By Samantha McLane

In these times of scientific and technological progression, international commerce, globalization, internet communication, multiculturalism, and other important achievements that have provided us with “better living conditions”, health services seem to be heading to medieval times when I read the kind of news which follows.

In its battle to leave the country with a conservative impression, the Bush administration has been working towards making women’s lives more difficult, specifically; limiting our own control on our bodies and violating our reproductive rights. If you ever thought you haven’t practiced an abortion, well read this:

The government has drafted a new set of health regulations that would define abortion as “any of the various procedures — including the prescription and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.”

The regulation also would allow any employee of a healthcare provider to refuse to treat any individual receiving any services that would violate the employee’s moral beliefs.
Could it be worse?

As the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health informs, low-income latinas will be deeply affected because many of the clinics that they frequent often receive federal funding and may be compromised under these new definitions.

Latina’s reproductive rights are already at stake, especially for low-income latinas who are alienated at the time of receiving health services. Thus they are denied a basic human right; the access to health.

In an effort to not discriminate against religious and moral beliefs on abortion issues, these regulations at the same time discriminate against a disadvantaged group: women, moreover low-income women. It has taken just a couple of decades to turn aside the efforts of women and concerned society. When the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was created, it recommended to States Parties in its 12th article to provide appropriate reproductive health services for women.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health invites us to take action on the matter by contacting The Department of Health and Human Services. Just take a couple of minutes visiting this link and follow the easy instructions: And if we still don’t get enough of obscurantism in the beginning of the 21st century, where nations claim to promote modern social approaches to human interaction, where racism and sexism are at last vanishing, what do we think about hospitals denying access to illegal immigrants and community health services denying translation services?

As mentioned before, low-income latinas frequent more often community health services where they can receive several necessary services. The National Association of Community Health Centers released a report on June 16th concerning the lack of reimbursement for language services provided at community health centers (CHCs). This report states that the reimbursement for translation services is optional and currently only 12 states and DC have decided to do it. So we have thirty-eight states that do not care about giving a human service to non-english-speakers, without recognizing diversity, and furthermore violating human rights.

I believe this is proof of the theory of ascending and descending cycles in historical achievements concerning human and civil rights. In the 14th century, Venetian women who believed they were already empowered by gaining access to public spaces, control of businesses and access to education never imagined that the generations of women in the following centuries were going to suffer and get degraded again. Now feminists of the 60′s can’t imagine that we have to fight back again.

By Samantha McLane

“The personal is political” was the mantra for the feminist movement in the 60’s, and currently it is a phrase that continues encouraging reflection and action on current issues regarding gender, politics, and the demands for a better society. In this new century, we women have new challenges; we have defeated many obstacles that were undermining our dignity as human beings, and we are now working on issues dealing with our new lifestyles. Men and women are now more conscious of the benefits of seeking alternative ways to live, and changing the roles constructed by society.

One of the spheres in which women have been participating more actively is the political one. Since the recognition of women as voters, the possibilities to be heard as individuals have publicized problems which were seen before as domestic ones, not as public concerns. Later, we have had women in Congress and the Senate, and recently we have had a woman contesting for the presidency (not to understate the successes of women who have become presidents in other countries). But as I started saying, the personal is political and the basis of all this political highlight is our participation as citizens in a democratic state. One way to achieve political position is to exercise the right to vote. (If you are not registered as a voter you can visit www.votolatino.org or women vote).

Among the candidates who represent their positions in these campaigns, the person elected will be the head of the executive power and will put in practice his/her party’s ideologies. Points to ponder include the candidates’ statements on reproductive health, abortion, equal pay and education opportunities. Moreover, how do they approach the Latin community and how do they address their interests in it comprise other crucial questions.

Whatever your position is on either the Republican or the Democratic party, or indeed any other candidate, the important thing is to vote. To opt for a passive position in the elections will not make a difference. On the contrary, it will keep our interests behind. The only way a democratic state can function is with the presence of the vox populis, the voice of the people.

Another important consideration is that not being a citizen doesn’t exclude a person from the right to participate in political activity, or to demand better conditions. As we can see, these political campaigns include in their agendas issues concerning both illegal and legal immigration, amnesty, human rights, etc. Latinas and latinos participate in their communities, jobs and public spaces and are therefore contributing to the development of the United States. Living in a town, village, community, or city includes having responsibilities and rights. We are affected by political decisions, so why not be part of them?

The more we participate in the political processes, the better our daily life and interaction with society will be.

By Samantha Mc Lane

Equal Pay Day is a movement that aims for the benefit of all working women in the United States without exception. However, as incredible as it is that gender inequity still persists in this century, inequity and differences remain between races, national origin and legal status. The statistics say it: Latinas earn 52 cents for every dollar paid to white men and even less than Latin men, falling in the most underpaid group.

Why? Besides living under cultural stereotypes, people underestimating our capabilities and intelligence, difficulties in accessing benefits programs for ourselves and our family, and fear of deportation in case of illegal immigrant women. Even if we are lucky enough to get a job, why should we be receiving less salary than anybody else?

We Latinas are at the bottom of the ladder but there is the possibility to go up. We can begin by taking interest because our work, time, personal and professional projects and our lives are worthwhile. If we don´t care, no one else will.

It is a fact that to achieve the goal not only is it necessary to deconstruct cultural and systemic ideologies about women’s condition, social institutions, to question authority and the use of power, but also to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities in the legal field to strengthen equal pay laws including the Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Equal Pay Act. It is an excellent opportunity to use the regulations that this country provides, thanks to the efforts of many women that have fought before, and to keep reminding and raising social awareness of this situation.

We have a voice, let´s use it to be recognized. Get informed about the actions to be done, get in contact with other women, people and groups interested in the subject, be active and demand equal payment because we have the right.