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Why Women Should Vote (Overview)
Why Women Should Vote - To Keep Control Over Their Reproductive Lives and Health
Women’s right to privacy and to control decisions about the beginning of life and the end of life, without government interference, is critical to all Americans. Women should be able to decide to have a family if and when they’re ready. And yet:
The right to choose is in jeopardy
Roe v. Wade is in danger of being overturned because of new judges appointed to the Supreme Court, confirmed by a majority in the Senate
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, individual states could pass outright bans on abortion and the laws could be upheld by the courts. South Dakota already has passed a law prohibiting abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Another 12 states recently considered similar bans. Congress also could pass a nationwide ban
Birth control is also under attack.
Many abortion opponents also oppose contraception, even though access to birth control helps women avoid unwanted pregnancies and reduces the need for abortion.
Some members of Congress are pushing to limit access to family planning services, particularly for low-income women. Family planning programs are under-funded, yet close to $1 billion has been spent by the federal government since 1996 on programs that teach only about abstinence until marriage despite proof that they are not effective.
In the past year, 20 states considered 42 bills to allow pharmacists and/or pharmacies to refuse to dispense some forms of contraception prescribed by a doctor.
The FDA delayed for three years a decision to allow the sale of emergency contraception without a prescription, and then restricted it to women 18 and over. The age restriction contradicts the FDA’s own expert panel, which said it is safe without a prescription for all women. Also called the morning-after pill, this is a form of contraception that prevents pregnancy.
Legislation requiring insurance to cover birth control to the same extent as other prescriptions remains stalled in Congress.
If you think our leaders in Washington aren’t doing what they should to address the challenges you face in your life—REGISTER and VOTE! Remember, elections can be decided by just a handful of votes, so YOUR VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
To register to vote, get information on voting (your polling place, how to vote absentee, etc.), or learn about the candidates in your area, go to http://capwiz.com/nwlc/e4/ and enter your state or zip code.
The National Women’s Law Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has been working to advance and protect women’s legal rights since 1972. Women’s Voices. Women Vote is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to mobilize women to register to vote and to go to the polls on Election Day. Neither organization takes positions on candidates or elections, and nothing herein should be construed as an endorsement of any candidate or party.
