Activism: On Tuesday night we had a VOX meeting
to discuss what we should be doing during election month. This is a really
exciting time to be apart of VOX considering the Presidential election is in
less than a week, and women’s health is such an important part of this
election. On the ballot will be Amendment 6; an amendment that will allow
politicians in Tallahassee to interfere with personal health decisions that a
women makes with her family and her doctor. If a pregnant women’s health was at
risk, Amendment 6 could ban insurance companies from covering the cost of
medical coverage to end the pregnancy. Additionally, Amendment 6 could leave a
women and her family in dire economic conditions if her medical insurance
refuses care for her during her pregnancy.
At
the VOX meeting we discussed that it is important to continue our phone banking
efforts, create posters, and hand out flyers that advertise the dangers of
Amendment 6. We also discussed the magnitude of this election for women and how
important it is that everyone votes. In an effort to get more students to the
polls we will be bussing students from campus to specific voting locations so
students do not have to find rides, or worry about transportation to and from
the polls.
Reflection:
VOX and the No On 6 Campaign have stressed the importance of defeating
Amendment 6 on Election Day.
Amendment 6 could keep women from the health care that they need in
order for them to have a healthy and successful personal and professional life.
A women’s economic viability is vital to her personal and professional
successes. “Several factors have made a imperative that more and more women are
income earners. Rents and housing payment, medical insurance, and the cost of
college tuition, for example, have increased…Juggling the conflicting demands
of paid work and family responsibility is a defining life experience for many
women (Making a Home, Making a Living 306)”. If a woman is forced into motherhood
her economic status will ultimately suffer, and for many women this can lead to
poverty or other negative socioeconomic consequences. In this difficult economy
it has become even more important for a women to have an income. It is
important that a woman have reproductive autonomy for her economical and
professional life. Amendment 6 is dangerous and could take these important
decisions away from a woman and her family, therefore making more women
vulnerable to poverty and the inability to reach her own personal success.
“Even with a college education, however, and equivalent work experience and
skills, professional women are far less likely than men to get to the top of
their professions or corporations. They are halted by unseen structural barriers
(Making a Home, Making a Living 310).” Having a family sets a woman back
professionally. If it is her decision to pursue a career over family it is her
right to do so. Amendment 6 may force women into having a family when that is
not what they are ready to do.
Reciprocity:
Although I have spent a lot of time dealing with VOX, and the No On 6 Campaign I feel as though they have educated me about topics that I was unaware
about before. While campaigning
against amendment 6 I feel as though I have a gained an education about women’s
reproductive rights and justice that I did not have before. I also learned
about the voting process, and met many other volunteers who are great
activists. Through the education that I received about Amendment 6 I became
more knowledgeable about the topic, and in turn educated voters who needed some
more information. It was personally a beneficial experience, as well as
hopefully being beneficial for other voters.
Works Cited
Making a Home,
Making a Living (2005). Women's Lives
Multicultural Perspective. McGraw Hill.
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