Indiana first state to defund Planned Parenthood

A few weeks ago, I did a post discussing the importance of Planned Parenthood and the dangers of what it would mean if Planned Parenthood were to be defunded. As of Friday, Governor Mitch Daniels announced that he would soon be signing a bill that would take funding away from Planned Parenthood in Indiana.

If Planned Parenthood is forced to shut down, services for Women will greatly decline. For many women, Planned Parenthood is the only resource to get proper birth control. Not only does it provide services for women that have no other option, but it is also a great resource for sex education. Indiana will not be the only state defund Planned Parenthood, unfortunately. So, resources for women will be greatly decreased in the coming months.

Here's some more to throw at ya...

Men outnumber women 6 to 1 in top corporate jobs.

Even though the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, Women continue to make just 76 cents to a man's dollar, and this average decreases with each kid a woman has.

A few years ago, the UK did a study that showed that women who work outside of the home have better health than stay at home Moms.

Yeah. That's fact.

For the next few days, I will be posting some facts that are important to know. They are taken from Jessica Valenti's Full Frontal Feminism. READ IT for more information.

In recent years, Target and other mega-marts have sold padded bras that are geared towards size 6 and up. Apparently, 6-year-olds need to make themselves look like they've hit puberty.

Fewer than have of all rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police.

In 2005, the Supreme court ruled that employees can sue when businesses retaliate against them for making sexual harassment claims.

NOW

Feminists have taken great strides since the Women's suffrage movement started, but that doesn't mean men and women are equal yet. There are actually women out there working for organizations to help put justice to economic and social rights for women.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) has been working to get equal rights since 1966. NOW promotes and advocates for issues like Abortion and Reproductive rights, Lesbian Rights, Sex Discrimination, etc.

Check out NOW's website at http://www.now.org/

Stop it with the name calling already...

There are a lot of harsh names out there, and a heck of lot of them are degrading towards groups of people. We all hear people call other people "retarded" multiple times a day. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say, "that's so gay." And believe me, I know I'm preaching to the choir. The issue with calling things retarded and gay are brought up, probably not enough, but at least a decent amount. In recent years, a campaign called ThinkB4YouSpeak has been set up to call the issue to peoples attention. But it's not only members of the homosexual community or people with disabilities who are being harmed by name calling; it's women too.

Think about it. If a guy doesn't want to do something another guy, or girl for that matter, dares him to do, what is the usual response? "You're a wuss." "Quit being a girl" or "Bitch." And on the other side of things, how often are girls called sluts, whores, bitches, etc. All of these names whether it be bitch, slut, whore, girl mean the same thing: girl. The worst thing a guy can be called to ruin his ego is a girl and the worst thing a girl can be called is, well, a girl. How royally messed up is that? And it's not like guys are the only culprits! Women call each other whores and skanks possibly more often than guys call them that! And women often call guys bitches if they draw a line while showing off. It's ridiculous, but it's oh, so true.

This week, I'm going to talk a lot about societal issues that degrade women. Hello, media.

Can Men be Feminists?

Many women think that the word "feminism" should be a word only applicable to women. They think that in order for women to stand together to push for equality, men should not enter the equation. Feminists don't hate men, so why do so many think it's such a big deal that some men refer to themselves as feminists? Some say men should have nothing to do with feminism, and others say men should refer to themselves as "pro-feminists."

Here's my take on it all: Guys, call yourselves whatever the heck you want. I feel it is important that it is not only women seeing wrong in gender issues. Men in feminism, I feel, is pretty important to the movement. Other than wanting a word for yourself, why shouldn't a guy that is knowledgeable on women's issues call himself a feminist when a feminist is simply a person who strives to make right gender inequalities?

Any thoughts? Shout 'em out with a comment!

Let's talk about the ideal woman.

Women have been telling other women how to act for what seems like forever. Granted, it's not like anti-feminists and non-feminists are the only culprits. It doesn't seem to matter whether or not you think women should have the right to be individuals. There are just too many opinions on women. Thoughts on women's rights are always good, but it's time to address the issue that still lies at the heart of things: what should a woman be?

I don't necessarily have the same answer as everyone else, but I strongly believe that a woman should be and do what she likes. Back in the 1800s and early 1900s, a woman was supposed to be obedient and a servant to her hubby and kids. Feminists entered the situation, and women were supposed to be individuals: strong and independent. And now? There is still a huge mix of opinions.

Read about wave feminism on a different page, because here comes the reference. Second wave feminists, although in theory wanted to change the view of women, tend to simply want to shift what a woman should be like. It's like people think that there are only two options: all women should be homemakers, or all women should be independent. THERE IS AN IN-BETWEEN.

Here's my opinion: women should be what they want to be. If you are independent and driven, go ahead and ride the successful, business road. All the power to ya! If, however, you feel the need to take a break from work and be with your kids, that's your decision. Just because a Mom is a stay at home Mom doesn't mean she is defying all other members of her sex. But also, just because you are independent and successful, doesn't mean marriage and and having kids is bad. You can be both, you know?

Feminism shouldn't be about what a woman should be, it should be about what any woman could be.