November 7th, 2012

Women won in 2012. Let's aim high.

Across the country voters spoke loud and clear this week: President Obama ran on a platform strongly supporting the right to abortion regardless of the ability to pay, and he won resoundingly.

Women won. By enormous margins, women delivered that victory.

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Categories: abortion restrictions, economic justice, Funds, health care reform, Hyde Amendment, immigrants' rights, TakeAction

October 2nd, 2012

March for Choice in Dublin draws thousands

Friday, September 28, 2012 was the Global Day of Action for Safe and Legal Abortion and the following day the largest demonstration for abortion rights in 20 years took place in Dublin, Ireland, where Mara Clarke of the UK's only abortion fund, the Abortion Support Network, spoke to thousands of activists on the need for universal access to safe abortion.

An excerpt from Ms. Clarke's speech:

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Categories: abortion restrictions, Abortion Support Network, economic justice, Funds, International Funds, unfair laws

September 30th, 2012

36 years of the Hyde Amendment: a call to action

On September 30, 1976, the House of Representatives passed the Hyde Amendment, banning federal Medicaid funding of abortion. And every year since, the Hyde Amendment has been included in the federal budget. For 36 years, this ban has burdened the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. For 36 years, the Hyde Amendment has singled out abortion coverage, targeting low-income women, young women, women serving in the military, Native American women, rural women, and women of color.

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Categories: abortion restrictions, economic justice, health care reform, Hyde Amendment, Medicaid, TakeAction, unfair laws

September 19th, 2012

"I give women money for abortions."

What is it like to volunteer for an abortion fund? For some, volunteering is a form of direct action. Sarah Tuttle recently joined the board of Texas' Lilith Fund, where her energy, talents, and compassion are needed now more than ever, and she writes about her experience in "Living Room Direct Action: Supporting Abortion Funds" at the blog Flyover Feminism:

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Categories: economic justice, Funds, Lilith Fund

September 13th, 2012

TODAY ONLY: help the Texas Equal Access Fund go farther!

Q: What could be better than helping a woman in the Texas panhandle struggling to get the care she needs?

A: Helping two Texans!

Give a little, help a lot: The Texas Equal Access Fund is participating in a matching campaign this year, and today's the day your gift can go farther!

UPDATE: The Texas Equal Access Fund reports that they raised over $12,000 to help women in North Texas in a single day! Thank you so much to all who took part!

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Categories: economic justice, Funds, Texas Equal Access Fund

August 30th, 2012

"Many, many people do not have $650 in their bank account..."

Danielle Boudrow volunteers with the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund and was one of six women voters selected by the New York Times to participate in a live video chat this week to discuss how the 2012 election affects women's lives. She was the youngest participant and the only one with experience working directly with women who are hurt by discriminatory abortion funding bans.

Here's what she had to say:

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Categories: Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund, economic justice, Funds, health care reform

July 11th, 2012

Requests from Ireland double for the third consecutive year

For the third consecutive year, the international abortion fund Abortion Support Network (ASN) in England will see requests for abortion funding from Irish women double.

As ASN director Mara Clarke (pictured at left) tells The Guardian, "The continued economic crisis is making it even more of a struggle for women and families to keep their heads above water and Ireland's severe abortion restrictions make it even harder for women in financial distress."

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Categories: Abortion Support Network, economic justice, Funds, International Funds, unfair laws

July 6th, 2012

BREAKING: Victory for low-income women in Oregon!

Oregon is one of the only states in the country where Medicaid covers abortion for low-income women and girls. This year, a group launched a ballot initiative campaign to ban Medicaid funding of abortion, circulating petitions and raising money to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall.

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Categories: economic justice, Funds, Medicaid

June 25th, 2012

Remembering the origins of the Hyde Amendment

The last week of June is a bad one in the history of women’s rights.

Two events bookend this dismal week.

First, on June 24, 1976, Representative Henry Hyde introduced the devastating amendment that bears his name. (Congress adopted the Hyde Amendment later that year, cutting off federal Medicaid funding for abortion.)

Then, on June 30, 1980, the Supreme Court upheld the Hyde Amendment in a decision called Harris v. McRae.

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Categories: abortion restrictions, economic justice, Hyde Amendment, TakeAction, unfair laws

June 1st, 2012

From abortion rights to social justice

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Categories: economic justice, Funds, unfair laws