By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Jesse Helms would undoubtedly turn over in his proverbial grave if he heard the New York Times advocating for changing the Helms Amendment to improve the lives of women in developing countries if it involves abortion. The Helms Amendment, first enacted in 1973, states that, “No foreign assistance funds may be
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org There is an African proverb that says “if you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.” Last month, at the Bioneers conference, Eve Ensler (yes, that Eve Ensler of Vagina Monologues fame), gave a stirring and emotional talk about her work with women in
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org They are sent to protect citizens in horrific conflict and refugee conditions in countries in turmoil.  Women in these situations are incredibly vulnerable. Yet sadly, Human Rights Watch  has found that African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Somalia rape women seeking medicine on their bases and routinely pay teenage girls for sex.
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Try to imagine giving birth in a spartan refugee tent, or worse, while missiles are exploding around you.  Or simply visualize having to have your reproductive and women’s health needs met in a war zone. For women (and men) in the Gaza Strip, survival is paramount, but so is confronting the
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org. Last week there was action around the Global Gag Rule, an on-again, off-again 30-year-old policy detrimental to women’s reproductive health. The Global Gag Rule denies U.S. foreign assistance to organizations working overseas if they use private, non-U.S. funds to provide referrals, counseling, or access to safe abortion, even when it is legal in the country
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org It’s been a horrific year for women’s rights across the globe.   Just in the past couple of months there has been the kidnapping of nearly 300 girls in Nigeria, an “honor” killing of a pregnant woman in Pakistan, the rape and hanging of two teenage girls in India, and a
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org What is the connection between the health of our bodies and the health of the planet? The sad reality is that every day products are damaging our health, especially the reproductive health of both women and men, and damaging our environment.  As people in the U.S. and around the world celebrate
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Yes, it is the 21st century, and hard as it is to believe, many people in the United States are opposed to health insurance plans covering birth control. How can someone be against contraception and empowering women to make the best choices for their own health and lives? The Supreme Court
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Last week, the United Nations released a report that found that despite gains in reducing global poverty, growing inequalities will undo significant gains in health and longevity made over the past 20 years. According to the ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report, the estimated 1 billion people living in the 50 to
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Full coverage for birth control, as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), kicked in as Americans rang in the new year.  Contraception is now available for free from health insurance plans under the ACA. A key provision of the ACA requires employers with 50 or more workers to provide medical
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