Tag Archives: women’s rights

Southern Florida: A Mecca for Equal Pay for Women?


Posted on April 17, 2013 by

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Sarasota Skyline, found here.

Sarasota Skyline, found here.

A recent article came out from USA Today, ranking the 10 best-paying cities for women. April 9 was Equal Pay Day, marking the day where women – who make an average of $0.77 to every $1.00 a man makes – finally earn enough to keep pace with men.

However, in the article marking the 10 best-paying cities for women, there was an area that stood out – South Florida. As a native Floridian, I am happy to say:

  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater came in at #10, with women making (on average) 84.8% of what men make.
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach came in at #9, with women making (on average) 85.4% of what men make.
  • And the Sarasota-Bradenton-North Port area came in at #3, with women making (on average) 87.5% of what men make.

There are many reasons why south Florida may be more equitable than most areas (I, personally, think that it has something to do with the large retiree population here), but it’s really interesting that half of the major metropolitan areas in the state of Florida rank in the top 10 for equal(ish) pay.

The pay gap is a serious issue, but it has some funny sides, too: my favorite finding from Equal Pay Day is this great video from Switzerland, where a bank and a women’s equality non-profit teamed up to show men what it’s like to get 80% of what you should.

Why do you think southern Florida ranks so high for equal pay for women?

Interview with Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America


Posted on March 8, 2012 by

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Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of AmericaToday, March 8, is International Women’s Day and we’re so pleased to have a special treat for you here on the Feronia Project.

On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida was lucky enough to have the fabulous Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, speak at our 46th Anniversary Annual Dinner. She also took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to speak with us at The Feronia Project about the challenges facing Planned Parenthood, how the internet is changing sexual health education, and some of her must-reads. (And if you didn’t see her on the Daily Show last night – you absolutely must!)

Eleanor: What are the upcoming challenges you see Planned Parenthood facing, both locally and nationally? How are you working to solve these issues?

Cecile Richards, PPFA President: Everyone’s seen what’s been going on with Congress and the state legislatures and the constant attacks on birth control and reproductive health care. Those are very real challenges and very real fights.

We couldn’t solve it without social media; a great example is the hundreds of people that came out to the state Capitol in Virginia after finding out about the rally through social media and put politicians there on notice that they cannot put their politics before women’s health.

Eleanor: So, how can mothers introduce to their daughters and sons the importance of standing up for women’s health and women’s rights?

Cecile Richards: A great way to start is by introducing older teenagers to Planned Parenthood. Parents may not feel comfortable talking about sex with their children, but Planned Parenthood is an easy, safe place to refer them so that they can get their questions answered. As long as parents and their children can have that open dialogue and conversation, it’s a great way to talk about women’s rights and women’s health. Some of our best young activists started supporting Planned Parenthood as patients.

Eleanor: As a blog, we’d like to know – how do you see blogs like The Feronia Project, which talks about sexual health and reproductive justice, fitting into the way Planned Parenthood gives accurate sexual education information? And how does Planned Parenthood use social media and the internet to reach those who need its services?

Cecile Richards: The single biggest way that Planned Parenthood patients get their information now is online. And it’s only becoming more important – traffic to our online site has exploded in the last two months. The topics that young people have questions on are changing and social media and blogs allow people to have a conversation about those topics, in real time, and get their questions answered immediately.

3 million patients visit our Planned Parenthood health centers every year; in February 2012 alone, 4 million came online and visited Planned Parenthood’s website and social media sites. Based on those numbers, we’re projecting that 40 million people will reach out to Planned Parenthood online as a trusted sexual health provider this year.

Eleanor: In what way is Planned Parenthood bringing to light the positive stories that happen in our health centers every day? We’re more than abortions and STD diagnoses, after all.

Cecile Richards: You know, I think a key way that we do that is through social media and our website. We’ve shared stories like Close to the Heart: Stories of Planned Parenthood Breast Care Patients, and the wonderful “I Have a Say” videos on YouTube, all showing how Planned Parenthood helps women every day. During the birth control debate, we actually gave some of these stories to members of Congress to illustrate that not only do people use birth control for contraception, they also use it for a myriad of other reasons in reproductive health.

Eleanor: What are some ways that youth could show their support of Planned Parenthood – with their phones, tablets, or computers?

Cecile Richards: The most important thing is like our pages on Facebook and Twitter and re-share Planned Parenthood content with your friends. However, some of the best content is created outside of Planned Parenthood; while Planned Parenthood can create content themselves, one of the best ways that people can advocate for Planned Parenthood is by taking the license to use what Planned Parenthood has available and getting their own content to go viral. I’ve been particularly impressed with the Tumblr site Planned Parenthood Saved Me as a great example of this.

Eleanor: What can we do in Southwest & Central Florida to stand with Planned Parenthood?

Cecile Richards: You’re doing it. I’m amazed [by] being here – all the lobbying you do in the Florida Legislature and standing strong for Planned Parenthood, The SOURCE Theatre, the numerous opportunities to get involved.

The most important way we all can stand with Planned Parenthood is to vote and cast an informed vote; [you should] really look at what the candidates are saying and vote for who represents your views.

Eleanor: On a lighter note, we’re big readers here at The Feronia Project. What’s a book you would recommend to our Feronia Project followers as a “must-read?”

Cecile Richards: I have two great reads. One is How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America by Cristina Page; she’s a great writer and it’s a great exploration of the topic. One slightly different recommendation is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, a dark apocalyptic look at what it would be like if women had no rights. It’s a provocative book and shows just what it could be like if the attacks on women’s rights continue – and more than one person has told me that we’re living it right now.

Cecile Richards is a nationally respected leader in the field of women’s health and reproductive rights. As president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Ms. Richards leads a national organization that works for a healthier and safer world for women and teens.

Why Should Men Care About Women’s Rights?


Posted on February 28, 2012 by

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At many Planned Parenthoods, there are VOX chapters at nearby colleges and universities. VOX (Latin for voice) is a pro-choice voice in the community that seeks to educate, advocate, and make sure college students know that Planned Parenthood is there for them. Many don’t have health insurance and/or can’t get care on campus. One of the challenges that some VOX chapters have is getting men interested in joining. The men say things like, “that’s a group for women,” or “what’s a man to do about women’s rights?” Well, this got me thinking about how the general public feels about why men should care about and advocate for women’s rights. I posed this very question to my personal Facebook page and got answers like:

“What if it were their daughter that was being denied something?”
“Women’s rights + men’s rights = human rights. The equation doesn’t work without both!”
“Why do women always need to prove why they matter, why their needs and concerns matter, and why they matter as humans?”
“Who wants to have sex with a meek, un-empowered woman? Sounds awfully boring.”
And those responses were just from the women!

The men’s answers were short, but sweet:
“Because I refuse to be complicit to oppression.”
“Because it’s the right thing to do. Simple as that.”
“Because everyone has a mother.”

Why do you think men should care and be involved in advocating for women’s rights? Pose this question to your Facebook page and tell us about the most interesting responses.

Dear Mr. Senator,


Posted on February 22, 2012 by

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My body is not your political football.

Sincerely,

Mary

I’ve been to the state capitol three times to advocate for women’s rights. I’ve advocated for standards for sex education in the schools, for hospitals to offer Emergency Contraception to rape victims, and against ridiculous and unnecessary abortion restrictions, for which there is no medical justification (like a 24 hour waiting period).

It is a very powerful experience to ride on a bus with like-minded people who are so passionate, that their energy courses through your own veins. All that energy despite the disbelief that we are still trying to prove to law makers that women actually matter.

It is also quite an experience to shake the hands of a Senator who really doesn’t give a hoot about your cause. It makes you want to cry when you go observe what is happening on the “floor.” You have a legislator talking about their bill and only a few of his/her colleagues actually listening. The rest are talking to each other, their aides, on the computer, or on their cell phone. Then they take a vote! How can you vote on something that you barely know anything about? And that’s where we come in. If we take the time to call or visit our legislators, we can educate them on the issue and tell them which way we’d like them to vote. Even the legislators who support us often don’t know what’s in a bill because they might not be in the committees that get to hear it first. They might not hear about it until its time to vote on it. As one Representative’s aide put it, many votes turn into “values” votes because the House is too “intellectually deprived” to make decisions based on science, medicine, and research.

I lobby because I want legislators to hear from real people, not just hired guns who work for some lobbying group with deep pockets. They need to hear that women’s rights are human rights and that her health affects that of her family. I lobby because I believe that education + access to birth control = power. I participate in the process because I can. A democracy depends on the people telling their elected officials how they feel.

Remember, real change happens at the policy level. Have you ever lobbied for an issue that’s important to you?