Life
8 Ways To Support Women's Health Today & Every Day
The organization behind the Women's March and the Day Without A Woman strike urged us not to stop the fight for equal rights with those two wildly successful events. We need to find ways to support women's health every single day; and today, March 29, is particularly special: If you've seen the hashtag #PinkOut anywhere on social media, it's because today is Pink Out Day, organized by Planned Parenthood. In support of PP and to push against any efforts to defund it, the 75 percent of Americans who stand behind the health care center are going pink — both online and in person. It's a message to Congress that we need Planned Parenthood in our lives.
But one day of going pink won't suffice — not when the leader of our country believes women should be punished for making certain choices regarding their bodies. With Planned Parenthood threatened by our current administration — who are actively trying to take away women's rights to their bodies — we can't stop fighting for women's health for even a second. If you want to get involved and be heard, here are eight things you can do to stand up for women's health rights.
Image: Getty Images
1Celebrate Pink Out Day
This one's a no-brainer. Today, wear pink! Share pictures of your pinkness online, using the hashtags #PinkOut and #IStandWithPP to join the community of PP supporters. You can use Twibbon to add a pink filter to your Facebook profile picture. You can also sign the pledge to let Congress know where you stand. Finally, you can share Planned Parenthood's message through Thunderclap.
2Donate To Reproductive Rights Organizations
Aside from Planned Parenthood, there are several other reproductive rights organizations that could use financial support. These include the Center for Reproductive Rights, the National Abortion Federation, the National Latina Institute For Reproductive Health, the National Network Of Abortion Funds, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the National Women's Health Network.
3Call Your Representative To Share Your Concerns
Sometimes, change starts at a more local level; but where do you go? Enter your zip code over at House.gov to find your representative. Or you can go to Clerk.house.gov and search for your rep by letter or state to bring up their contact information.
4Support The Businesses Trying To Make A Difference
Plenty of small businesses are making it clear that they support women's health and freedom — so make it a point to patronize them today. A good example of this is Nurx. With or without insurance, they'll deliver birth control to your door, and their services start at $15 a month. Actually, they were handing out birth control for free from December of 2016 through February of this year — and they offered it when you entered promo codes like "DONALDTRUMP," "TINYHANDS," and "ALTERNATIVEFACTS" into the app.
5Sign Petitions That Matter
In fact, here's one right here. It's from Planned Parenthood, and they're doing it to thank the health care workers who have helped millions of people receive help through PP. We need these people now more than ever.
6Participate In The Ides Of Trump
In a nutshell, the Ides of Trump involves mailing a ton of postcards to a specific politician for a particular reason — and the next event is April 17, with all of the letters going to House speaker Paul Ryan. You've probably heard his thoughts on Planned Parenthood. Sure enough, the next Ides of Trump event encourages participants to make donations and lists PP as a top pick.
7Search Facebook For Events In Your Area
Local rallies, protests, debates, and other events are happening all around you. Sign in to Facebook and search "women's reproductive rights" or a similar phrase, and click on the Events tab. Can't find what you're looking for? Create a new event.
8Stick With The Women's March
This organization is still going strong; and their 10 Actions for the First 100 Days campaign has already stood up against a variety of issues, including health care. They meant it when they said they weren't going to stop with the march on Washington.
