Response to John Baer's Philadelphia Daily News Column

John Baer’s recent column (March 10th Philadelphia Daily News) on women’s voting in Pennsylvania implied that WomenVote PA was providing misleading information about women’s voting patterns in Pennsylvania. The Women’s Law Project initiated WomenVote PA in 2003 in response to numerous national reports showing Pennsylvania women fairing very poorly in most health, social and economic indicators. These reports also showed that Pennsylvania women were registering to vote at lower rates than men and their voting participation was 4th lowest in the United States. It was apparent to us that there was a connection between the status of women in Pennsylvania and their registration and voting patterns. Through WomenVote PA we undertook an aggressive, non-partisan campaign to communicate this information to women throughout Pennsylvania and to encourage civic engagement, including voter registration and turnout. By 2004, we were working in coalition with 60 organizations with similar goals. We believe that these combined efforts contributed to the increased turnout of women voters in 2004. It is common knowledge that Presidential Elections bring out more voters. However, our goal is sustaining and increasing those levels in local elections in the off years to advance the health, social and economic status of women in Pennsylvania.

Carol Tracy, Barbara DiTullio
Women’s Law Project/WomenVote PA

Doing the Right Thing: Treating Victims of Rape with Compassion

The Pennsylvania Legislature continues to delay passage of the Compassionate Assistance to Rape Emergencies Act (CARE Act), which if passed would ensure that women who have been sexually assaulted receive emergency contraception (EC) to prevent pregnancy. This safe, effective medication is nationally recognized by the American Medical Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as part of the standard of care for rape survivors.

While several other states have already adopted similar laws, no state has adopted a version of this legislation that would permit hospitals to opt out of providing the rape survivor with appropriate care for “religious” reasons. State Representative Chris Ross from Chester County has introduced an amendment, similar to the law passed in Connecticut, that accommodates religious objections while assuring the appropriate medical care is provided to the victims.

There is no medical, public health, or public policy reason to add any delay in getting a rape victim appropriate treatment. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cannot fulfill its role in promoting the health, safety and well-being of its citizens by deliberately permitting unequal response and care to victims of crime. Because the crime of rape remains one of the most underreported crimes, there is compelling governmental interest in increasing the numbers of rape victims willing to come forward to prosecute against this heinous crime. Assuring victims of rape comprehensive medical care in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic assault is critical to achieving this goal.

Carol Tracy, Executive Director
Women's Law Project

WLP Decries Supreme Court Decision

Lest anyone misunderstand the Supreme Court’s ruling on the federal abortion ban, this decision is entirely about controlling women. Five men on the Supreme Court, President Bush, and the majority male Congress all decided that their interpretation of medical risk must prevail over the judgment of a physician, regardless of the risk of harm to a woman’s health or life that could result from lack of access to particular surgical options. Medically fragile women and pregnant women with severe fetal abnormalities can now be added to the growing list of vulnerable women whose access to abortion is limited. Regrettably this list includes poor women who are denied Medicaid funding, teenagers who may be abused by their parents, rural women who must travel long distances because of the scarcity of doctors willing to perform abortions because they have been terrorized by murders and other acts of violence at clinics. Let us not forget that these very same opponents of women’s right to make private, reasoned, personal decisions about their health and life, with the advice of their physicians, also want to limit women’s access to birth control.

Carol E. Tracy
Executive Director
Women’s Law Project
info@womenslawproject.org