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Women's Rights


The mission of our Women's Rights Committee is to:


  • Support equal opportunity, equal pay for equal work and all equal rights for women.
  • Actively support pro-choice policies and reproductive freedom.


For more information, contact the team's chair, Zain Remy (zain.remy@gmail.com) for information.

 

NEWS

MEDICATION ABORTION MAY BE BANNED NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING FLORIDA, AS EARLY AS THE END OF THE MONTH

 A lawsuit filed in Texas by the Alliance Defending Freedom threatens to dismantle the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, one of the two medications used for medication abortion. If successful, it would effectively ban medication abortion nationwide as early as the end of February, and severely impact abortion access. In Florida and across the country, more than 50% of abortions are via medication. 


It claims that the FDA dangerously fast-tracked the approval of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortion, in 2000. Although the arguments in the lawsuit are extremely weak, Alliance Defending Freedom intentionally filed in Amarillo, Texas, because suits filed there have a 100% chance of drawing Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a far-right Trump appointee. A ruling could happen any time after February 24, when the last brief is due.


Medication abortion is extremely safe and effective, and has been in use in Europe since the 1980s. When used together, mifepristone and misoprostol are more than 95% effective and safer than Tylenol. The FDA currently approves its use up until 10 weeks of pregnancy, and the World Health Organization says mifepristone can be safely used until 12 weeks.

https://msmagazine.com/2023/02/06/fda-abortion-pills/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-15/what-to-use-instead-of-the-abortion-pill-few-options-without-fda-approved-pill

 

TEENS ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL REQUIRES PARENTAL CONSENT

Using guise of protecting children and parental rights, conservative groups again picking their favorite judge, teens in Texas can no longer obtain contraception at federally funded clinics without parental consent. Depriving teens of the rights is a routine first step these groups use as they take incremental steps toward normalizing their goal. It took them 50 years to overturn Roe, but they are patient.

 

The same judge mentioned above, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, recently ruled that Title X, a program that has long provided free, confidential contraception to anyone, regardless of age, income or immigration status cannot give teens contraception with parental consent because it violates Texas law and parents’ rights.

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/01/03/title-x-federal-court-ruling-birth-control/

 

 UNECESSARY SUFFERING FOR A FLORIDA WOMAN WHOSE FETUS HAS A FATAL ANOMOLY

 These individual stories too often get lost because the focus has been diverted to the pregnancy, when the real target of abortion and birth control restrictions is women’s bodily autonomy.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/02/18/florida-abortion-ban-unviable-pregnancy-potter-syndrome/

 

THE NEXT FLORIDA ABORTION LEGISLATION?

 The Florida Legislature starts its 60 day session on March 7, leading many to wonder whether, and what kind of abortion bills might be introduced. Nothing has been filed so far. In this article, Speaker of the House Renner seems to indicate that it’s not whether, but what, bill to introduce.

 https://www.wptv.com/news/state/florida-house-republicans-wont-rule-out-new-abortion-bill-this-legislative-session

 

Reproductive Rights: Learn about the current challenges to abortion clinics

A conversation with Eileen Diamond, Director of the Michael Benjamin Center, a Broward County abortion clinic, was featured at  LWV Broward’s Women’s Rights & Reproductive Freedom Committee’s February, 2023, meeting. 


Diamond reported that the number of women needing abortions has gone up in the last three months. An increasing number of women, 50 percent, now opt for medical abortion using pills, a two step process. The Center offers support as needed during the process because the bleeding, although normal, can be very heavy. 

 

Diamond discussed the challenges the center faces in being able to provide service and emotional support to patients under ever-increasing state restrictions. She praised the Broward Women’s Emergency Fund for its invaluable financial support to patients unable to afford either the center’s services or travel and lodging expenses for out-of-state patients. 


Donations to BWEF can be made here: https://bwefund.networkforgood.com/   

Watch the conversation here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmskLXn5JsU

 


ATTENTION: Floridians for Reproductive Freedom [FRF], a LWVFL partner, is looking to expand their Contraceptive Access Committee.  Anyone interested in supporting this endeavor,  join the Zoom meetings on the 3rd Monday of every month at 2.00 p.m.  You could bring added support to the action [they're still working on getting Publix off their fence and moving EC onto the shelf], and you may be able to offer new information, new ideas for expanding avenues of sharing this information.  Please share this information on your websites and other social media venues:

Women's Reproductive Health in Florida


The League of Women Voters of Florida supports every woman’s right to access affordable, high-quality reproductive health care, including access to abortion services and birth control. Public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right to privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.


The League of Women Voters of Florida supports treating reproductive rights — including access to abortion — as a healthcare issue decidable by a woman and her qualified healthcare provider.


Through comprehensive sex education in schools, we can help to prevent unintended pregnancy. With increased access to publicly-funded family planning services and information on sexually transmitted diseases and birth control, Florida can decrease unintended pregnancies and other healthcare issues.


The League of Women Voters of Florida collaborates with 50+ organizations in the Floridians for Reproductive Freedom (FRF) coalition in opposition to current or proposed restrictions on birth control and or abortion. https://floridareprofreedom.org/


Key issues:


  • Provide women with information on the full range of reproductive healthcare
  • Support of legislation that advances reproductive rights and comprehensive sex education
  • Oppose legislation that puts restrictions on healthcare options for women.
  • Initiate a campaign to write Letters-to-the-Editor in support of reproductive rights.
  • Raise awareness of the impact on reproductive rights in Supreme Court cases, Nominations to State and Federal Courts and how Crisis Pregnancy Centers are funded