It’s only Wednesday, and it’s already been a rough news week for women.
Several research studies were released about the acute health problems faced by poorer women:
According to Time, the abortion rate in the United States dropped for every group between 2000 and 2008 – except poorer women. The rate for these women actually increased by 18%. Why? The researchers blame the economy, suggesting that poorer women may not be able to afford family planning costs on a post-recession budget.
“That abortion is becoming increasingly concentrated among poor women suggests the need for better contraceptive access and family planning counseling. It certainly appears these women are being underserved,” said the study’s lead author Rachel K. Jones in a
statement.
The
Daily Mail reports that women in low-paid jobs are six times more likely to die of alcohol abuse than other women. This is despite the fact that wealthier women actually drink more than them. According to the report, poorer individuals also die younger than their richer counterparts, when it comes to alcohol abuse.
Then again, even wealthier women stand to suffer when it comes to their health. A group of Democratic Senators on the Hill today noted the Republican War on Women, and its toll on women’s health, as
Talking Points Memo noted: “If we end the health care bill, women will pay 30 percent more for insurance than men do,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). The health care bill makes it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate by gender.
Oh yeah, and women take more sick days than men in the office. This is true despite the fact that women are less likely to take them when they first feel sick and feel guiltier when they actually take sick leave. Why the paradox? More women are the primary caregivers for their children and may take a “sick” day if their children are under the weather. Thanks to the Telegraph on that one.
And we continue to be marginalized by the government:
Bloomberg reported that high-paying jobs were elusive for women in government. Even once you took away factors such as experience and education, women still earned less than men or didn’t make it to upper-tier jobs in the first place.‘‘Occupational differences can complicate recruitment and create glass walls — barriers to movement across organizations, functions, or occupations — within the
federal workforce, resulting in different opportunities for women and men, even if they are comparable in terms of education attainment, years of experience and performance,” according to the report.
And, oh right, our voices aren’t being heard in the budget negotiations, according to the
Huffington Post. Female leaders, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have been completely left out in the discussions held by Joe Biden. This was also the case in the negotiations in April. Since most budget cuts would affect women disproportionately, wouldn’t it make sense to include some at the table? Not if you’re trying to silence the opposition.
I can’t wait to see what happens on Thursday and Friday.
