Nicole Clark, MSW

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We’re in the second week of 2013, and during the first days of every year we evaluate what took place last year, and develop resolutions or goals for things we want to get, where we want to be, and experiences we want have. In doing this, we focus mostly on ourselves and how we want some aspect of our lives to change for the better.

And that’s totally great! But how are you raising your voice in 2013?

2012 was one of the worst (if not the worst) years in women’s health. While major wins such as the United States Supreme Court ruling the Affordable Care Act as constitutional and the birth control mandate beginning in August were exciting, 2012 had the second-highest number of abortion restrictions ever made at the state-level. Not only that, health disparities also continue to run rampant in low-income communities and communities of color, and the politicizing of women’s bodies shows no signs of slowing down.

While fighting for women and girls (especially women and girls of color) to have access to the services that can improve their health and lives can oftentimes feel discouraging, we shouldn’t feel undaunted. Let’s make 2013 the year where huge strides are made in sexual and reproductive health. Not only when it comes to reproductive justice, but for women and girls’ mental, spiritual, and emotional wellness. 

How do you want to raise your voice for women and girls’ health in 2013? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

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From sexual health, mental wellness, relationships, and everything in between, these are some of the news highlights that have happened this week:

UPDATE: Komen for the Cure apologizes and pledges to continue providing breast cancer screening funds to Planned Parenthood ! Read more here,  here   , here, and  here !

(But does this mean that the cut funding will be restored, or does Planned Parenthood have to wait for the next funding cycle? *confused*) What does their statement say (and doesn’t say)?

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, one of the leading foundations in breast cancer research and prevention, decided to cut financial ties with Planned Parenthood, putting a halt on funds that have been given to Planned Parenthood throughout the years in order to conduct breast cancer screenings for many women who cannot afford to see a private physician. This is a big deal, especially knowing that the one of the newly elected leaders of Komen for the Cure is an anti-abortion supporter, and top officials for Komen for the Cure resigning. Komen for the Cure states that it was due to funding streams going to Planned Parenthood, and not the fact that Planned Parenthood provides abortion services, that paved the way in making the defunding decision for the sake of all women  (and there’s more to it. Check out this infograph.)In the process, Komen for the Cure has been receiving a ton of backlash, from comments on Komen for the Cure’s YouTube channel, from all seven California affiliates of the Komen Foundation, to two dozen Senators calling on Komen to reverse the decision. If you’re upset, donate to Planned Parenthood instead (like New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has pledged to do), share how Planned Parenthood’s cancer screenings have helped you, sign this petition in support of Planned Parenthood, or support these other awesome organizations. Show support in any way you can (just don’t hack into the Komen for the Cure website). Perhaps the silver lining in all of this is that if you thought Planned Parenthood solely provided abortion services, you’ve now been proven wrong. 

The White House is launching the LBGT Conference Series. Pretty Cool.

This mom refuses to give consent for her daughter, who was raped, to get emergency contraception, and proceeds to boast about it.

How did I miss this?: A teacher who spoon-fed semen to students will be receiving his pension & benefits.

It’s 2012, and people are still fighting over birth control, and whether it should still be legal. The United States still has one of the highest unplanned pregnancy rates in the world. It’s an issue that matters to all women. That is a fact.

Are you sick of the lack of brown bras in the lingerie section? Tired of the color “nude” not matching your skin tone? Read more about psychologist Tara Raines are her “What’s Your Nude?” campaign.

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Several years back, I co-facilitated a workshop called “Keepin’ It Real Around the Kitchen Table: Sparking the Discussion About Sex Between Teens and Families”. I’ve facilitated this workshop on and off throughout the years, and while the audience dynamic changes every time I facilitate this workshop, one thing remains the same: 1) Adults feel that young people don’t listen to them, and 2) young people feel that adults don’t listen to them either. 

As a subject matter, sexuality requires consistent discussion tailored around the young person’s developmental level. A young person’s family can be a resource that is often underutilized and underdeveloped as an avenue for intervention. In general, when trust and mutual understanding are at the forefront, young people are more likely to talk with their parents, guardians, older siblings, and other trusted adults, and in turn it builds the confidence necessary to discuss more serious subject matters. When these elements are missing, it’s easy for young adults to get involved in activities that can put their health at risk. 

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From sexual health, mental wellness, relationships, and everything in between, these are some of the news highlights that have happened this week:

The Governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour is expressing concerns over the ambiguity of the Mississippi Initiative 26 (aka the Personhood Amendment), that has the potential to ban abortion, fertility treatments, AND birth control in Mississippi. (and while you’re at it, spread the world to your contacts in Mississippi and tell them to vote NO on Initiative 26)!

Between these crappy anti-abortion billboards and new public speakers, it’s becoming more clear that the next wave of the anti-choice war is to recruit men to talk their partners out of abortions.

What does an innocent virgin look like? Wanna take a guess at the color?

#NotFunnyFacebook: Demand that Facebook remove pages that promote sexual violence. Sign the petition! 

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This weekend, I attended the Congressional Black Caucus’ 41st Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) where I spoke on a panel about African American women and reproductive healthcare and rights. I was recommended by Advocates for Youth , and invited by Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). This panel, sponsored by PPFA, was the first of its kind at this ALC as no panel about reproductive health has been presented before. I’m excited to have been a part of it, and even more excited that it was a packed room filled with congressional members, constituents, and students who were interested in what this panel had to say.

I was charged to speak on young women and reproductive health activism. I was on a panel with esteemed individuals such as Loretta Ross (National Coordinator of SisterSong ), Dr. Vanessa Cullins (Vice President for Medical Affairs for PPFA), Rev. Alethea Smith-Withers (Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice), and Jill Morrison (National Women’s Law Center). The panel was moderated by comedienne Aisha Tyler and actress Gabrielle Union, both whom are active spokeswomen for PPFA (and Aisha is on their board of directors). It was awesome see so many African American women and men in the room who care about this issue, and even more awesome that Planned Parenthood is devoting time and attention to hearing the voices of the African American community through their African Americans for Planned Parenthood Initiative (and there’s also a Latinos for Planned Parenthood Initiative). It’s always great to see African Americans galvanizing around Planned Parenthood, especially women. The men who were in the room, for the most part, were receptive (except for these two African American men who were planted (so to speak) in the audience to bring negative attention to Planned Parenthood and the “genocide” of African American babies (…and that’s another blog post entirely).

This is a portion of what I told the audience during the panel. I didn’t come with statistics or data, but I did come with an agenda: to help more adults hear the voices of the young African American women and girls whom I have worked with and worked alongside in the past several years. Oftentimes, we adults tend to bring in our own agendas on what we feel young women want. We create these programs and initiatives that we feel “speak” to young women, but all they do is demean them, trivialize their voices, and use entirely too many slang words that are just embarrassing. While it would have been better to have a younger person on this panel to really get to the essence of what young women of color really want, I feel honored to do what I could to make the adults in the room hear them. This is what young women of color really want:

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