FWHC Urges Georgia’s Legislators to Hear Georgians Say “Trust Georgia’s Women"

March 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Atlanta, GA – The Feminist Women’s Health (FWHC), along with over 25 sponsoring organizations, is walking in solidarity, 1 by 1, today to raise the voice of all women at the state capitol to say “Trust Georgia’s Women” to Georgia’s General Assembly.    Too many of Georgia’s politicians now openly support the denial of reproductive health care to women or the reversal of essential women’s rights.  Since today is the 31st day of the Georgia Legislative session, there are a number of harmful bills that have “crossed-over” and are gaining momentum to become law in Georgia.  

Of grave concern to the Feminist Women’s Health Center is legislation such as HB 954, which passed in the Georgia House about 10 days ago. HB 954 would ban abortions more than 20 weeks and it would be the first ban on abortions now performed in Georgia since before Roe v. Wade became the law of the land.  Janelle Yamarick, FWHC’s Advocacy Director says “HB 954 would hurt women and families at their most critical moments – when a life-impairing fetal anomaly causes the pregnancy to go wrong or when a woman has a health crisis or suffers the trauma of rape or incest. Women, not the Georgia legislature, should make these private medical decisions in consultation with their doctor, spiritual advisor, and family members.”  

Another serious concern is SB 438, a bill that would ban abortion coverage in state employees’ health insurance, which passed in the Georgia Senate on Cross-Over Day last week.  Yamarick explains “This discriminatory insurance-coverage ban jeopardizes the health of the women state employees and their families.  It unfairly forces women to spend more than men on medical care.   If SB 438 became law, it would leave 48% of our state’s workforce without coverage for a safe, common, and sometimes critical health care procedure. Women would not be able to protect themselves from the burdensome costs associated with an unpredictable and sometimes absolutely essential medical treatment, while allowing men to do so in all cases.”

Janelle Yamarick further says “Enough is enough -- our elected officials need to value and trust the women of Georgia and to work to protect their lives and health – and thus, stop HB 954 and SB 438 in their tracks.”  

We join with our coalition partners today to call upon our elected officials to respect and protect women’s individual decision-making and right of conscience.  Women, men and all communities need accurate medical information and access to affordable health care services.

The Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC) supports equally the rights and abilities of a woman to become a parent as well as the rights and abilities not to become a parent in accordance with her personal circumstances and conscience.  FWHC is Atlanta’s non-profit comprehensive women’s healthcare facility offering outstanding medical care and advocating reproductive health and justice for all women.  For more information about the Feminist Women’s Health Center, visit www.feministcenter.org.