Suffrage did not end women's social suffering, second-class status

IN 1971, CONGRESS designated the anniversary of women's suffrage as "Women's Equality Day." But 43 years later, stories of women being treated as second-class citizens are still headline stories across American newspapers.

It took women 42 years to win the right to vote, but still, today, women are fighting to control their own health care and health decisions. True equality for women must mean more than just access to the ballot box. And it must begin with women's health.

Using the occasion of Women's Equality Day, which was yesterday, we urge you to educate yourself and your elected officials about the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women's Health. This proactive set of policies includes measures to safeguard the rights of pregnant women and nursing mothers, create buffer zones around clinics that provide abortion care, protect women from harassment and domestic violence, and advance pay equity, among other intersectional issues.

Women's Way is proud to join with the bipartisan Women's Health Caucus in advancing this critical legislative package that will benefit women, families and whole communities. On behalf of Raising Women's Voices of Southeastern Pennsylvania, we and our member organizations work tirelessly to fight for the health-care access that women need.

We have seen the detrimental effects that anti-women's health legislation can have on a community. In Texas, where recent laws have made it almost impossible for health-care providers to effectively run comprehensive health-care clinics, we have seen the second largest state by population lose 21 clinics in the past year. The so-called admitting privileges bill that has sparked these massive clinic closures was argued to provide continuity of care for women who have abortion-related complications. However, complications related to abortion are extremely rare - less than 1 percent in the first trimester, during which period 89 percent of all abortions take place - and admitting privileges have no bearing on whether a woman is admitted to an emergency room. Further, other procedures with similar or even higher complication rates do not require similar admitting privileges, nor are such requirements supported by the American Medical Association. Thus, a bill that at its face seemed well intentioned will have catastrophic effects on women's health now that it is law.

A key question that will also now arise: What of the women who sought other care at comprehensive clinics in Texas? They also will no longer have low-cost or no-cost options for Pap smears or mammograms. Low- or no-cost family-planning services will be reduced by half. Where will these women go for basic reproductive health care? Ultimately, women in Texas will be denied basic access to health care that is essential to long-term, healthy outcomes.

Today - and every day - we must stand for what is everyone's right: the right to health. This basic human right cannot be achieved by women without access to comprehensive reproductive health care. And when we deny women their human rights, we deny them equality within our society: the basic freedoms that the women's suffrage movement fought for over 100 years ago.

When will their and all women's dreams be realized?