Help Send NV Feminists to Washington DC!

Guest post from Marysa Falk, member of FMF's affiliate group at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Growing up in rural Nevada, with an encouraging mother and an inspiring brother, I always knew I would graduate high school, go to college and have a successful career. To me, the sky was the limit and nothing could hold me back.

It wasn’t until I made it to college where my social and political beliefs changed drastically. I changed my party affiliation from Republican to Democrat when I realized there was a lot more to the American story than what I saw in my small hometown fueled by the mining industry. The more education I received, the more I realized the injustice that exists in America today.

A few weeks into my Women and Politics course in spring 2010, everything finally clicked. It was at that exact moment I realized I’ve always been a feminist; I just needed to accept the word and say it proudly. My passion for women’s rights extends beyond what words can say but I find myself particularly drawn to the lack of female representation in our government and the gender wage gap.

Today, my feminism is a quality I proudly let define me in every way. My friendships with women have grown stronger and more dedicated. My relationships with men have become more equal; I figured out how to be independent and compassionate.

I stumbled upon a link for the National Young Feminist Leadership Conference several months back. I promptly posted a link to my Facebook page calling it a “pipe dream” to attend. I live in Reno, Nevada and the conference is in Washington D.C., an expensive venture for a soon to be college graduate. Two other women, Jazzmine and Misha, with whom I share classes in the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada and a feminist connection, also felt the desire to attend. Ashley, a local Planned Parenthood volunteer and pre-school teacher also signed up.

We know we have to attend the conference and to make it a reality we have to fundraise. We have planned events on campus, requested money from the student government and solicited funding from local politicians and businesses that share our vision. We also formed this website, to spread our message to our family, friends and network of strangers across the world. We want to tell everyone that attending this conference is an educational, networking, career-inspiring dream come true.

As a group, we define feminism as the belief that women deserve social, political and economic equality. We fight for equal pay, more representation in government and business, reproductive rights, medically accurate and age appropriate sex education in our public schools, gay and lesbian rights, affordable, accessible health care and birth control and much more.

This conference will continue to educate us on how to be effective leaders in our careers and community and give us the necessary tools to progress this movement.

Should you feel the desire to assist in our cause we sincerely appreciate your generous support and donation. Thank you.

Life at Conception Act Introduced in the Senate

News update from feminist.org newswire:

Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Life at Conception Act in the Senate yesterday that would establish that human life begins at the moment of conception. If passed, the bill would extend equal protection under 14th article of amendment of the Constitution to unborn fetuses and would reverse Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the US.

At the March for Life, held Monday at the National Mall, Senator Wicker pledged to overturn Roe v. Wade and stated, "We believe Roe v. Wade has led to a three-and-a-half decades-long holocaust in the United States of America."

Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, criticized the bill stating, "This is the latest example of hypocrisy from politicians who said they want less government in our lives yet propose bills like this one that would open the door to more political interference in our personal, private decisions. If this bill resembles past versions, it would ban abortion - even in cases of rape or incest and threatens to outlaw birth control."

How to take your V-Day Events Further

As many of you know February means V-Day! And no, we’re not talking about Valentine’s Day. V-Day is an organization that seeks to raise awareness about violence against women and girls as well as raise money for local beneficiaries that are working to end violence. Many student groups put on “The Vagina Monologues” or host other film screenings to raise money for their local domestic violence and rape crisis centers.

We think it’s amazing to raise awareness about violence against women and sexual assault on campus, and we are here to offer ways to take your V-Day events further. When planning events, think of ways you can change policies on campus to make it safer for the students.

Here are some questions to think about:

• How safe is your campus? Is there sufficient lighting?
• Are there emergency blue light towers on campus? Blue lights towers have emergency buttons that will connect you to 911 dispatch.
• Is there a free 24-hour student escort service?
• Does your college provide counseling services for survivors? Does your school have at least one full time staff person that works exclusively on sexual violence and education?
• Is emergency contraception available for rape survivors in school health centers?

If there is something missing on campus, fight for change! Demand more preventative measures and better response systems on campus!

Next, do you know about your sexual assault policy on campus? Is it adequate? Check out the Students Active for Ending Rape (SAFER) website for “What Makes a Better Sexual Assault Policy”

Things to look for are: student input, accessibility, due process, fairness, clear language, oversight, prevention and education, crisis intervention, accessible and accurate reporting, amnesty, long term counseling, community involvement, and sexual assault response training. Some good examples of comprehensive sexual assault policies are: The College of Holy Cross, Spelman College, Lehigh University, and University of Michigan.

If your sexual assault policy doesn’t make the cut, make sure you take action to change it! Set up meetings with the administration to discuss how to make the SA policies on campus more comprehensive.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/samjnewman

This Is What an Organizer Looks Like!

The 2010-11 school has brought some big changes to FMF’s Campus Team, and this January has brought the FMF three new organizers on the East Coast. In September, the West Coast welcomed Myra Duran just a few weeks before I started in the East Coast office. And now, I'm pleased to introduce the latest additions to our team:



Laura Kacere
Laura graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with degrees in Women’s Studies and Anthropology. She was an active member of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance there, serving as president and leading the group in projects related to women and war, the feminization of poverty, women in prison, and exposing fake reproductive health clinics. She has worked for women’s organizations throughout Iowa, including the Women’s Resource and Action Center, Rape Victim Advocacy Program, and the Emma Goldman Women’s Health Clinic. Before joining the FMF, Laura was a service member with AmeriCorps leading support groups for women in prison, as well as providing resources and support for those recently released.

Laura organizes campuses in the Midwest region and can be reached by e-mail at lkacere@feminist.org.


Sarah Shanks
Sarah Shanks graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in December 2010 with a BS in Marketing as well as a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. She was also a member a Triota, the Women's and Gender Studies honor society. At UNCC Sarah headed the Feminist Union for 3 years, a FMLA affiliate. She became an intern for Feminist Majority Foundation through the Campus Choices Leadership Program in Charlotte to deal with the increasing harassment at local abortion clinics. Her group worked on the Adopt-a-Clinic campaign, and are very involved with clinic defense. She has also volunteered as a mentor for college freshman in a feminist learning community.

Sarah organizes campuses in the Southern region and can be reached by e-mail at sshanks@feminist.org.


Francesca Witcher
Francesca graduated from Miami University in 2010 with a B.A. in Journalism, Black World Studies, with a minor in Political Science. She worked as an Ambassador for the Miami University Women's Center. While there she was a writer and editor of the semester newsletter titled The Femellectual, planned and coordinated the annual Women of Color Celebration, and organized events around issues concerning domestic violence, body image, and women of color on Miami's campus. In addition, she served in other campus activist organizations such as the Miami University's National Association for the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) as the Membership Chair, where she played an active role in organizing and recruiting students for membership with the chapter.

Francesca organizes campuses in the Mid-Atlantic region & Historically Black Colleges and Universities and can be reached by e-mail at fwitcher@feminist.org.

To learn more about what the Feminist Campus Team can do to help you as community activists and leaders, visit us at feministcampus.org or e-mail at campusteam@feminist.org.

A Step Closer to Regulating CPCs

At the end of last week, two bills were introduced to Washington State Legislature. These bills (Limited Service Pregnancy Center Accountability Act (SB 5274/HB 1366) both aim at regulating Crisis Pregnancy Centers/ Limited Service Pregnancy Centers throughout Washington. This is such an important step because Washington would be the first to have a state-wide ordinance that places several necessary regulations on these deceptive centers. Other cities, such as Austin, TX and Baltimore, MD, have put similar bills into effect but if Washington too passes these bills then hopefully similar legislation will garner more support--because regulating CPC's is way overdue.

CPC's need to be regulated because they go under the guise of a comprehensive women's health center as well as advertising under abortion and family planning services. This deception generally is aimed toward targeting minority women with no health care and very limited options for dealing with an unexpected or undesired pregnancy.

The Washington State bills propose that CPC's disclose that they do not provide abortions, comprehensive birth control, or referrals to other organizations. They would have to list this information on their website, at their main entry, and inside the building of the CPC. Also, they would have to verbally mention this information to anybody seeking their services whether it be in person, through the phone, or via email. With this legislation, Crisis Pregnancy Centers would not be able to disclose any health care information to another person or organization without written approval from the person receiving CPC services. Since CPC's have been known for withholding pregnancy test results until it is too late for an abortion to be preformed, Washington's bill is proposing that CPC's provide the results--written and in both English and the recipient's primary language--as soon as they are available.

As far as a federal legislation, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) has proposed the "Stop Deceptive Advertising in Women's Service Act" (SDAWS) which would put similar restrictions and rules on clinics who advertise under services they do not provide. So far, SDAWS has faced several petition to stop the act from going any further and has 11 cosponsers in the House.

We are very excited about this proposed legislation and we'll keep you updated on it's progress!

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/arimoore

One Year Later: The women of Haiti Cherie & an American feminist

For a while there it seemed as if most of the world had forgotten about Haiti (again). This week, by all indications from the news media, the ongoing tragedy has not been completely forgotten. Unfortunately, I can't help but feel discouraged when nearly half of the people I speak to about Haiti are sure that it was a hurricane that occurred last January (?!) or believe that Haiti is an island near Africa.

Immediately following the January 12 earthquake I began searching for volunteer opportunities, but quickly found that without a medical or emergency response background, few organizations were interested in taking advantage of my willingness to help. In May, however, I was finally invited to join an amazing group of nurses and doctors to volunteer at a medical clinic run by the organization Raising Haiti. In total, I have traveled to Haiti 3 times, working twice in a general medical clinic and once in a cholera treatment center. I return in 15 days (but who's counting).

There have been so many issues complicating the situation in Haiti this past year, but given my background as a passionate feminist and advocate for women's health & rights, I can't overlook how these circumstances will always disproportionately effect the women of Haiti. Women head nearly half of all households in Haiti, and face a constant threat of gender based violence (GBV).

Prior to chaos of 2010:

• An estimated 72% of girls have been raped
• 40% of women suffer from domestic violence.
• Contraceptive use is reported at a dismal 13.2% (including condoms)
• Pregnancy rates among school-age girls is approximately 3% - compare that to the US, which has the highest teen pregnancy rate of industrialized nations at 0.07%
• Abortion is illegal in Haiti - which leads many women to abandon education, enter into unsafe relationships, or seek risky illegal abortions
• Maternal mortality rates remain high, estimated at about 0.006% (compared to the US's relatively high rate of 0.00008%)
• Only approx. 26% of births in Haiti are assisted by a skilled birthing attendant

And this is all prior to the chaos which followed the earthquake which claimed the lives of over 300,000 people, and lead to increased civil unrest as well as a cholera epidemic whose death toll is approximated to be 2-4 times worse than the official reports of 3700.

But the Haitian people are warm, grateful and funny. They persevere in the face of insurmountable odds and great obstacles, always seeking to do what is best for their families, their community and their country. Every Haitian, whether living in Haiti or building a life in the expansive Haitian diaspora, knows the greatness which lies beneath the surface in Haiti. I've fallen in love in Haiti, in so many ways.

From a Campus Organizer who assisted in a impromptu pharmacy and monitored cholera patients:
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little" - Edmund Burke
[A quote which can be found on the legendary table of the MMRC HQ in Port-au-Prince.]

For more information on the women of Haiti:
We Advance: NGO in Haiti focusing on GBV and women's health
Kay Fanm: "House of Women" Haitian non-profit focusing on health & GBV in Haiti
Ms. Magazine: Please also check related posts for information on rape & GBV. Additionally the Winter 2011 issue of Ms. has a story dedicated to the women of Haiti.
UNFPA: UN Population Fund work on GBV and maternal health

Sources & information

Will the New Year Bring New Changes?

Happy New Year ya'll!

2010 was a whirlwind of ups and downs! Downs that included the constant attack on reproductive rights, especially abortion, the failure to pass the DREAM Act and the increase in teen suicides amongst LGBTQ youth. With Arizona leading the way on passing the most unequivocally racist pieces of legislation of 2010 with the passage of Arizona’s “Show me Your Papers” law (SB 1070), and the total ban of Ethnic Studies—it makes it hard to recognize and revel in the ups 2010 brought. As dreary and dark as 2010 can be remembered to some, there were still some slight wins in our favor. The passage of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ended the long history of discrimination against LGBT military members; as well as the pleasant surprise of mainstream television network MTV airing a special called No Easy Decision that handled the topic of abortion and included medically accurate information about the procedure and the honest discussion about the basics and barriers some women face in accessing it, especially young women.

Hopefully 2011 will reap better days than 2010, but it is hard to say or assume anything with the recent midterm elections shifting the majority in the U.S. House to Republican control for the upcoming years. Now is the best time to get involved in your community and your campus by speaking up, organizing, mobilizing, and being heard on the issues that we cannot compromise!

Some key dates to remember that are an organizer’s dream:

January 22nd: 38th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade
February:
Black History Month & National Condom Month
March:
Women’s History Month
3/8: International Women’s Day
3/10: Abortion Provider Appreciation Day
3/12-14: 7th Annual National Young Feminist Leadership Conference in Washington DC
3/24: Back Up Your Birth Control Day
April:
Sexual Assault Awareness Month & National STI Awareness Month
3/28-4/1: “Don’t be Fooled by Fake Clinics” Week of Action
4/12: Equal Pay Day
4/15: LGBTQ National Day of Silence
4/22: Earth Day & Denim Day
May:
National Women’s Health Care Month
5/1: May Day
5/17: International Day Against Homophobia
June:
Pride Month

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s make an impact early this year and make 2011 a year full of “ups”!

photo courtesy of: Mark_66it on Flikr

30 Hoops

This post is part of the National Women's Law Center blog carnival: Rally for Girls' Sports Day 2010.

It’s safe to say I would not be who I am today without basketball. I’ve told this story a hundred times, but I’ll say it again: I’ll never forget the day when I – a completely insecure and overgrown 3^rd grader – was asked to play basketball at recess with the 6^th graders. It wasn’t out of the kindness of their hearts, it was pure logistics. I was taller than most of them, and they needed six people to play 3-on-3.

From that time forward it was part of my identity. Basketball was my saving grace. It gave purpose to my age-inappropriate height and weight. On the court, I was valuable, powerful, unique, strong. Funny thing is, I wasn’t particularly talented. But I worked really hard, and had this major physical advantage, which made me fairly successful through middle & high school.

In addition to all of this, I was in the middle of four children in my family. My success in basketball gave me the attention I craved at home as well. All of them were talented musicians, and although I wish I had stuck it out in high school band, it wasn’t really my thing.

Every young girl, especially in this country, suffers greatly while developing her own relationship to her body. Knowing that there were people like my teammates and coaches who put stock in having a nearly-6-foot-tall 13-year-old in their camp helped me stand up straight – literally. I constantly see young women who display their insecurity through slouching, trying to bring themselves down to a “normal” height. I stood up straight, had a great group of friends, and am exceedingly proud to this day that I was a student-athlete.

Just imagine if we could find one thing for every 10-year-old girl that made her feel valuable, powerful, unique, and strong. The world would be a different place.

Guest Post: Building an International Youth Movement for Sex, Rights and Climate Change Solutions in Cancún

Today's guest post comes from Cassie Gardner, a Public Health Student at UCLA, and a previous National Youth Organizer with the Sierra Club. Here she writes about her experience at the International Climate Change Conference in Cancun this past week.

Two weeks ago when I bought my flight to attend the International Climate Change Conference in Cancún Mexico (COP 16), my classmates at my UCLA Masters in Public Health Program thought I was crazy. They knew that I’d worked for nearly four years as a Sierra Club Global Population and Environment Program National Youth Organizer, to advance global women's rights, reproductive health and sustainable development solutions. But what did that have to do with reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing communities’ resilience to the economic, health and environmental impacts of climate change around the world?

For the past two years I’ve

worked with friends and colleagues to help design a collaborative policy statement for COP 15 in Copenhagen and COP 16 in Cancún, “Global Youth Support Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights as Just and Equitable Climate Change Solutions.” Co-sponsored by twelve youth leadership, population and reproductive health, and environmental organizations like Advocates for Youth, Population Action International and Sierra Club, this statement makes the case that investing in women's voices and choices-- especially young women in developing countries who are often most vulnera

ble to climate change impacts, having to cope with drought, flooding, disasters and disease-- will help to build more healthy, resilient communities to climate change impacts. Sexual and reproductive health solutions that are also climate change solutions include but are not limited to educating girls and boys, empowering women, ensuring access to comprehensive sexuality education, meeting the demand for voluntary family planning, and strengthening communities’ resilience to climate change impacts—thus empowering people to choose healthy families and a healthy planet.

Over the summer I volunteered for two months with a Youth Leadership in Sexual and Reproductive Health Program in Quintana Roo, Mexico, GoJoven, run by International Health Programs of the Public Health Institute. Working with youth leaders in the environmental, reproductive health, media, NGO and political fields, we strategized their involvement in the International Climate Change Conference (COP 16) from November 29th-December 10th in Cancún, Mexico. In the end we accredited six GoJoven youth leaders to officially attend the conference and more than ten to attend and speak at unofficial side-events like the Conference of Youth and Kilmaforum. While in Cancún, we also attended a PAI-run workshop on “Strengthening the Linkages between Population, Reproductive Health, Gender and Climate Change Resilience” along with youth and adult leaders from the Philippines, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Nepal. There, we shared ideas and created action plans involving public education, online networking, and social media to take this movement forward leading up to the COP 17 in South Africa next year.

Although I’m a busy graduate student, I’m honored and thrilled to work in collaboration with friends and fellow activist leaders from around the world on global justice, human rights and sustainability issues that I’m passionate about. Now it’s time to return to Los Angeles for my final exams, and to somehow find time for much-needed research, public education and continued coalition-building over the coming year to strengthen these linkages. Ideally by next year we will have built more awareness and identified new leaders for these issues, to have an even greater turn-out for COP 17 in South Africa!

Stop Campus Racism and Pass the DREAM Act

Earlier this week there were a few changes made to the DREAM Act bill, which included increasing the years of temporary status from 6 to 10, barring DREAMers from health care subsidies, decreasing the age cap from 35 to 30 and removing the section that would punish states for offering in-state tuition. After Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) delayed the bill because of Republicans pledge to block it, it is expected that the DREAM Act will be voted on by the House and Senate sometime next week.

Although the DREAM Act is close to receiving its vote, many people are still uneducated on what the bill will actual do and why it is beneficial (it will reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over the next 10 years) Because they are unaware, people continue to criticize and stereotype those involved with the DREAM Act and AB540.

Recently I was browsing my campus newspaper, the Santa Monica College Corsair, when I came across an illustration that was published in the Opinion section. The pencil drawing was titled "The Dream Act" (seen above) and included two students who were portrayed as average American students looking at a blatantly Mexican student who was sitting between them and raising his hand. I did not assume the student was Mexican due to physical features but rather I knew he was Mexican because he was illustrated as wearing a sombrero and a poncho.

What accompanied this insensitive and racist photo, was an article that was uneducated about both the Dream Act and AB540. The article's main point was to question why, "Joe from Massachusetts is stuck paying $50,000 to attend UCLA while Jose, here illegally from Guatemala, is paying $20,000 because he immigrated to California when he was 15." It fails to mention that Jose and his immigrant parents would have to live in California and would also have been paying taxes, without any benefits of a tax return, since they first relocated to the United States.

They also complain that immigrant students take a special preference over other students, "If the problem is not the flood of illegal immigrants coming to America, it must then be that they can so easily slip through the cracks to gain special preference over natural born American citizens and the lawful foreigners who completed the arduous process of immigration." As far as I know immigrants take no special preference. Yes, because of AB540, the are able to attend school for the in-state price but they are not eligible for student loans, they cannot apply for scholarships, receive financial aid, or legally apply for a job. If the author is referring to the statistic they used that states there are 400 immigrant students in the UC system (10 campuses) then I'm not sure I would call that preference considering there are about 150,000 students who attend UCs.

This article is just another example of how uneducated people are about AB540 and the DREAM Act. In opposition of this article, several student groups at Santa Monica College--including several Latino groups and the FMLA--will be hosting a march to show the Corsair that we are against a newspaper that would publish an article and illustration like this.

What can you do to support the DREAM?

Call (866) 529-7628 and tell both of your senators and your representatives to vote YES on the “DREAM Act”!

Guest Post: Introducing The Orchid Project

Today's guest blogger, Mayuka Kowaguchi, recently created the Orchid Project, a wonderfully empowering and somewhat controversial experiment. Here, the Dartmouth College senior on her experience with the project and her peers' reaction to it. Mayuka is hoping to spread the Orchid Project to other schools, so contact her if you are interested!

The Orchid Project launched on October 18th, when hand-held mirrors were sent to the mailboxes of the 1,796 female students on campus at Dartmouth College, with a note encouraging them to use the mirror to look at their vulva. The distribution of mirrors was meant to provide an opportunity for each student to think about their relationship with their bodies and in particular, their genitalia.

I was inspired to begin this project through my own personal experience of having difficulty developing a healthy relationship with my body, particularly those characteristics that make me uniquely female, due to my conservative, Japanese upbringing. I designed this as my end-of-term project proposal for Sexperts (Dartmouth peer-advising group for sexual health and pleasure) training in the Fall of 2009, after I learned about the health benefits of regularly monitoring your vulva: knowing what your vulva normally looks like enables you to notice when there is an irregular discoloration or bump that may need treatment. With encouragement from those around me, the project became a reality. Now, to my amazement, over 20 campus organizations support The Orchid Project and the project has even received attention from outside the Dartmouth campus.

The Orchid Project has been criticized by some who have, in my opinion, misunderstood the intention of the project and I wish to address their concerns. Firstly, although the delivered notes focused heavily on sexual pleasure, my first and foremost concern is sexual health. The project aims to provide as much knowledge of the genitalia as possible, which includes the dimension of pleasure. But I do not think the project is a promotion of promiscuity, as some have claimed. Secondly, I respect everyone’s personal values and beliefs. Although I advocate women getting to know their bodies better, I completely understand that some people are uncomfortable talking about, looking at, or touching their genitalia. I would much rather women to feel safe than for them to forcefully develop a relationship with their body and/or genitalia. It’s usually a long, slow process so no one should feel pressured to immediately deal with something they would rather not right now. Moreover, some may even choose never to talk about, look at, or touch their genitals. I respect that choice, as long as they recognize what influences are causing them to think and feel in that way.

The majority of the feedback I have received has been positive. Even those who are religious or those who were uncomfortable when they found the mirror in their mailbox have talked to me about how the mirrors gave them a chance to reflect on their values and beliefs and a chance to engage in discussion with those who have opposing views. The Orchid Project is not just about the mirrors and their usage; it is as much about the issues raised by the topic of genitalia and I am thrilled that the project has sparked conversation.

Looking ahead, I am planning for events at Dartmouth College such as informational presentations by OB-GYNs and panels of female faculty and students sharing what their relationship with their genitalia is like. I would also like to set up further discussions to expose the influence of our environment on our perception of the genitalia. Outside of Dartmouth, I hope to spread this idea to leaders on other college campuses so that they may replicate the mirror distribution and further increase dialogue on this topic.

If you would like more information or help with setting this up at your school, please contact me at Orchid.Project@Dartmouth.edu and visit The Orchid Project blog.

Make These DREAMS a Reality-Pass the DREAM Act!

Earlier this week Pedro Ramirez, the student body president at Fresno State University, was ousted as being an undocumented immigrant by an anonymous tip. Ramirez was brought to the United States by his parents at the age of 3. He has stated that he did not learn about his undocumented status until he attempted to apply for scholarships as a senior in high school. Despite his legal status, Ramirez was enrolled at Fresno State where he ran for student body president last spring. Although he did not declare himself undocumented during the race, he did inform school official and denied the $9,000 salary that is offered for the position. Despite the fact that the California Supreme Court newly preserved a law (AB540) that allows undocumented immigrants to pay the less expensive in-state tuition, CSU and UC tuition rates continue to increase at alarming rates which makes it that much more difficult for an undocumented student to afford college.

This is only one of several recent events that have placed a greater focus on the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act which is a proposed bill that would grant citizenship to undocumented immigrants who came to America before the age of 16, attended 3 years of high school and graduated (or obtained a G.E.D.) in the US and complete at least two years of college or serve two years in the US Military.

On Tuesday, Barack Obama announced at a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he wants action to be taken so that Congress can pass the bill by December 31. Then, on Wednesday Harry Reid vowed to bring the DREAM Act to a Senate vote during this upcoming lame-duck session in a tweet stating, "I will move the DREAM Act as a standalone bill in the lame duck. It's good for the economy & Pentagon says good for natl security."

Still asking why comprehensive immigration reform is relevant for Feminists? For one reason, The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health has declared that undocumented immigrant women are greatly affected by our current immigration policy. Undocumented women are more prone to work in positions that are underpaid, harmful to a person's health, and lack any benefits. These women do not have health insurance and are "less likely to receive adequate reproductive health care, including cervical and breast cancer screening and treatment, family planning services, HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, accurate sex education and culturally and linguistically competent services." The passage of the DREAM Act and an overall comprehensive immigration bill will help immigrant women protect their reproductive rights through an education that will be beneficial for them after they've been granted citizenship.

Add your name to the sign-on letter and show that we will not stop fighting until the DREAM Act is sent to the President's desk:

http://my.barackobama.com/DREAMact

Check back for the latest news on The DREAM Act and immigration reform.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/DreamActivist