Wednesday Bubble: What about us?

Posted by Liz on Feb 4, 2009 in health, general | 1 comment

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=z-2FbKnu2ec]

I attended the Fem 2.0 conference in Washington, DC this past Monday. It was inspiring to see women, young and old, coming together to discuss issues and solutions to the many problems facing women today. However, as much as there was unity, I also observed a troublesome divide, one that struck me as naiive and counterproductive to our overall goals. So I would like to both commend the organizers (and attendees) of this conference but also point out that

Healthcare for women is not only about reproductive rights and family planning.

What’s more, healthcare reform, should it occur, is not only about reproductive rights and family planning.

By focusing on these issues at the detriment of others, we disenfranchise a large majority of women who face challenges that have nothing to do with either of these issues, women like us, for example.

So I would like to pose this question:

What. About. Us?

If we are to indeed make progress and move women into the 21st Century in an equal and empowering way, we need to include all women, of all ages in our efforts.   Reproductive issues extend well beyond bearing children and as many of us who are in midlife are well aware, include post-reproductive changes that can pull the rug right out from under you.  In fact, health issues that challenge women change with every decade. And focusing only on the here and now is short-sighted in so many ways.

Time to expand the horizon and look beyond your nose.

Let’s try to be uniters rather than dividers. Let’s try to pay attention to the whole and not to the parts. Let’s embrace change rather than hide it under the carpet. Let’s be all inclusive and not exclusive because we simply don’t understand the changes that await us.

What about us? What about them? What about you?