Category Archives: YDA Women’s Caucus

“Get Your Marching Shoes Ready”

Posted by jcardillo on May 19, 2012 Comments Off

“Get your marching shoes ready,” a woman in her sixties, sitting across from me at a DFA training in Manchester, New Hampshire, said. “Women my age fought hard for all the rights women your age have, and now you’re going to have to do it all over again. So get your marching shoes ready, you’re gonna need em.”

This was June 2011. In the eleven months since, Republican controlled state legislatures have stripped funding from Planned Parenthood and passed laws requiring invasive ultrasounds for women seeking abortions. In the Senate, they fought against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The House is currently considering imposing a ban on abortion after 20 weeks on the District of Columbia—which doesn’t have a voting member of Congress. So we, as young women, should have our marching shoes ready.

But we don’t. The Washington Post recently reported that internal research at NARAL revealed that young women who support abortion rights aren’t as active or as passionate about the issue. This research prompted NARAL President Nancy Keenan , who is 60, to announce she will resign at the end of the year in favor of a new, younger leader, someone who can counter the “intensity gap” between baby boomer women and millennial women. There are probably several reasons why millennials aren’t as intense as their predecessors, but complacency is a good place to start. We’re a generation that grew up post Roe v. Wade, post Griswold v. Connecticut. We don’t remember what it was like when women  couldn’t control their own lives and destinies. Access to contraception and a full range of reproductive care is not a privilege to us, it’s a right we take for granted.

But we can’t. If the past two years  have taught us anything, it’s that young women need to step up and fight for our rights.  Joining YDA is a great first step. We need more young women in leadership roles to lead the charge.  So get your marching shoes out and get ready–this is our fight now.

Jillian Cardillo

YDA Women’s Caucus Chair

 

 

 

Thanks, Obama, for Free Birth Control!

Posted by rsnyder on February 12, 2012 Comments Off

On Friday, President Obama reinforced his commitment to ensuring all women have access to no-cost contraception, regardless of where they are employed.  Despite blistering attacks from Republicans in Congress and conservative pundits, the President refused to play political games with women’s health and stood firm in his commitment to provide access to birth control for those who want it.  Women who work for employers that opt out of covering contraception can now go directly to their insurance companies at no cost.

Take a moment and sign your name to a petition thanking President Obama for his commitment to women’s health

For me, this issue is personal. When I was eighteen years old, I was diagnosed with a condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and prescribed birth control pills as treatment. Those pills were not just contraception, they were important preventative medication. I’ve been fortunate enough to afford my prescription, but not everyone is so lucky.

The New York Times recently told the story of another young woman with PCOS, a law student at Georgetown University who didn’t have insurance coverage for her medically necessary pills because the school didn’t offer contraception coverage in their insurance plans. With a cost of $100 per month, she had to stop taking her pills and eventually developed a large cyst on her ovary, which had to be surgically removed.  Something like this could happen to me if I couldn’t afford my medecine, and it could happen to the millions of other women who take contraceptives for PCOS and other conditions like endometriosis and ovarian cancer.

Thankfully, President Obama understands how crucial it is for all American women to have access to no-cost birth control, and he stood up for this important medical benefit.  So, please take a minute to sign our petition thanking the President for standing firm in the face of staunch opposition, and let him know that you support his commitment to ensuring all women have access to comprehensive health care. The President has our back, forging a solution that respects differences of opinion on birth control without sacrificing critical access to affordable contraception. Please take minute to let him know you have his back too.

Sincerely,

Jillian Cardillo
Women’s Caucus Chair
Young Democrats of America

Mississippi Voters Reject Extreme “Personhood” Amendment

Posted by rsnyder on November 10, 2011 Comments Off
Another major victory for Democrats and progressives on Tuesday was the defeat of Mississippi’s Initiative 26. Known as the “Personhood Amendment” it would have given the same rights to fertilized eggs as they do to the women who carry them. The Personhood Amendment also would have outlawed abortion in Mississippi, even in cases of rape, incest, domestic violence and life-threatening pregnancy. In addition, this change in the state’s constitution would have criminalized in-vitro fertilization and birth control methods including the IUD.

“The defeat of the “Personhood” Amendment in Mississippi was an important victory for women’s rights, said YDA Vice President Atima Omara-Alwala and former YDA Women’s Caucus Chair. An amendment that allows politicians to interfere in the personal and private medical decisions a women makes, including her right to take birth control is not acceptable”.

The defeat of the amendment was a collaborative effort between faith leaders, reproductive-justice and pro-choice allies, and other Mississippi-based groups that, even in a tough political environment, successfully convinced their neighbors to reject Initiative 26.

“We thank the many young democrat men and women who organizaed in their communities around this issue,” YDA Women’s Caucus Chair, Jillian Cardillo said. “Yesterday we saw even in Mississippi, a state with the most strict anti-choice laws, that people will stand up for freedom and privacy. However, the “personhood” campaign is not over, as we should remain vigilant on similar attempts to get on state ballots in 2012.

As Young Democrats we must continue to articulate our belief that women have not only a right to a safe and legal abortion, but that being able to afford and have access to contraception is a human rights issue. Those who wish to restrict birth control only wish to control women and their choices.

Emily’s List training for women candidates

Posted by rsnyder on September 28, 2011 Comments Off

So often, we as Young Democrats have been the boots on the ground for our Party.  We knock doors for candidates, make phone calls, and organize rallies and events.  But how many of you have thought about being the candidate? Or how many of you have thought about taking a senior staff position on a campaign? Or if you’re already an elected official, have you thought about running for higher office in the near future?

YDA is excited to partner with Emily’s List, the largest Political Action Committee in the country supporting pro-choice Democratic women running for office.  For the remainder of 2011 – 2012, Emily’s List will be hosting their signature Political Opportunity Program (POP) to train female candidates.

If you are a young, pro-choice Democratic woman considering running for public office, or even a young pro-choice Democratic man who expects to work for a female candidate in the next year, sign up here for one of the Emily’s List trainings in a city near you:

Apply today for the Emily’s List Political Opportunity Program

Acceptance into Emily’s List trainings is a competitive process, so please RSVP to YDA so we can track where our members have applied and help ensure that Young Democratic women are benefiting from this incredible program.

To RSVP with YDA, please follow this link and register.

President Obama once said, “We are the change we’ve been waiting for.”  For many women elected officials, their journey in politics began at an Emily’s List training.  YDA is proud to partner with Emily’s List to develop the next generation of progressive female candidates.  Maybe you’re next!

Democratically Yours,

Atima Omara-Alwala
Vice President
Young Democrats of America

Feminist Majority summit in Washington, DC

Posted by rsnyder on April 6, 2011 Comments Off

Please see this special invitation from YDA Women’s Caucus Chair Maria Childress:

If you are going to be in the Washington, DC area on April 7-9, don’t miss this important event.  Feminist Majority in partnership with YWCA is hosting the 2011 Women, Money and Power Summit.  Their focus is on new strategies for women to gain equal political power and representation, economic empowerment, women workers, reducing violence against women, and winning a larger share of the national budget for feminist issues and programs.

The opening assembly will feature fantastic speakers:

  • Senator Barbara Boxer (CA)
  • Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA)
  • Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI)
  • Eleanor Smeal, President, Feminist Majority
  • Peg Yorkin, Chair of Board, Feminist Majority
  • Gloria Lau, Interim CEO, YWCA USA
  • Avis Jones DeWeever, PhD, President, National Council of Negro Women
  • Clare Coleman, President and CEO, National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association

They are also hosting a luncheon that will honor House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Elizabeth Shuler.

Other incredible features are fantastic interactive workshops covering such relevant topics as:

  • Winning Dollars/Fighting Budget Cuts for Women and Girls Here and Worldwide
  • Increasing Women’s Representation in State Legislatures and Congress
  • Gaining Power Through Social Media and Women’s Media
  • Increasing Access to Healthcare
  • The Fight for Marriage Equality
  • New Strategies to Reduce Violence Against Women
  • And many many more!!

Now is the time to come together to strategize, exchange ideas and more importantly fight back!

Register for the event at  http://feministmajority.org/events/2010WomenMoneyPower/registration.asp