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Why Your Daughter's Marriage Shouldn't Be Your Biggest Dream For Her

deconversionmovement:

“When are you going to start saving? Don’t forget there’s a girl growing up in the house..”, countless wives have been reminding their husbands in Indian households and sometimes on TV screens. Parents in the country place too much emphasis on marriage. And if you’re a girl, this gets doubled. The moment the doctor announces the gender, the planning starts, the saving starts. And more importantly, the worrying.

Because of the pervasive dowry system that devours most families by attaching itself to destructive notions of what constitute status, honor and respect, this directly affects the family’s management of financial resources and how girls are brought up. An unmarried daughter becomes a burden to be removed which in turn subjects her to differential treatment. Giving your daughter’s marriage utmost importance means everything you do for her is ultimately influenced by this concern. You either don’t educate her beyond a basic level because you don’t have enough money to spend on both (and clearly you’ve decided marriage is to be given the bigger priority), or you educate her (often according to your own wishes rather than hers) with the prospect of fetching a well qualified groom so that she can be ‘sent off’ to a ‘respectable’ home.

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fuckyeahsexeducation: vochoice: New Infographic: Contraception Is Highly Effective By preventing unintended pregnancies, contraception provides significant health, social and economic benefits for women. But as this infographic documents, correct and consistent contraceptive use is critical. The two-thirds of U.S. women at risk of unintended pregnancy who use contraception consistently and correctly throughout the course of any given year account for only 5% of all unintended pregnancies. The 19% of women at risk who use contraception inconsistently account for 43% of unintended pregnancies, while the 16% of women at risk who use no contraceptive method at all for a month or more during the year account for 52%. These simple statistics demonstrate how effective contraceptive use can be. They also categorically refute claims by anti-contraception activists that access to contraception somehow leads to more unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions. In fact, most women having abortions were either not using any contraception or were using a method inconsistently. In 2000, the most recent year for which data are available, almost one-half (46%) of abortion patients were not using a contraceptive method in the month they got pregnant. Among the 54% of abortion patients who were using some form of contraception, the overwhelming majority acknowledged that their use was inconsistent, for example, because they had missed a pill or had not used a condom every time. The population of women obtaining abortions does not include the large majority of consistent contraceptive users, since they did not experience an unintended pregnancy and therefore never had a need for abortion services. The contraceptive method used is also a factor. Users of highly effective methods, such as the pill and the IUD, are underrepresented among women who have abortions, compared with the general population. Meanwhile, users of less-effective methods, such as condoms and withdrawal, are overrepresented among abortion patients. But use ofany method is far more effective than using no method at all: Couples who do not practice contraception have approximately an 85% chance of having an unintended pregnancy within a year. All of this is why debates around contraception should focus on ways to empower the one-third of sexually active women who want to avoid an unintended pregnancy but are not using a contraceptive method consistently and correctly. Among other steps, this includes protecting and expanding programs like Title X and Medicaid that make family planning services accessible for low-income and young women; removing cost barriers that prevent women from obtaining the methods they think are best for them, especially long-acting IUDs or implants, which are the most effective methods on the market (the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage guarantee is a big step toward increasing women’s access to these methods); making emergency contraception available to all women over the counter without age or point-of-sale restrictions; and developing new methods for women whose needs are not met by currently available contraceptives. We encourage you to share this graphic with your friends, family and colleagues to help ensure that our national debate is guided by facts, not misinformation. And be sure to let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page. Additional resources: Facts: Contraceptive Use in the United States Video: The Benefits of Contraceptive Use Analysis: Besieged Family Planning Network Plays Pivotal Role Analysis: The Case for Insurance Coverage of Contraceptive Services and Supplies Without Cost-Sharing Analysis: Renewing Support for Contraceptive Research and Development Research: The Social and Economic Benefits of Contraception Research: The Preventive Benefits of Contraceptive Services and Supplies Research: Contraceptive Use Is the Norm Among Religious Women *not just women use birth control, not all women can use birth control.
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fuckyeahsexeducation:

vochoice:

New Infographic: Contraception Is Highly Effective

By preventing unintended pregnancies, contraception provides significant health, social and economic benefits for women. But as this infographic documents, correct and consistent contraceptive use is critical.

The two-thirds of U.S. women at risk of unintended pregnancy who use contraception consistently and correctly throughout the course of any given year account for only 5% of all unintended pregnancies. The 19% of women at risk who use contraception inconsistently account for 43% of unintended pregnancies, while the 16% of women at risk who use no contraceptive method at all for a month or more during the year account for 52%.

These simple statistics demonstrate how effective contraceptive use can be. They also categorically refute claims by anti-contraception activists that access to contraception somehow leads to more unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions.

In fact, most women having abortions were either not using any contraception or were using a method inconsistently. In 2000, the most recent year for which data are available, almost one-half (46%) of abortion patients were not using a contraceptive method in the month they got pregnant. Among the 54% of abortion patients who were using some form of contraception, the overwhelming majority acknowledged that their use was inconsistent, for example, because they had missed a pill or had not used a condom every time. The population of women obtaining abortions does not include the large majority of consistent contraceptive users, since they did not experience an unintended pregnancy and therefore never had a need for abortion services.

The contraceptive method used is also a factor. Users of highly effective methods, such as the pill and the IUD, are underrepresented among women who have abortions, compared with the general population. Meanwhile, users of less-effective methods, such as condoms and withdrawal, are overrepresented among abortion patients. But use ofany method is far more effective than using no method at all: Couples who do not practice contraception have approximately an 85% chance of having an unintended pregnancy within a year.

All of this is why debates around contraception should focus on ways to empower the one-third of sexually active women who want to avoid an unintended pregnancy but are not using a contraceptive method consistently and correctly. Among other steps, this includes

We encourage you to share this graphic with your friends, family and colleagues to help ensure that our national debate is guided by facts, not misinformation. And be sure to let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Additional resources:

*not just women use birth control, not all women can use birth control.

wordhord:

stfuconservatives:

Folks, it’s been a long time since I’ve awarded anyone the “I guess not all conservatives have to STFU, you’re ok, come sit at our lunch table” Award (also known as the Meghan McCain Award) to anyone. I’ve been underwhelmed at conservative sentiment, to say the least.

(if the video doesn’t work, view it here or here)

But today, Megyn Kelly is speaking directly to my heart. Well, actually, she’s speaking directly to Erick Erickson, the dough-faced fuck who said female breadwinners are ruining America because science. Megyn Kelly is  a working mother of two who takes some issue with the idea that working moms are decimating the fabric of society.

This video starts with her saying “Who died and made you scientist-in-chief?” and goes on to cite studies proving children in homosexual couples actually do just as well as the kids of hetero couples and kids of working moms don’t fare worse than kids with stay-at-home moms, followed by some sputtering from Erick Erickson, to which Kelly responds, “Just because you have people who agree with you doesn’t mean it’s not offensive.”

And then she gets Lou Dobbs to squirm and admit that bees and lions and other species in nature don’t ascribe to the stay-at-home mom paradigm. Then he’s all “well this is really about single parents and how hard those kids have it” and she’s all “UM NO IT’S NOT THAT’S NOT AT ALL WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY.”

And then at around the 7 minute mark she takes it to the rim by quoting Erick Erickson’s shitty blog post about how kids need a mom nurturing at home while a dad works full-time and throws a shitload of actual science in his FACE. And she compares his junk science to people in the 50s saying interracial marriage caused inferior children and goes “TELL THAT TO BARACK OBAMA!” (direct quote!) It is a glorious thing to behold.

Megyn Kelly has also stood up for paid maternity leave in the past. …You know, after she had her kids and needed it, but whatever, she’s with the program now. I firmly believe that if someone could procure me an afternoon with Megyn Kelly and a box of wine, I could bring her over from the dark side.

In short: You need to watch this video. Beware of Lou Dobb’s blinding teeth, however.

Hahaha. Sigh.

While the situation for women in ATLAS is improving on all fronts, a worldwide study launched by the American Institute of Physics involving 15000 physicists revealed that there is still a substantial gender gap in terms of access to opportunities. The survey showed that female physicists are invited speakers less often than their male colleagues. They get fewer opportunities to travel abroad, fewer resources (grant money, office space, hired staff) and fewer students to supervise. They are also less likely to serve on important committees, thesis committees or conference organizing committees. This held for all women, from developing countries as well as very developed countries. The differences were statistically significant in all cases given the large pool of respondents.


Of all the common strategies used to attract more young girls to scientific careers, such as providing role models or talking about female scientists, the only factor that was found to help according to this study was having a discussion on why there are so few women in scientific careers. This alone had the most impact on strengthening the girls’ physics identity while having no effect on boys. This claim is questioned by many women physicists who feel that having a role model greatly influenced their career choice.

Pauline Gagnon, in an article about the involvement of women in the field of physics (via highfunctioningmelancholy)

How I Lost Faith in the “Pro-Life” Movement

Please share this with your pro-life friends and family. There is a wealth of misinformation out there about abortion, and this article addresses a lot of it. Also, it’s from the perspective of someone who used to be pro-life, so people could perhaps identify with it more easily.

I think the part that stuck with me the most is:

“Overturning Roe, I realized, would not make women stop having abortions. Instead, it would simply punish women who have abortions by requiring them to risk their health to do so. This is all well and good if the goal is to punish women for seeking abortions, but if the goal is to keep unborn babies from being murdered, this is extremely ineffective.”

The anti-abortion argument is an example of people at their worst: The desire of men to have power over others, and the self-loathing and outwardly directed animosity of women. But these are only facets of humanity, and I think they can be combated with education.

The Maternity Leave Myth

stfuconservatives:

Hey, American uterus owners: want to be completely put off by the idea of ever procreating? Then read this expose in the NY Post about how many women have gotten screwed by our country’s Stone Age maternity leave policies.

In Canada, you get 50 weeks of paid maternity leave. In England, you get 20 weeks paid. In Mexico, 12 paid. As a matter of fact, 178 countries around the world mandate paid leave for creating a totally new human. In America? Twelve weeks, unpaid, and only if you’ve worked for the company for at least a year, and only if your company has more than 50 employees. And they *technically* have to give you your job back, but as this article proves, your employer can probably find a way around that.

So hey, pro-lifers: where are your voices on this? Where are your rallies and signs to support new moms, instead of expecting ones? Where is there a single pro-life legislator fighting to make it easier to have a baby and keep your job? Where are the “family values” politicians when it comes to actually having a child and raising it?

We are the girls with anxiety disorders, filled appointment books, five-year plans. We take ourselves very, very seriously. We are the peacemakers, the do-gooders, the givers, the savers. We are on time, overly prepared, well read, and witty, intellectually curious, always moving… We pride ourselves on getting as little sleep as possible and thrive on self-deprivation. We drink coffee, a lot of it. We are on birth control, Prozac, and multivitamins… We are relentless, judgmental with ourselves, and forgiving to others. We never want to be as passive-aggressive as our mothers, never want to marry men as uninspired as our fathers… We are the daughters of the feminists who said, “You can be anything,” and we heard, “You have to be everything.
Courtney Martin  (via ceedling)

(Source: sassysluteverforever)

americawakiewakie: The Gulabi gang (from Hindi gulabi, “pink”, transln. “pink gang”) is a group of women vigilantes and activists originally from Banda in Bundelkhand district, Uttar Pradesh, India, but reported to be active across North India as of 2010. It is named after the pink saris worn by its members.The gang was founded in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi, a mother of five and former government health worker (and a former child bride), as a response to widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women. Gulabis visit abusive husbands and beat them up with laathis (bamboo sticks) unless they stop abusing their wives. In 2008, they stormed an electricity office in Banda district and forced officials to turn back the power they had cut in order to extract bribes. They have also stopped child marriages and protested dowry and female illiteracy. Read more or donate here.  I don’t want to promote violence… Well okay, maybe just a little bit.
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americawakiewakie:

The Gulabi gang (from Hindi gulabi, “pink”, transln. “pink gang”) is a group of women vigilantes and activists originally from Banda in Bundelkhand district, Uttar Pradesh, India, but reported to be active across North India as of 2010. It is named after the pink saris worn by its members.

The gang was founded in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi, a mother of five and former government health worker (and a former child bride), as a response to widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women. Gulabis visit abusive husbands and beat them up with laathis (bamboo sticks) unless they stop abusing their wives. In 2008, they stormed an electricity office in Banda district and forced officials to turn back the power they had cut in order to extract bribes. They have also stopped child marriages and protested dowry and female illiteracy.

Read more or donate here. 

I don’t want to promote violence…

Well okay, maybe just a little bit.

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