We didn’t win the birth control battle, but the stimulus package is still very good for women.
So, what’s in the package for women? “Expanding health for them, childcare, unemployment insurance, direct help in higher food stamps, and energy assistance,” said Joan Entmacher, vice president for family economic stability at the National Women’s Law Center, a non-profit, nonpartisan advocacy group that has worked closely with the Obama transition team and key members of Congress. “It also protects a lot of jobs for women in education, early education, and social work services,” she added.
“You don’t get everything you ask for,” said Entmacher, “[But] we’re pleased with the funding specifically targeted to childcare and Head Start and other investment for children with disabilities.”
Other feminist leaders are also guardedly positive about the stimulus.
“We’re pretty happy with what we’re seeing so far,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, “But we’re waiting to see details.”
Asked whether the Obama administration was more friendly to feminist advocacy groups than the last administration, Gandy laughed and replied, “Are you kidding? The difference is like night and day.”
[...] Feministe » Good news about women and the stimulus package [...]
Glad to hear it.
I don’t know…a lot of what people are lauding as “good for women” is actually geared toward children and women with children – childcare, Head Start, energy assistance, food stamps, investments in programs for disabled kids, expanding SCHIP. Even jobs the jobs mentioned above involve dealing with kids. I’m childfree – I don’t have kids, I don’t want kids, I don’t deal with kids. What do I and women like me get out of this much-lauded stimulus package? Yes, I know that women carry the major burden of child rearing, but when are people going to learn that “children’s issues” are not synonymous with “women’s issues”?
And my hunch is that some form of support for family planning will either be included in the Senate version of the bill (and brought in to the final version during the reconciliation process), or a separate bill will be passed.
[...] Entmacher, VP of family economic security at the National Women’s Law Center, says that the package will work on “Expanding health for them [women], child care, unemployment [...]