Securing Women's Rights: Reproductive Freedom, Healthcare, Equal Pay, and Freedom from Violence

By John A. Rinaldi

A woman's right to choose must be protected. Further, we must provide quality health care, equal pay, and a freedom from violence--in the work place and in the home.

We live in the most extraordinary country in the world. And that which distinguishes our nation from others is our continued commitment to protecting the freedoms of its citizens.

Our nation is at a critical juncture on women's issues. This President has appointed two conservative justices to the Supreme Court and the slim Republican majority has managed to boil down women's issues to the issue of choice.

As Democrats, we have a better vision for our nation. We are the Big Tent Party, and we must not allow ourselves to be divided on issues of freedom. We must not allow the Republicans to define women's issues in such a singular way.

I believe we must protect a woman's right to choose. I believe a woman should have control over her own body and I will always support a woman's right to choose. We must ensure that reproductive freedom is protected. A recent article entitled "Life After Roe," exploring what society's reaction to Roe v. Wade being overturned would be would never have been considered 10 years ago.

I believe we must ensure equal pay for equal work. As part of President Kennedy's New Frontier agenda-and later carried on by President Johnson's Great Society programs-The Equal Pay Act of 1963 codified the protections of women's compensation in the workplace. Today, perhaps more than ever, as we have more women as the primary care giver and income, we must make sure that the Frontier that President Kennedy put forth is honored. We must make sure that our country's mothers, daughters, sisters, and spouses are honored in this fundamental way.

I believe we must ensure freedom from violence. In a recent study, 62% of women on college campuses reported having experienced some form of sexual harassment, and nearly a third of those included physical abuse. One in six women will experience rape. Stopping this violence is not just a woman's issue-it's a community issue. Physical, psychological, and sexual violence against women, both public and private, are obstacles in achieving equality. We have an obligation as a government to protect this fundamental human right of freedom from violence: a safe work environment, a safe walk from the office to the car, and a safe home after a long day's work.

I believe we must provide healthcare that meets the needs of all women. Recently, a friend of mine indicated she felt a lump in her breast. She is in the medical profession, and knew she needed to have a mammogram. Unfortunately, her HMO only allows one every 2 years, and she had just had one 12 months ago. After six months of fighting her HMO, she finally just called in a favor. Sure enough, she had breast cancer. Concerns in healthcare is more than just gender disparity. There is a growing disparity along ethnic lines. African-American women receive poorer quality general healthcare than whites by more than 53%. Latinas have poorer access to general healthcare by 87%. For services unique to women, such as reproductive services, African-Americans and Latinas, both receive poorer quality care for 75% of the services.

As a nation, we must come together to protect issues that face women today. All issues. All women. All communities.

Your friend, John