Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is held annually on April 11-17 during National Minority Health Awareness Month to raise awareness about health disparities impacting racial and ethnic minorities and encourage action toward dismantling systems of oppression. 

 Researchers call the United States the most-dangerous developed country in which to give birth.  About 700 women die each year in the U.S. as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications.  One in three maternal deaths is preventable.  A National Institute of Health-funded study found that Black women are three times more likely to die than White women from a pregnancy-related cause.  Maternal death disparities were concentrated in postpartum cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) and preeclampsia and eclampsia.  The mortality rate for Black women was five times higher than White women in postpartum cardiomyopathy and preeclampsia and eclampsia.   College-educated Black women have over five times higher pregnancy-related mortality than white women of similar education

Since 2018, over 21,000 infants have died each year in their first year of life.  Black infants are two to three times more likely to die than White infants in their first year of life.  The leading causes of infant mortality are birth defects, preterm birth, injuries, sudden infant death syndrome, and pregnancy complications.  The amount of infant deaths is much higher if miscarriages are factored in.  For known pregnancies, 11-16% of pregnancies end in a spontaneous loss of the pregnancy before the 20th week.  Most miscarriages occur because the fetus is not developing as anticipated.

With such high numbers of miscarriages, infant deaths, and maternal deaths one might assume that these issues are well known among women.  However, many women report an unawareness of the issues and the available resources for grieving families. 

Losing a baby or spouse due to pregnancy or delivery complications is tragic.  For Black families, the pain of losing a loved one can be exacerbated by systemic racism, prejudices, implicit bias, microaggressions, and other forms of oppression.  

EDITORS NOTE:  Given the current attack on women’s reproductive rights, authorities have said more deaths of both Black and White women will occur.  What an unconscionable, cruel state of affairs.

Got your contact information handy?  We hope so because we have your first assignment for our "Protect Democracy Campaign".

Once we launched this blog a couple of days ago, there were already so many pressing issues taking place in Washington, we decided we must try to prioritize them.  This task in itself turned out to be a major one.  There are so many actions we would like to take place before Biden leaves the White House and the Democrats loose control of the Senate.  There is not enough time to accomplish all of them. but the following are two things we believe are of extreme importance.

ACTION #1:

The Equal Rights Amendment is the comprehensive, permanent tool we need to defend abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. President Biden and Congress have the power to publish it.

Vote4Equality, #Nancy Polosi, #“WOMEN ARE GOING TO WIN FOR OUR COUNTRY!!”

That’s the message Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered to Feminist Majority’s EqualiTEA gathering.  And there’s no question that dynamic is not just influencing the conversation—it is driving it.

The stakes have never been higher for women in America. The issues at play in this election at all levels of the ballot affect all women.  You see regardless of age every woman will be affected in some important way by the outcome of the 2024 elections.

And that’s why it’s so important that you and other loyal supporters understand why Feminist Majority’s Vote4Equality political action arm is so sharply focused on turning out young voters on key college campuses in key battleground and swing states.

The reason is simple:  A massive turnout of young voters will make the winning difference for each of no matter what our age.  Why?  Because young voters can provide the margin of victory assuring that defenders of reproductive rights, the ERA, LGBTQ+ rights and our other personal freedoms are elected or re-elected.

REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE.., How the 2024 Election Will Affect You

Let’s take a closer look at how and why women of different ages are engaging with the programs of the Feminist Majority and the range of reasons they give for the importance and urgency of supporting our Vote4Equality mobilization.

Women in Their 20s: For women in their 20s, the 2024 election is about laying the foundation for the future. This generation has grown up in a world where gender equality has been a prominent discussion, but where there are still significant gaps in representation, pay equity, and reproductive rights. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has brought the fight for reproductive freedom to their doorstep. For young women, many of whom are not yet thinking about starting a family, the right to make decisions about their own bodies is paramount.

Vice President Kamala Harris’s strong stance on abortion rights resonates with many young women who see their ability to control their own reproductive choices as central to their independence and future opportunities. Harris’s candidacy also represents the possibility of breaking barriers in leadership—a message that encourages young women to see themselves as future leaders. This generation is more politically engaged than ever before, with issues like climate change, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights also high on their list of priorities.

Women in Their 30s: For women in their 30s, the intersection of career, family, and personal rights is often at the forefront of their lives. This group is navigating the complexities of advancing in their careers or working two or more jobs to make ends meet, all the while often balancing raising young children. The 2024 election is critical for them, as it will directly impact the policies that shape workplace equality, parental leave, childcare support, and reproductive health.

Kamala Harris’s candidacy brings hope for policies that support working women and mothers. Her advocacy for reproductive rights, affordable childcare, and equal pay laws is particularly relevant to this age group, many of whom are juggling work and family responsibilities. At the same time, the rhetoric from the opposing ticket, particularly from J.D. Vance, about traditional family roles and the diminished societal value of childless women, underscores the gender divide in this election. For women in their 30s, this is a moment to stand up for their right to shape their own lives, free from outdated gender norms.

Women in Their 50s: Women in their 50s are often at a crossroads, balancing shifting priorities as they transition from the intense demands of work and family to new opportunities and challenges. Many in this group are caring for aging parents while also supporting their adult children. They are at a stage where health care, retirement security, and equal pay are critical concerns.

For these women, the 2024 election is a moment to ensure that the progress made on gender equality is not rolled back. The focus on reproductive rights remains crucial, especially as women in their 50s reflect on the struggles they’ve faced, and the battles younger generations are fighting today.

Kamala Harris’s candidacy offers the possibility of policies that continue to advance gender equality, invest in elder care, and ensure that health care and retirement benefits remain accessible and equitable. On the other hand, the opposing vision, which includes efforts to restrict women’s rights and reinforce traditional gender roles, feels like a direct threat to the progress they’ve spent decades working toward

Women 65 and Older:  For women 65 and older, the 2024 election is deeply personal. This generation has lived through the civil rights movement, the battles to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and secure legal abortion, and decades of political change. They have seen victories for women’s rights, but in the absence of placing the already-ratified ERA in the Constitution,  they’ve also witnessed the erosion of these hard-won gains.

Many in this age group are also concerned about the legacy they will leave behind for their daughters, granddaughters, and future generations.

Reproductive rights are again at the center of the debate, and many women in this group are fiercely protective of the progress they fought for in their younger years. Kamala Harris’s candidacy is seen as a continuation of the fight for gender equality, and her policies on health care, retirement security, and social justice resonate with their vision for a better future. For these women, the outcomes of the 2024 election are about ensuring that the progress they helped achieve is not undone by regressive policies that would turn back the clock on women’s rights.

A Call to Action Across Generations

No matter your age, the 2024 election is about the future of gender equality in America. Whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 50s, or over 65, your vote matters. And your help in advancing the critical work of our Vote4Equality mobilization is essential.

This election will determine the policies that affect your life—from reproductive rights to workplace equality to retirement security. It’s a pivotal moment for women across generations to come together and ensure that gender equality continues to advance.

As we head to the polls, we must ask ourselves: What kind of future do we want to build? For ourselves, for our daughters, for the generations yet to come? The answer to that question starts with doing the hard work of preparing our Campus Mobilization in the critical weeks ahead.

Let’s make the time ahead count.  Please help support these efforts today.

For Victory and Equality,

Eleanor Smeal, President, Feminist Majority Foundation     https://feminist.org/

Domestic violence calls about reproductive coercion doubled after the overturn of Roe

By Jennifer Gerson ,  Shefali Luthra

Those experiencing domestic violence are faced with a reality where an inability to receive reproductive care is also further endangering their lives, new data shows.

Reports of abuse involving reproductive coercion — actions that prevent someone from making crucial decisions about their body and reproductive health — nearly doubled in the yearlong period after Roe v. Wade was overturned, according to new data from the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH).

“If you cannot make these decisions, it could mean unfortunately that you have to stay in an abusive situation longer than you want to,” Marium Durrani, the vice president of public policy at the NDVH, told The 19th. “It could impact your escape, it could mean that potentially you’re forced to have a child with someone you don’t want to have a child with.” 

Durrani explained that reproductive coercion can take the form of any situation in which one partner is exerting power over another in a way that impacts their reproductive health: forcing someone to engage in sexual activity, refusing to use contraception, restricting a partner from seeing a health care provider, telling a partner they are not allowed to receive abortion care.

“A lot more people are now citing some sort of reproductive issue as part of their experience [with domestic abuse],” Durrani said. “Dobbs is having a huge impact on not only all individuals around the country, but survivors in particular.” 

The hotline reported that in the year before the Dobbs decision — from late June 2021 to the end of May 2022 — 1,230 of the people who contacted the hotline said they experienced reproductive coercion or mentioned abuse. The number of people saying so nearly doubled — to 2,442 — for the same period a year later.

With increased limitations on access to reproductive health care – and especially abortion care — in the 18 months since the Dobbs ruling, those experiencing domestic violence are facing a reality where an inability to receive this care is also further endangering their lives and safety. 

 READ THE FULL STORY

                           This story was originally published by The 19th.

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