PRESS RELEASE: Women’s Health and Equality Rally Planned–Austin 04/28/2012
Egberto Willies
For Immediate Release
Women’s Health and Equality Rally Planned
What started as a notion became a Facebook page which quickly became a national movement.
The recently formed Texas chapter of Unite Against the War on Women is planning rally on April 28th at 4:00 PM at the State Capitol building in Austin. Similar events are planned in all states. The focus here will be to draw attention to the loss of women’s health programs and the Texas Trans-vaginal Sonogram law.
“Many of us are shocked to find that here, in the 21st century, we are still battling for equality,” said Lois McGee, one of the organizers of UAWOW-TX. “What is happening in Texas is extreme.”
The immediate priorities are:
Restore federal funding for the Medicaid Women’s Health Program, which provides cancer screening and family planning assistance to 130,000 low income women in Texas. “That politicans would literally risk people’s lives to score political points is simply unthinkable.” said organizer Carol Lee.
Repeal the Texas Sonogram Law. This law dictates that a woman seeking an abortion must have a vaginal sonogram probe and tells doctors what they must say to patients. “This is a gross violation of personal freedom and doctor/ patient confidentiality.” Sheila Sorvari, another organizer, said, “The government should never step between doctor and patient.”
Equality in health insurance. Since the EEOC ruling in 2000, it has been illegal for health insurers to discriminate based on gender. UAWOW-TX Unite asks the federal government to enforce the law. “If we allow one church to choose your health coverage, we will have to allow all churches to do so and that is frightening.” Sorvari said.
To accomplish this, UAWOW-TX will work with other groups in Texas to educate, register voters and, in non- partisan fashion, defeat the lawmakers who vote against women’s freedom and equality.
UAWOW-TX wants everyone to know how women’s rights are being taken away and that equality is something that we must still fight for.
