Advocacy Statement – The Fund for Women & Girls
Aug 25, 2017
Economic Security and Reproductive Health Are Not Separate Issues
Economic security opens the door to opportunity; it enriches all aspects of a woman’s life and that of her family – everything from health to employment. This is why, for more than ten years, the Fund for Women & Girls has invested in promising best practices and programs that strengthen economic security for low-income women.
For too many women, the challenge of making ends meet and caring for families is a day-to-day struggle. When a mistimed or unintended pregnancy is factored in, the struggle becomes even more pronounced. According to research conducted by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, women do significantly better in the labor market when they are able to time their entry into parenthood – realizing a 3% increase in weekly wages and a 9% increase in career earnings for each year of delayed childbearing. Working women, by their early forties, who’ve had early access to contraceptives earned 11% more annually compared to working women who did not, all else being equal.
The work of partners such as Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is critical. Through their services, women are empowered to make life-saving choices such as delaying motherhood, spacing their pregnancies, and avoiding unintended pregnancies. The work of organizations like these is even more imperative today because of the looming threats to women’s rights and the concerning direction our national policy is headed. Threats from defunding Planned Parenthood to expanding the global gag rule will have damaging effects on women’s access to critical health care.
Every woman regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or zip code should have equal access to educational and economic opportunities. While we recognize that access to contraception alone is no silver bullet, we believe it is a key strategy for family economic security. The Fund for Women & Girls is committed to improving the lives of women and girls in our county and will continue to ensure they are empowered to make the best, educated decisions for their health, families and ultimately their economic security.
Thank you for equipping us, through your support, to address this important work.
