past media summaries

March 1-15, 2010

PUSH JOURNAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS MARCH 1 – 15, 2010

TOP STORIES

Maternal Mortality Increases in United States: Multiple media outlets reported March 4-13 on research finding that maternal mortality nearly tripled in California between 1996 and 2006 and has doubled in the United States as a whole. "This country's extraordinary record of medical advancement makes its haphazard approach to maternal care all the more scandalous and disgraceful," said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, which produced the report. Read: CNN, Associated Press and ABC

Abortion and Health Care Reform:  Multiple media outlets reported March 1–15 and The New York Times published an editorial March 15 on debate surrounding the abortion issue as President Barack Obama pushed for a final vote on health care reform. House Democrats opposed to abortion rights threatened to block the bill if a strict ban on the use of federal funds for abortion services was not included. Read: The New York Times, Roll Call, CQ Today, Associated Press, NPR, Newsweek, ABC, NPR and IPS

Women’s UN Agency Wins Backing: IPS reported February 28–March 13 on the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations March 1-12. Participants used this year’s CSW and International Women’s Day on March 8 to reflect on progress toward gender equality on the 15th anniversary of the 1995 World Conference on Women, and to build momentum for a proposed specialized UN agency for gender issues. Harriet Harman, British Minister for Women and Equality, said, "Let us make this the year that we create our new powerful U.N. women's agency to back up women throughout the world and to make progress on all the goals we have struggled for for so long." Read: Associated Press, Women’s eNews, Huffington Post, Associated Press, Xinhua, IPS (March 4), VOA, UN News Centre, IPS (March 1), IPS(February 28)

OTHER NOTEWORTHY ARTICLES AND OPINIONS BY SUBJECT

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Assaults on Reproductive Rights Abound in United States: The New York Times published an editorial March 9 condemning several efforts to curtail women’s reproductive rights, including a bill in Utah that would make women criminally liable for miscarriages, and a recent Georgia Right to Life campaign to spread the lie that abortion is a conspiracy to kill African-Americans. Read: The New York Times

Abortion Remains Illegal, Dangerous in Most of Latin America: IPS reported March 10 that although Latin America’s political leadership is largely made up of self-described progressives, abortion remains heavily restricted, with only Cuba allowing abortion on demand. Read: IPS

Women’s Health in Uganda Remains Poor: The Monitor published an op-ed by First Lady Janet Museveni March 12 and the New Vision published a column by Frederick Womakuyu March 7 on the health risks that women in Uganda continue to experience due to lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health services, poor nutrition, and a heavy burden of physical labor. Mrs. Museveni called for greater social and financial support for mothers’ well-being.

In Philippines, Health Officials, Activists Clash With Church: IPS, the Associated Press and the Business Mirror reported March 8-12 that a rift between reproductive health advocates and Catholic Church officials over state support for family planning services was growing. The church called for the resignation of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral after the Health Department distributed free condoms for Valentine’s Day. In response, members of the leftist Party of the Workers presented condoms to mark International Women's Day as they picketed the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. Read: IPS and Associated Press

Does “Demystifying Abortion” Work? Newsweek reported March 4 on the history of public efforts to de-stigmatize abortion after a Florida woman named Angie Jackson published her experience on YouTube and Twitter with the stated aim of demystifying the decision and experience of abortion. Read: Newsweek

Afghanistan Family Planning Efforts Engage Religious Leaders: USA Today reported March 4 on research finding that a program in Afghanistan to engage religious authorities in improving  access to family planning services shows promise for addressing Afghan women’s high risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth. In the areas covered by the pilot study, contraceptive prevalence doubled, to 27 percent over eight months. Read: USA Today

Utah Bill Could Prosecute Women for Miscarriages: The New York Times reported February 28 that Utah’s legislature had passed a bill to make women criminally liable for seeking illegal abortions, using a broad definition that could be used to prosecute women for involuntary miscarriages. “Prosecutors have a lot of discretion, and miscarriage is a sad but common event in connection with pregnancy,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “This bill would cast suspicion, potentially, on every single miscarriage.”  Read: The New York Times

Contraceptive Access Central to Philippine Elections: IRIN reported March 1 that reproductive health advocates were campaigning on behalf of candidates supporting broader reproductive health services and better contraceptive access at the local, state and national levels. Read: IRIN

HIV/AIDS

Washington DC Launches Female Condom Distribution Project: The Washington Post reported March 6 that the capital city will distribute female condoms for free to interested citizens as part of its effort to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission. Read: Washington Post

UNAIDS Launches Campaign for Women: CNN reported March 4 that UNAIDS is launching a five-year program to help fight some of the reasons women become infected with HIV. The campaign will address the connections between HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence, human rights abuses and lack of access to health services. Read: CNN

Women’s Equality

“Gendercide” Could Have Disastrous Effects: The Economist reported and published an editorial March 4 on the systematic discrimination against women that is leading to a “gendercide” in many parts of the world in the form of a strong preference for sons. However, the article noted, son preference may not be as entrenched as normally assumed: in South Korea, preference has shifted to daughters in recent years. Read: The Economist(editorial) The Economist (article)

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The above summary is produced by the Communications Consortium Media Center, 401 Ninth Street NW, Suite 450, Washington DC 20004, 202.326.8700. Redistribution is encouraged with credit to CCMC.
 
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past media summaries