By Dr. Dyotona Sen

Enriching womens healthcare delivery is a vital step to gender equality in India. Its important to consider the facts currently, India ranks 140th of 156 countries on gender inequality, based on World Economic Forums 2021 Global Gender Gap Report. This reflects the countrys performance on numerous dimensions health and survival, economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, and political empowerment. To pave the way for gender equality, it is imperative to scale efforts to support girls and women across growth indicators. One such way is to advance womens healthcare, such as by supporting women to take charge of their health through initiatives that ensure equitable access to quality care.

The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) showcased a picture of progress on gender equality and healthcare in India. More women nationwide have their own phones (although there remain disparities in rural India) now more than ever before. Additionally, married womens household decision-making relating to healthcare increased from 73.8% in 2015-16 to 92% in 2020-21. Even as growth is visible across womens healthcare, there are still gaps to bridge.

For example, by 2025, there will be 1.1 billion menopausal women in the world. These are women in the prime of their life, possibly at the height of their careers, on whom society depends. Yet many women experience this life stage as a negative one. Half of menopausal women are unlikely to seek medical help for their symptoms even if some can be debilitating, owing to factors like social stigma and low awareness. As menopause is a natural stage of life, it should be recognized by society as such, with more openness to talk about it, its symptoms, and ways to alleviate them.

Also, to ensure women feel confident in opening up about their health, holistic support is key. It is important for women to have access to safe spaces so that they feel comfortable to have conversations where they can be empowered with relevant information and tools to manage their health concerns. By increasing opportunities for trusted interaction between health care professionals and patients, support, and psychological counselling options, we can foster high-quality patient centric care. Women, couples, or families taking the time to understand both the physical and emotional aspects of health complications have a greater chance of coping with situations better.

Moreover, womens health education is important not just for patients, but also for healthcare practitioners. This especially holds true for misdiagnosed and unrecognized conditions like endometriosis and anemia. By skilling healthcare practitioners, such as through training modules, we can expand the base of their knowledge regarding latest developments and effective practices. Pregnancy, for instance, can be a time filled with joy but also worries. To avoid health complications and support maternal health and safer childbirths, Abbott introduced Gynecology Anemia checklists across India with the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) to help doctors better manage iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. Such measures streamline service delivery across the board with latest evidence-based recommendations.

As such healthcare solutions become available to support physicians and patients, another part of the larger picture must be to scale access. To reach women with healthcare solutions in underserved areas, including rural and peri-urban regions, collective action by multiple stakeholders is key. National and state governments, industry bodies, private players and public-private partnerships are all integral to a sustainable approach. Abbott supports work to overcome urban-rural disparity in accessing healthcare services, hospitals, and treatment through the Abbott Strengthening Healthcare Access (ASHA) initiative. Working with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on educational programs, we also aim to empower healthcare professionals and rural health care workers to improve treatment options in rural areas. Leveraging collective strengths to set up and support primary health centre capacities are ways to reach women with health information and get a step closer to equitable health coverage.

By having access to trusted information, women can address health issues they may have previously neglected and thrive in their personal, social, and work life. In fact, Abbott is working to foster science-based learning amongst 1,500 young children 45% of whom are girls from socially disadvantaged communities. In addition to helping improve their problem-solving skills through access to digital tools for science-based learning, we are working to improve their knowledge of health challenges such as non-communicable diseases, nutrition and menstrual hygiene, while also providing them with access to indoor and outdoor sports. By empowering them with skills to be future-ready, such as by promoting healthy choices and preventive behaviours, we intend to ensure they maintain good health to reach their full potential.

Womens health needs to be a nationwide priority, upheld through the synergies between collaborative efforts and advanced health solutions. At Abbott, we believe that health and dignity are vital to every human beings ability to live a full life. We aim to continue to invest in expanding the scope of healthcare for women and girls so we can advance the future of equity and empowerment in Indian healthcare.

By Dr. Dyotona Sen, Head Medical Affairs, Abbott India

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Championing Womens Healthcare Needs: Towards Equity & Empowerment - ETHealthWorld

A new television series based on the life of Frida Kahlo is on the way. Variety reports that the artists estate has collaborated with the Miami-based company BTF Media to create a show offering a faithful and more authentic perspective on the artists turbulent life.

Few figures in the art world have undergone quite the level of speculation that the celebrated Latinx artist has been subjected to. Her legacy has been exhaustively excavated, inspiring a host of biographies, documentaries and films including the Oscar-winning biopic Frida [2002], starring Salma Hayek. And, despite the iconoclastic nature of her work and her personal ideology, her image has been appropriated endlessly as an icon of spurious girl power values across popular culture, commodified as Barbie dolls, face filters, emojis, cosmetics, and even co-opted by Theresa May who notoriously wore a bracelet adorned with Kahlos portrait when she took the stage at the 2017 Conservative Party Conference.

Kahlos existence was famously marred by pain, contracting polio as a child and being injured in a near-fatal traffic accident, the consequences of which plagued her throughout her brief life. Her dramatic marriage, divorce, and re-marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera are well-documented. In the pages of her own notebook, she compared their meeting to a deathly tragedy: I suffered two great accidents in my life, one in which a streetcar knocked me down the other accident is Diego.

This upcoming TV series promises to offer a new perspective on the much-mythologised artist. According to the painters great-niece, Mara Romeo Kahlo, the series seeks to portray Frida as she has never been seen before. The goal is to present a unique perspective based on what her family knows about her and show how she really lived her life.

This project will allow Frida to be shown as a woman whose art represented empowerment, hope and power, and will allow her family to share with the audience how her legacy continues to inspire thousands of people around the world, said Alfonso Duran, general director of Frida Kahlo Management.

BTF co-founder Ricardo Coeto added, Frida was known for her colourful self-portraits. Her self-portraits had different themes, such as her identity, her human body, and death. She was considered a hero to many because she did not allow society to get to her; instead, she used her struggles as her strength.

Each episode will undertake to explore the lesser-known aspects of Kahlos life and reveal truths about the real artist, as known and loved by those closest to her. More details of the project are set to be unveiled at a later date.

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A new TV show will reveal the truth about Frida Kahlo - Dazed

Newly formed council brings together seven global health experts to more equitably advance behavioral design approaches and strengthen impact

NEW YORK, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Non-profit behavioral design firm ideas42 today announced the formation of a new specialized advisory council to significantly expand the potential impact of behavioral science in the global health sector.

ideas42 (PRNewsfoto/ideas42)

The Behavioral Science in Global Health Advisory Council draws from the diverse expertise of seven women with a wealth of experience improving public health programs, policies, technologies, and services around the world.

The Advisory Council will provide strategic guidance to ensure that the strategies and research priorities of applied behavioral science capture the needs of the global health sector and ensure a diverse range of perspectives, based on lived experience and disciplinary expertise, shape the direction of applied behavioral science in global health. The Advisory Council represents an expansion of ideas42's commitment to and expertise in using behavioral design to more equitably strengthen global health programs, and by extension the health and well-being of millions.

"As the application of behavioral science continues its exciting expansion, we're being intentional about pushing ourselves to do our work better," said Jana Smith, Managing Director at ideas42 and a leader of the organization's Global Health team. "This includes incorporating new methods and exploring bolder approaches to generate impact for people around the world, and the Advisory Council is a major step in that direction. We're honored to work with such an accomplished group of women as they contribute deep disciplinary expertise and rich personal experiences to this aim."

The inaugural council will serve an initial two-year term and meet biannually to advance the Advisory Council's strategic goals. ideas42 selected council members based on their unique areas of expertise, and to ensure more diverse gender and geographic perspectives in the behavioral science field.

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Hawa Talla has over 25 years of exemplary experience in family planning (FP), reproductive health (RH), social communication for behavior change, program implementation, and technical leadership. Ms. Talla currently serves as the Country Director for the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Senegal, where she leads CHAI's efforts to expand its transformational, results-oriented portfolio of public health programming. She earned a master's degree in strategic planning and management of reproductive health programs from CESAG in Senegal.

Marie Ba is the Director of the Ouagadougou Partnership (OP) Coordination Unit and a leading advocate for women and families in West Africa. As Director, Marie leads collaboration and coordination among the OP's stakeholders, which collectively contribute over $150 million per year to advance reproductive health options and outcomes in the region. She earned her master's degree in international development and peace/conflict resolution from American University.

Dr. Olufunke Fasawe is the Senior Director (global) for Primary Health Care at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and the Director of Programs and Lead for the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Program for CHAI in Nigeria. She has over 10 years of experience in global health working across policy, program design and planning, implementation, grant management, monitoring, and evaluation.

Dr. Priya Nanda is a Senior Program Officer in the measurement learning and evaluation team at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in India, where she leads a portfolio of research on health systems strengthening and family planning with a focus on gender, social norms, and equity. Her expertise includes research, measurement, and evaluation of women's economic empowerment and access to health services, including reproductive and sexual health.

Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze is a Professor and Dean at Makerere University School of Public Health in Uganda. She has vast experience in public health, including clinical, program management, policy development, and research.

Sanam Roder-DeWan, M.D., is a family physician, implementation researcher, and public health professional who studies, designs, and implements health system interventions to improve equity, quality, and outcomes for mothers and children in low-income settings globally.

Wambui Gachiengo Nyabero is an inventor and innovator with more than 20 years of expertise in the development of medical devices from the idea stage through commercialization. She is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Villgro Africa. She earned her master's degree in manufacturing systems engineering from Stanford University.

In addition to supporting the Advisory Council's goals, members will also collaborate and share insights with other behavioral science practitioners working in global health.

Learn more about ideas42's work in global health here.

About ideas42ideas42 is a non-profit that uses insights from human behaviorwhy people do what they doto help improve lives, build better systems, and drive social change. For more than a decade, we've been at the forefront of applying behavioral science in the real world. ideas42's work in global health to date includes dozens of novel solutions, powered by insights from behavioral science, across more than 25 countries. ideas42 has partnered with a wide range of governments, foundations, and NGOs across family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and gender-based violence.

For more, visit ideas42.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mitra Salasel, mitra@ideas42.org

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Over the past two years of social and economic disruption, U.S. education has experienced an extraordinary transformation that can best be defined by 3 Es: Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship.

Beginning in the spring of 2020, and prompted by widespread school closures and remote schooling, parents began to reclaim control of their childrens education. For some, getting a close-up look at their childrens classrooms and curriculum over Zoom was the prompt they needed to make a change. For others, they may have long pondered a different learning environment for their children but lacked the catalyst to take the leap. The education upheaval of 2020 provided that catalyst.

By summer 2020, pandemic pods emerged, as parents began taking their childrens education into their own hands to confront the uncertainty of fall schooling plans. These spontaneous, parent-driven learning communities brought together small groups of local children in someones home, often with a hired teacher or with parents taking turns facilitating a curriculum.

With most American children beginning the 2020/2021 academic year remotely, many parents exercised their newfound empowerment through exit. Some shifted their children into private schools that were more likely to reopen for in-person learning than district schools in certain locations. Others delayed early school entry for their preschoolers and kindergarteners. Many parents left schooling altogether, pulling their children out of school for independent homeschooling. The U.S. Census Bureau found that the homeschooling rate doubled from the spring of 2020 to the fall of 2020, with more than 11 percent of the U.S. school-age population being homeschooled at that time. The largest increase occurred among Black homeschooling families, who experienced a five-fold increase in homeschooling rates between the spring and fall of 2020. Black children were overrepresented in the homeschooling population in the fall of 2020 compared to theoverall K-12 public school population.

Even though most district schools reopened for full-time, in-person learning in the fall of 2021, many parents stayed away. This was particularly true if they lived in a school district that adopted remote learning the previous academic year. Those districts continued to lose students, though not by quite as high a rate as the previous year, according to new data analyzed by the American Enterprise Institute.

A similar pattern was true for homeschooling. Homeschooling numbers this year dipped from last years all-time high, but are still significantly above pre-pandemic levels, the Associated Press reported last month after evaluating data provided by 18 states. It concluded that homeschooling numbers rose 63 percent in the 2020/2021 academic year, then dropped by 17 percent this school year, remaining significantly elevated.

Recognizing mounting parent demand for a variety of learning options and schooling alternatives, education entrepreneurs began to create solutions. Some of these entrepreneurs were parents or teachers themselves who were frustrated by school closures and ongoing virus-related policies. New Jersey mother of four, Jill Perez, began teaching in public schools 20 years ago and then shifted into a student-teacher advisory role at a local university until Covid hit. She started a pandemic pod with several other families in 2020/2021, but demand grew for something bigger and more formal.

In the fall of 2021, Perez opened Tranquil Teachings Learning Center that allows children to attend part-time or full-time. She hired teachers, especially public school teachers who wanted more freedom and flexibility. These teachers are loving what theyre doing in a way that they hadnt in years, she told me in a recent podcast interview. Her program has grown to over 50 children, and she recently purchased a building for her learning center with plans for continued expansion.

Education entrepreneurs who introduced new learning models, such as microschools, prior to 2020 found their growth hasten over the past two years. As I wrote at Forbes.com last fall, the fast-growing microschool networks, Acton Academy and Prenda Learning, saw interest in their programs soar.

Microschools are typically small, multi-age classrooms led by a facilitator or guide that often meet in family homes, re-creating a one-room schoolhouse feel with personalized learning as a top priority.

Other microschools meet in small, storefront locations in local communities, offering convenience and customization. KaiPod Learning, for example, launched its pilot microschool model in Newton, Massachusetts last year, bringing together a small groups of students into a public, commercial space with an experienced educator. Each student comes to KaiPod with whatever virtual learning curriculum the family has chosen, ranging from a tuition-free public virtual school option, to private, online options such as Sora Schoolsor the Socratic Experience, to a faith-based curriculum if a family chooses. This allows for maximum family autonomy in terms of curriculum decisions, while gathering groups of children together for social and enrichment activities facilitated by the KaiPod educator. Students can attend a couple of days a week or full-time.

KaiPod is expanding into more states this year, including Arizona where a child could participate in KaiPod part-time for $25/day. If the child was eligible for one of Arizonas education savings accounts and scholarship programs, or enrolled in a virtual public school, the total cost to attend KaiPod would be minimal.

KaiPod participated in the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator program in Silicon Valley last year, and has already raised $1.5 million in venture capital funding. Amar Kumar, KaiPods founder and CEO, has found that many of the families who are joining his program are doing so because their children thrive with the personalization of online learning, while also wanting daily access to a consistent peer group and adult mentors.

Kumar thinks learning models similar to KaiPod, that bring together the best features of online learning platforms with crucial in-person, human-to-human interaction, is the future of education. It all starts with students getting a very mastery-based content delivery, something thats personal to them, with another human, and something thats flexibly delivered, Kumar told me in a recent interview.If we can keep those touchstones or pillars in our mind, then all the innovations that come out of that are almost certainly going to be net-positive for kids.

Over the past two years, parents have been empowered to regain control of their childrens education and explore, or create, new learning models. Many parents exited district schools in 2020 for a variety of private education options, including homeschooling, and a lot of them have decided not to return. Entrepreneurs continue to invent and innovate, building fresh K-12 education solutions that work better for families than old models of schooling. This dynamic cycle of empowerment, exit and entrepreneurship is poised to continue and accelerate, expanding education options for more families. Its a great time to be a learner, a parent, an educator and an entrepreneur.

This article has been reprinted with permission from Forbes.com.

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How Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship Will Continue to Transform Education - Foundation for Economic Education

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THE Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), with the support of Standard Bank, hosted a Cancer Support and Patient Workshop on Saturday to raise awareness of the state of cancer in Namibia.

According to the CANs Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rolf Hansen, on average 3 700 Namibians get diagnosed with a form of cancer every year. Of these, he said, 54% are women. He stressed the importance of formulating a national cancer control plan that considers and addresses the obstacles that hinder the fight against cancer.

One of the workshops presenters, Afra Schimming-Chase, a womens empowerment advocate, also emphasised the importance of having an action plan with clear objectives and said that it is important to begin with the end in mind.What is the vision that we have over the next three years? Where is it that we would like to be? Schimming-Chase said.

The attendees of the workshop also shared their experiences, particularly about their personal battles with cancer. By sharing these stories, they highlighted the various obstacles that hinder the fight against cancer on a national level. Chief among these obstacles is the inaccessibility of treatment facilities in the country not only because of the costly nature of treatments but also because these facilities are not widely available throughout the country.

One of the attendees explained that most cancer patients in the country have to travel to Windhoek to receive treatment. She asked for these treatment facilities to be provided in other places as well.We do not have to be as grand with the technology we have here in Windhoek, but we need the basic services in other places. Just to make it easier for us, she said.

Another attendee pointed out that there is a lack of awareness regarding cancer in the country. She advised the association to produce and distribute educational cancer videos across the country. These videos, she suggested, should be made in every Namibian language to accommodate and educate the diverse Namibian nation.

File photo for illustrative purposes only.

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I dont regret my abortion, it was the right decision for the situation at the time.

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault and domestic violence

Though we may be watching from across the other side of the world, the news that the United States Supreme Court has voted to overturn the landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade (according to an initial draft majority opinion), is alarming. If passed, it would end federal constitutional protection of abortion rights in the United States, leaving it up to individual states to decide whether to implement restrictions or ban abortion altogether.

While this doesnt spell the end of abortion in Australia, its an important reminder of how vital access to abortion is for womxns sexual and reproductive health, and that we should continue to normalise conversations around it. When I think about the womxn in my life, while we might speak about abortion in abstract, philosophical terms, Ive never heard anyone directly share their experiences.

But if one-quarter to one-third of womxn in Australia will have an abortion in their lifetime, it doesnt mean people arent having them it means theyre not talking about it. Although we might be starting to overcome other taboos surrounding topics like sex, masturbation and gender roles, it still feels as though abortion stories are somewhat stigmatised, and are often absent from our conversations.

It leaves me wondering if this will be made worse as events unfold in the US, and abortion is used as a political tool. But on our own shores, abortion-related stigma is made worse by the fact that there are still significant barriers to abortion access in Australia, the implication that its something womxn must go through alone, and the expectation that well then act as if it never happened. In an effort to challenge the taboo, we asked Australians to share their abortion stories.

I was 26, with a new partner, both my parents were sick and it wasnt the right time in my life by any means. I went to my GP and they suggested Marie Stopes. I tried the medical abortion pill but ended up having to go in for a surgical abortion. It was obviously a harrowing experience I will never forget, but I dont regret it for a second.

It was the right choice for me and I feel lucky to have had the financial ability to make that choice. [Its] almost unbelievable we are witnessing whats happening in the US in 2022 at the hands of a bunch of old White men. The ramifications for gender equality and equal rights in the US and globally are plain to see.

My first abortion was after what I would best describe as a slut stage [where I was] faking empowerment by dismissing my mental and physical safety through having unprotected sex with multiple people in a short period of time. To this day I am unsure who I got pregnant with. I knew immediately I was pregnant and didnt hesitate to seek an abortion. I obviously never contacted any of the men it could have been. I was lucky to be surrounded by supportive friends who helped me through the process.

Eight months later I got pregnant again with my partner at the time. Before I even told him I had booked an appointment at the clinic. His reaction was to propose to me, which I hated. It was already an abusive relationship and this was the final sign that I knew I needed to get out. Had I carried either of these pregnancies through I would not have been able to complete my degree and work towards my career and would be tied to men who in reality, couldnt have supported me financially or emotionally. I am grateful to live in a country where I have easy access to abortion, in clinics where the staff are non-judgmental and supportive.

To be able to choose the terms of when I become a parent and with who, [is] incredibly empowering. I know neither of my pregnancies was at the right time, or with the right people. I was consciously born into the world by two loving parents and I would like to do the same when I am ready. It scares me that the future of abortion access in Australia could potentially lead down the same path as America, where mostly conservative men are making choices about the bodies of those who can get pregnant. Its a gross concept that we dont have the autonomy over our own bodies and futures.

I was 14 at the time. I was in a happy relationship with my ex, everything was perfect until I found out I was pregnant. I was so scared and frightened, barely being a teenager myself. I didnt want to tell my boyfriend at the time and still have never told him even after not being together for roughly three years. I never told my parents or his parents.

I was a kid wondering how the hell I would go about this. My friends mum helped me through it all and helped me get an abortion, and still to this day, I thank her. I think about it now and how things may be different if I didnt go ahead with the abortion. But I was a kid, barely able to take care of myself. Its something Ill have to deal with for the rest of my life.

I was 24 and then 26 the second time. The first time was my first pregnancy and the baby had genetic issues. It was done in Victoria (I lived there back then) [and] I got access to it through the specialist who I was seeing. I didnt know what to expect and dealt with my emotions and personal health concerns as though nothing had happened. The second time, I was on thyroid meds and my GP recommended it. I had it done in NSW through a GP referral. It was done at home and it was the loneliest experience ever. I was married to the same person on both occasions.

The amount of support available for people who make these decisions versus for involuntary losses is day and night. [The issue of abortion] goes way beyond my body, my say. Having the ability to choose enables the woman involved to be able to make calm decisions based on factual, circumstantial and personal information. There are people that are already judgemental about these decisions only because they dont know what its like to consider how the life of the baby may be and whether they will live with the freedom they deserve and with a mother who is mentally stable or available.

This is something that governments wont know and [they] should leave it for the mum to decide. The government should be here to provide options instead of providing people reasons to hide and do procedures in obscure places. If the US goes through with shutting down these rights, it is only a matter of time before Australia will follow in its footsteps. Im hoping were much more mature about it and dont follow suit.

I had my first when I was 19 [and] another a little later on. The first was traumatic physically, and the second was a mindfuck emotionally. My parents are relatively progressive, but I went through the Catholic education system which was very sex is bad, mmmkay and didnt really arm me with the knowledge I needed to a) fully understand consent or why I was even having sex and b) then practice it safely.

For the most part, I try not to think about it too much, but over the years my anger and frustration spike when the conversation about attempts to police and politicise the bodies of people with a uterus arises.

I was 24 and one year into a relationship. There was no question at all that I needed to have an abortion. I was not emotionally stable enough to even consider bringing a child into the world. My mum had just been diagnosed with stage four cancer and I was still working through some past sexual assault trauma. After doing an at-home pregnancy test my boyfriend and I went straight to the doctor and received the confirmation. I immediately asked about options to abort, which was not well received by the male doctor in front of me.

The whole process from there was a constant fight to prove that I was of [a] sane mind and wasnt going to regret the decision. At one point I remember bursting into tears after being berated with questions. The procedure and recovery were quick and painless. I was back feeling normal after about 36 hours. I have never for a second had any regrets and dread to think how my life could have turned out if the option wasnt there for a safe and free abortion.

I got an abortion when I was 16. I was a sexually active teenager without a proper understanding of the consequences of my actions. When I found out about my pregnancy, there was only one option available in my mind, I kept it a secret for the longest time out of shame, eventually, my mum found out and helped me with the process.

The only times available for me at the clinic were during school hours so I had to skip school. I left my pregnancy so long that I almost couldnt have the termination but was able to do it surgically, which was actually a blessing as I didnt have to experience [a] miscarriage on the toilet as others have. I have never once regretted my decision in 12 years, but I do think about it a lot still.

[I had an] accidental pregnancy [due to] failed contraception at age 25 in 2007. [I] didnt want to have a child at that time it was not my time to be a mother. [The] hospital told me they didnt offer abortions as they were a Catholic hospital and suggested I talk to my GP. [My] GP gave me the details of the clinic and I contacted them and booked in. [My] partner at the time refused to contribute to the cost, but fortunately I could just afford the $320 on my credit card. [I] had a low income at the time that only covered my living expenses.

I was relieved that I could access the option. It wasnt a pleasant experience but [it] was smooth and medically uncomplicated. [I] had a general [anaesthetic] and a surgical abortion. [Ive] never questioned my decision. [It] was definitely the right choice. I felt guilty about it for many years because I thought I was supposed to feel bad or regret it and I have never regretted it, ever. But then I read Clementine Fords book, Fight Like a Girl, and felt such a release. Havent felt a shred of guilt since.

I was a 26-year-old mum of one daughter who was three at the time. I was in a high-risk domestic violence relationship and [was] questioning bringing another child into such a violent environment. This made me realise I could no longer keep myself or [my] existing child in such a situation. I accessed a phone number from a friend who had accessed an abortion previously, phoned and made the booking. I had the abortion at a clinic in East Melbourne [in] Victoria in 2012.

Protesters were present and [it was] extremely intimidating. It was completely overwhelming. I had a friend support me. I wanted to have access to these options in my previous pregnancy but was told by my doctor in Queensland that it was not an option due to laws and as I did not have a medical condition she would not be able to discuss this as an option for me to consider.

To read more about what is happening to abortion access in the United States, head here.

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9 Fashion Journal readers share their experiences with abortion - Fashion Journal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) After the last two years, many people may be living with trauma, and the Columbus Department of Public Safety wants to help those people.

On Saturday, the department will host a first-of-its-kind Trauma Care Conference entitled Healing Columbus: Awareness, Education, and Direction.

According to the department, trauma can be an event or a series of events that someone sees as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening, affecting mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. The department cites such events as upheaval during the pandemic, record violence in Columbus, or more specific personal experiences like abuse, grief, or bullying.

Saturdays event will teach attendees what trauma is, how to see it in others, how it affects the brain, and what can be done to lessen its impact.

Experts from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centers STAR (Stress Trauma and Resilience) program, Big Lots Behavioral Health Services and The Center for Safety and Healing at Nationwide Childrens Hospital, and Columbus Public Healths CARE (Community, Action, Resilience and Empowerment) Coalition will be on hand to offer information, guidance and help with childhood trauma, adult trauma, and community-based trauma.

The day-long event will be held at the Church of Christ of the Apostolic Faith at 1200 Brentnell Avenue in Columbus from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While free to the public, registration is required. Click here to register.

For more information, click here.

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First-of-its-kind trauma care conference Saturday in Columbus - NBC4 WCMH-TV

SIDNEY TOWNSHIP With a history spanning more than five decades to its founding in 1965, Montcalm Community College (MCC) has long served the community as an institution of higher learning.

Throughout that history the college has also grown and expanded, from offering new educational courses, placing a focus on community programs and even expanding outside its boundaries of Sidney with a campus in the city of Greenville.

With a firm grasp of that history in one hand, the college continues to look ahead, reaching out to the future with the other.

As the first step to solidify that focus on the future, MCC has unveiled its official 2021-2024 Strategic Plan to the public today, solidifying a number of goals to accomplish in both the short and long term.

For MCC President Stacy Young, developing the new plan involved a balancing act of both respecting the colleges past and embracing a progressive future.

I think about the people who started the college, the foresight they had to know the college would impact the community in such a positive way and it takes my breath away, she said. Whether it be making sure more of our students go to the college full time or that our facilities are more up to date, thats what this plan is about to make sure everyone is taken care of and that we continue to grow and serve the community.

Vision, mission and values

The plan places renewed definitions on the colleges core focal points vision, mission and values.

According to the plan, the colleges vision is to focus on community inspiration, exceptional education and personal empowerment.

Its mission is outlined as transforming lives through quality education, and in establishing values, the college will place an emphasis on student success, empowerment, relationships, visionary, inclusion, community and excellence.

Its that last list regarding values that has Young most excited, as it was designed by college Board and Foundation members, as well as students, to create an acronym spelling out SERVICE.

Servant leadership and serving others is very important to me, Young said. We are rolling out a year of service in the community and challenging our employees and students to 10,000 hours of community service in the year.

Young said in her year of experience as the colleges president since being hired in January of 2020, shes witnessed enough to believe the goal of reaching 10,000 hours of community service by Dec. 31 of this year is well within reach.

We hope these 10,000 hours allow us to be out in the community more than we are now, she said. We are there to serve our community, whatever that looks like, be it providing a place to learn or go on our nature trails. Our hope is, and we believe we already have a great relationship, but were looking to go from good to great.

Young said she believes the college already impacts the greater Montcalm County community well beyond the walls of the college and she hopes those efforts only continue to increase as outlined as a priority within the plan.

Increased enrollment

Within the strategic plan are four specific goals that have been established: Increase enrollment, improve student success and access, enhance facilities and (increase) community engagement.

The subject of increased enrollment is one that will likely be most challenging, as community colleges across the state and country deal with a current decline in students amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

With enrollment hovering around 1,400 students for the current spring semester, that number of students is among its lowest recorded at the college in the past 20 years down about 15% over the past two years.

However, Young is confident those numbers can begin trending upward once again, with her personal goal to see enrollment climb back above 2,000.

The last time MCC had a fall semester with enrollment surpassing 2,000 students was in 2012 the last of nine consecutive years, beginning in 2004, in which enrollment was at least that high.

My goal is 2,000, but its going to take us a while to get there, Young said. Enrollment is key, but its not just about getting new students, but making sure our current students progress and graduate. We want to make sure they take as many classes as they can and try to move to full-time status.

According to Young, of the colleges entire student population, 76% of those students only attend the college on a part-time basis (less than 12 credits per semester).

Were actually trying to flip that, she said. Most of our students are 18 to 22 years old, and while we know they have certain life circumstances, we really want to help them get in and get done. The faster they get done (with MCC), the faster they can transfer on to another college or begin supporting themselves and their family.

Young said shes hopeful that with the development of a Strategic Enrollment and Marketing Plan, as well as promoting a better awareness of student scholarships, those numbers will begin to trend upward in the near future.

Improve student success and access

In looking to improve student success and access, Young said a number of steps will be taken, including the implementation of a concierge service for students, along with new efforts toward improving diversity, equity and inclusion through the curriculum.

Additionally, the plan calls for more hands-on learning opportunities, as well as a goal to have the college adapt more to the needs of students.

We know we have some work to do there, but we want to lead in this area, Young said. So were starting with our faculty and staff. That concierge service is really something that weve already started the first steps of and its just about helping people who dont know what to do, who dont know what that first step might look like.

Young said those first steps could be as simple as questions about how to buy textbooks or working to overcome early struggles in class.

In looking to add more hands-on learning opportunities, Young said studies have shown that is exactly what the current and upcoming generation of students are looking for in a college environment.

This generation (Generation Z) likes to be involved. They want to help and we want their input, she said. I think thats going to make us stand out among other schools were going to be very hands-on. In a dream world, wed have a student-run coffee house where they are not only managing it, but the marketing class is preparing the marketing materials and the accounting class is handling the books.

Enhance facilities

One of the more costly goals, looking potentially within the next year and also further years down the road, is renovations of current buildings and the potential to construct on-campus housing facilities.

First on the agenda, according to the plan, is to renovate the Kenneth J. Smith Instructional Building.

The Smith building includes classrooms, laboratories and instructors offices and serves as a primary instruction area for the colleges health-care programs.

As one of the founding buildings of the Sidney campus, the Smith building consists of two levels, is approximately 24,752 square feet in size and was originally built in 1966 and was last updated in 1999.

According to Young, renovating the facility is crucial if the college wants to continue offering competitive, modern instruction for its students.

All of the buildings on our campus get rated every year and this one definitely needs some work, she said. Even with COVID, 766 students took classes in that building last year, so we know its a super important building on our campus. It hosts classes for some of the hottest careers and industries right now, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and nursing, so we need to provide our students some up-to-date upgrades.

Young said those upgrades would include new learning spaces, laboratories, and most importantly, important upgrades to allow for nursing simulation programs.

We need to show the community that we have these resources, to show the hospitals that we have them, she said. If you have the equipment, you can simulate actual medical issues and replicate it in the classroom, whereas if you go to the hospital to do your clinical rotation, you may or may not have the opportunity to experience some things.

Young said initial estimates at this time call for approximately $5 million in total renovations to the building.

Thinking a little more outside the box regarding new facilities, Young said the college will also open up conversations regarding potential on-campus student housing.

Community engagement

In regards to the last of the four goals, Young said a focus on community engagement means improving upon current relationships with the community.

Additionally, she said that means exploring more fundraising and grant opportunities for future college projects, as well as educating the community at large on the value of the college.

Young said the new 10,000 hours of service project will be a big part of stressing the colleges focus on community engagement.

I dont want to say that community is important to us, I want to show that it is, she said. We are there for the community as much as it is there for us community is in our name.

In having reviewed the plan, members of the Board of Trustees said they are not only on board with the initiatives and goals going forward, but impressed with the efforts it took to draft the plan in a year engulfed in the coronavirus pandemic.

The enormous upheaval caused by the COVID-19 crisis affected nearly every facet of everyones life, Board Treasurer Kurt Peterson said. The strategic plan that was in place at MCC was not spared. The members of the new strategic planning committee led by President Young did a fantastic job of reprioritizing the schools most important needs and objectives on our campus in light of the Pandemic and developing a new short-term strategic plan. The board was kept well informed and supports the revised plan.

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From 'good to great' - Greenville Daily News

The following is a list of books focused on women and girls' empowerment and titles related to the achievements of, and equal rights for, women, young women and girls.

Main feature

ADULT:

ABRAMS IMAGE

Bookish Broads: Women Who Wrote Themselves into History

Lauren Marino, Feb.

Illuminates the lives of the greats as well as the literary talents history has wrongfully overlooked.

ALLEN & UNWIN

Jacinda Ardern

Michelle Duff, Apr.

Delves into the New Zealand Prime Minister's beginnings as a nose-ringed teen fighting for equality and her own identity in a devout Mormon family.

ANDREWS MCMEEL

Women Dont Owe You Pretty

Florence Given, Apr.

A vibrantly illustrated primer on modern feminism for the Instagram generation.

ANGRY ROBOT

The Second Bell

Gabriela Houston, Mar.

A reimagined popular folktale where a headstrong young striga finds herself in a life- threatening situation that tests the bonds between mother and child.

ATLANTIC

The Home Stretch: Why Its Time to Come Clean About Who Does the Dishes

Sally Howard, June

The author combines history and fieldwork with her own personal story.

ATRIA

As A Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned

Paula Stone Williams, June

The author pulls back the curtain on her transition journey and sheds light on the gendered landscape that impacts many in the LGBTQ+ community.

AVE MARIA

Expect More: Dare to Stand Up and Stand Out: A Guide for Women on Reaching Their Potential

Muffet McGraw, Feb.

The retired head coach of the Univ. of Notre Dame womens basketball team guides women to expect more in their careers and family lives.

BALLANTINE

Unfinished

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Feb.

Urges a generation to gather their courage, embrace their ambition, and commit to the hard work of following their dreams.

The Soul of a Woman

Isabel Allende, Mar.

The bestselling author offers a passionate and inspiring meditation on what it means to be a woman.

The Bohemians

Jasmin Darznik, Apr.

A novel imagining the wild 1920s in San Francisco that awakened photographer Dorothea Langes career-defining grit, compassion, and daring.

BERKLEY

Black Girl, Call Home

Jasmine Mans, Mar.

A poetry collection inspired by the authors own life explores the intersection of race, feminism, and queer identity.

A Special Place for Women

Laura Hankin, May

A funny novel about a clandestine womens-only social club and the reporter who sets out to expose its secrets.

BERRETT-KOEHLER

The Body is Not an Apology

Sonya Renee Taylor, Feb.

From PWs review: Poet and activist Taylor (A Little Truth on Your Shirt) packs important ideas into this concise volume on body empowerment.

EMILY BESTLER

To the Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility, and Climbing a Mountain of Truth

Vanessa O'Brien, Mar.

A memoir by the record-breaking American-British explorer who became the first American woman and the first British woman to successfully summit K2, and was named Explorer of the Year in 2018 by the Scientific Exploration Society.

BLOOMSBURY

Girlhood

Melissa Febos, Mar.

A set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become.

The Mysteries

Marisa Silver, May

An intimate story of two young girls, joined in an unlikely friendship, whose lives are shattered in a single, unthinkable moment.

BLUE STAR

The Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself

Mary Jelkovsky, Mar.

Build confidence, boost self-esteem, and overcome body image issues using this interactive self-help book for women.

CHARLESBRIDGE

The Next Smart Step: How to Overcome Gender Stereotypes and Build a Stronger Organization

Kelly Watson and Jodi Ecker Detjen, Feb.

A guide to understanding the challenge of gender imbalance, implementing solutions, and offering tools to ensure positive and enduring change.

CHICAGO REVIEW PRESS

Besharam: On Love and Other Bad Behaviors

Priya-Alika Elias, Apr.

Essays by a lawyer and a feminist writer that touch on themes of family, culture, body image, sex, and feminism.

The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams

Jonathan Ned Katz, May

Uncovers the forgotten story of radical lesbian feminist Eve Adams, and her long-lost book Lesbian Love.

Open Skies: My Life As Afghanistan's First Female Pilot

Niloofar Rahmani, July

The true story of the authors determination to become Afghanistan's first female air force fighter pilot.

We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers

Edited by Marisa Crawford and Megan Milks, July

A nostalgia-packed, star-studded anthology exploring the lasting impact of the Baby-Sitters Club series.

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL

Chicken Soup For the Soul: Be You

Amy Newmark, Apr.

Contributors from all ethnicities and the LGBTQ community celebrate their strength and individuality.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Im Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth In 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope

Amy Newmark and Breena Clarke, June

Black women share their dreams, triumphs and failures, and their lives, which have unique challenges and hardships that are not well understood by others.

CHRONICLE

She Holds A Cosmos: Poems On Motherhood

Edited by Mallory Farrugia, illus. by Karolin Schnoor, Mar.

Thirty poems exploring motherhood in all its dimensionsfrom pregnancy and birth to the joys, struggles, and hilarious moments that come with raising children.

Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspirations, and Influences Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers

Hannah K. Chapman and Luaren Burke, illus. by Kaley Bales, April

Unexpected and inspiring stories behind eighteen women writers from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

CHRONICLE PRISM

Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions For Success at Work

More:
New and Forthcoming Titles on Women, Girls and Empowerment - Publishers Weekly

We are wasting time trying to impeach our former president. So, why are we going through the motions? What a waste of time and effort!

We are wasting all that time and effort, IMO, for one reason. That reason is to get each and every person who has a vote in the matter recorded for posterity in black and white, on an immutable and permanent paper. So that there is no equivocation as to their intent and action.

We've suffered 4 years of dedicated mismanagement from a man who has no religion but himself. Who has no goal other than personal empowerment and monetary gain. Who destroys the lives of those who fall from his favor. Don't think so? Read Michael Cohen's book.

We do not need to re-elect people who will openly condone treason against our country, who are willing to promote domestic terror against our electors and citizens. And that, dear people, is why we are wasting time.

Dave Knecht, Zumbro Falls

See the original post here:
Letter: Why are we wasting our time with impeachment? - PostBulletin.com