistent about little things - like freedom, privacy, civil liberties. So committed to ensuring that their civil liberties remain intact. Granted, Sweden is a lot smaller than the U.S. Still, the fact that a majority of Swedish citizens understand the threat posed by unwarranted eavesdropping/snooping and will take action about it is encouraging. We have a role model:

Happy 4th of July! - Part I

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, Sen. Patty Murray has introduced legislation to provide an array of health care services at VA hospitals/clinics, for female veterans:

The legislation, the Women Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008, seeks to prepare the VA for the unprecedented influx of female veterans who will access care there in the coming years. The legislation addresses many of the unique needs of female veterans by authorizing programs to improve care for Military Sexual Trauma (MST), increase research on the current barriers to care, and expand women veterans staff positions at the VA.

The bill was passed as part of S. 2969 – The Veterans' Health Care Authorization Act of 2008 -- a larger "omnibus" bill that incorporated a number of different veterans' health care measures.