Watch out Congress -- More postcards are coming!

During a busy day at the Health Action 2010 conference, a focused group of activists gathered to hear from Raising Women’s Voices, the National Women’s Law Center and Women of Color United for Health Reform.  The activists were part of a three-day immersion in all things health reform.  They found their way to a meeting room tucked into one corner of the conference hotel so they could get the latest analysis from leaders in women’s health.  And in turn, those of us presenting wanted to hear from the reform activists about what they were doing and thinking.  None of us went away disappointed.

I spoke last, after great presentations by Lisa Codispoti and Judy Waxman from NWLC and Priscilla Huang from National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.  Like them, I had materials to share, including RWV’s fact sheets What Health Reform Will Do for Women and Families and the Women’s Priorities for the Best Combined Health Reform Bill. 

I also talked about RWV’s approach to mobilizing women through Speak Outs and other local efforts led by our network of great regional coordinators.  At the end of the presentation, I told the activists that I wanted to mobilize them to take part in our “NOT the health reform we want” postcard campaign.  The activists were happy to take advantage of an opportunity to express their support for health reform and against abortion restrictions – we collected dozens of signed postcards.

The most fun for me, though, was the discussion that followed our presentations.  Like every conversation about women’s health, people shared stories.  One of the most moving comments was made by a woman from a state in the northeast, who talked about how much it meant to her for activists to work on actually improving women’s health, as well as expanding access to care.  In her state, the maternal mortality rate (women who die during childbirth) is on the rise – very likely because of the rising rate of Cesarean sections.  She told us that better education of pregnant women and their doctors is badly needed, so unnecessary Cesareans can be avoided and risks reduced.  That exchange reminded me once again of what we’re really working for – health care that truly meets women’s needs.  I came away determined to keep fighting for that future!