In 2012, six democratic female lawmakers proposed legislation to regulate a man’s access to reproductive health. Exemplifying the mentality of their male counterparts, they asserted that if a man can control a woman’s reproductive rights, then women should do the same.

Georgian State Representative Yasmin Neal asserted that vasectomies have deprived thousands of children of birth and thus should be regulated by the state.

State Senator Nina Turner of Ohio put forth legislation mandating men looking to obtain drugs for erectile dysfunction attend informational sessions on sexual counseling and resources recommending celibacy as a viable lifestyle choice.
And Constance Johnson of Oklahoma proposed a bill making it illegal for a man to ejaculate anywhere outside of a woman’s vagina, arguing the act is a unequivocal rejection of an unborn child.

The motive of these absurd proposals was not to see the legislation passed but rather illicit a blunt illumination of the hypocrisy inherent in decades of governmental interference and control of women’s reproductive rights.

As Rep Neal stated, “If we legislate women’s bodies, it’s only fair that we legislate men’s.”

Historically a woman’s right to her own body has been decided not by the woman herself but by a few who deem themselves worthy of dictating what is right and moral. It is a history rife with injustice and in direct opposition to democracy, freedom and equality.

And so despite the strides of the last 40 years, this week, we were presented a merciless reminder that the fight for our rights is far from over.

We reject Alabama’s decision to ban abortion. We believe women’s rights are human rights. And we recognize that Alabama’s vote is only the initial affront of the GOP to overturn Roe v. Wade and so we urge you to call your senators and demand a voice. - Maureen Post

 Contact your senators here: https://flottetonne.com/index.htm

Photo Credit : Associated Press

In 1900, just east of the Sierra Mountains, Owens Lake sat amidst a fertile valley. A 200 square mile lake fed by the Owens River, it was diverted in 1913 to provide water for the growing city of Los Angeles. By 1926, the diverted river had completely drained the lake bed and the landscape completely transformed to arid desert.
In the 110 years since, strong winds continuously shave tiny particles loose from the empty lake bed resulting in fierce dust storms. As such, Owens Lake is the greatest source of particulate matter pollution in the country. The epic concentration of minerals in the small amounts of residual water produce blooms of microscopic bacteria, turning the water a deep, dark red. As of 2015, the river diverted to the Owens Valley Aqueduct still provides 60% of LA’s water supply.

David Maisel’s aerial photography illuminates the role of mining, urbanization and farming in environmental destruction.
This Earth Day, we urge you to make the daily small changes to (composting, reducing plastic use, reducing car emissions, etc.).
We think this crisis is not going to happen, IT IS HAPPENING.
We urge you to write to your local, state and federal lawmakers and demand they back legislation that both restricts emissions and enforces sanctions to push us immediately toward a society based on renewable energy by 2030. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : David Maisel

“My mom, Sandy, depending on the day, was beaten for being too pretty, too ugly, too smart, too dumb, too black. This man beat my mother’s limbs and down her spirit. His abuse was the deepest of betrayals. He tried to permanently rob her of her dignity, her hope, her joy, her capacity to love and to receive love. Thank God he failed…
Today’s (House of Representatives) passage of VAWA shows the nation that we say NO MORE.
NO MORE to the “boyfriend loophole,” which for nearly twenty years allowed abusive dating partners to purchase and to possess a firearm.
NO MORE to the days where a survivor must choose between living on the streets or remaining with their abuser.
NO MORE to the days when our Native American sisters experiencing domestic violence do not have equal protections under the law.
NO MORE to the exclusion of transwomen.
NO MORE to silence, to violence.”- as spoken by Rep. Pressley on the House floor
Created in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides funding for programs aimed at the prevention and prosecution of abuse against women. The Act, which had been renewed every 5 years until a lapse during February’s government shutdown, is credited with reducing domestic violence by 50% since 1994.
On Thursday, the Act was overwhelmingly renewed in the House and will move to the Senate. The Senate, much under pressure from the National Rifle Association, will potentially shoot down the bill with Republicans demanding a “clean” version that removes provisions for same sex couples and allows boyfriends convicted of abuse to continue purchasing firearms.
We urge you to call/write/email your Senators and impress the importance of the VAWA legislation as well as the added provisions to protect all victims of domestic violence. We believe change comes when we illuminate the realities of domestic and dating violence and stand beside to protect all victims. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : Donna Ferrato

 Like for so many women around the world, International Women’s Day is not solely a celebration of our achievements but rather a catalyst to continue the push for gender equity and elevate exposure of our struggles and demands.

Shamsia Hassani is one such woman.
As the first female graffiti artist in Afghanistan, Hassani regularly risks her life to publicly reconstruct cultural expectations and envision freedoms for women through art.
Her murals, plastered on homes and buildings in Kabul, illustrate both the country’s social oppression and what she envisions for female empowerment. Amid war torn streets, she restricts herself to small walls in order work quickly and avoid explosions. She depicts women as strong, educated and independent while often wearing the traditional burqa and hijab. Subtly, by combining women’s rights with tradition, she has begun to subvert gender norms in Afghanistan and change Western assumptions on freedom.
On international Women’s Day, Hassani’s efforts point to the crucial need to ask of ourselves and each other-- to use your language, whether it be vocal, visual or written, to continue the fight for gender equity, representation of women in marginalized communities and protect our political, economic, reproductive and social freedoms.
Propelled by the teaching and inspiration of Hassani, independent artists commemorated International Women’s Day with a mural on a barrier wall of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Kabul.

We stand with the women of Afghanistan and celebrate the women in our lives, by recommitting ourselves to staying loud and actively fighting for equity at our jobs, in our schools and in our homes. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : Rahmat Gul - Associated Press

 Photo Credit : the Houston Chronicle

In 1789, voting was reserved only for white men who owned land.
In 1828, law added any white man over 21 years old.
In 1870, Black men in the north gained the right to vote.

By 1887, Native American men (who gave up their tribal citizenship) were allowed to vote and the 19th Amendment in 1920 gave white women the same ability. It wasn’t until 1965 that all Native Americans, Chinese-Americans and Black men and women could go to the polls. But what sits between these notable years on this long timeline is decades of voter suppression resulting in misrepresentation and minority struggle followed by legislative change.
So today we vote because we possess a right that many within our country are still denied by bureaucratic injustices and photo ID laws.
We’re voting because this mid-term election may prove to be the most significant of our generation; the House, Senate and Gubernatorial races – will determine policies on climate change, LGBTQ equality, immigration and criminal justice reform.
We vote for the dozens of races that historically been determined by a margin of almost nothing; reiterating that YOUR VOTE DOES MATTER. And most visibly, we vote to reaffirm that we believe in unity over division, champion honesty over deceit and cultivate inclusion over fear. - Maureen Post

We urge you to VOTE. Take the first step and register here: Vote.gov

Photo Credit : Gabriel Hackett - Getty Images

Last week, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when the two of them were in high school.

Studies show that only 1 in 3 sexual assaults are reported and that commonly, victims delay reporting for a variety of factors connected to psychological and neurobiological reactions to their trauma. In interviews with survivors, the following are regularly reported reasons for which they were hesitant.

Once speaking out, victims routinely face scrutiny and encounter barriers.
“I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!” – Donald Trump tweeting in response to Ford’s allegations.

Victims often fear retaliation.
“I’ll listen to the lady, but we’re going to bring this to a close,”- Senator Lindsay Graham in an interview about Ford’s willingness to testify in front of the Senate Committee.

Victims may struggle to remember precise details or experience negative feelings when they do so.
“I think this woman, whoever she is, is mixed up,”- Senator Orin Hatch in speaking about Professor Ford.

They often feel beholden to ingrained gender inequality and are fearful of reprisal from a culture dominated by boy’s club loyalty.
“I mean, I can’t imagine the horror of being accused of something like this,”- Senator Bob Corker speaking in solidarity with Judge Kavanaugh.

Many women come to believe their experience is not important enough to report.
“We got a little hiccup here with the Kavanaugh nomination, we’ll get through this and we’ll get off to the races,” Senator Dean Heller referring to Ford’s allegations. - Maureen Post

We believe women. And we recognize that 27 years after Anita Hill, the context of today looks all too much the same.

We urge you to pick up your phone and call your senators. 202-224-3121

Photo Credit : Wikimedia Commons

Iranian journalist Farnaz Seifi was arrested and interrogated as she waited to fly out of a Tehran airport. The main subject of her interrogation was an article she had written about inequality and injustice facing women in Iran.
Authorities claim her work is acting against national security; she’s been deported, and is still unable to return home.

Chinese writer Zeng Jinyan lives under house arrest for publishing works criticizing government policy and exposing human rights abuses in Beijing.
Likewise, Cuba's Yoani Sanchez was harassed on the streets, abducted by men working for the Cuban government and detained for her blogs condemning the struggle of communist Cuba.
She was denied a passport to leave Cuba 20 times before finally being granted in 2013.

In the United States, our democracy hinges on the freedom of the press and the free flow of ideas and information. Protected under the Constitution, our free press polices elected officials and enables a society that is informed and able to hold those officials accountable. Any threat to discredit or intimidate the free press is a threat to weaken our democracy.

We fully reject Trump’s claim that the press is the enemy of the people and contend that his rhetoric of fake news, hoax and conspiracy theories is dangerous and divisive.
His mantra is that of dictators who seek power not with fairness and policy but by discrediting the truth and demonizing those who seek to distribute it. - Maureen Post

We urge you to become a member of the American Civil Liberties Union and support their mission to protect individual rights and national freedoms including a free press.

To register, please visit: https://flottetonne.com/action

Photo Credit : Françoise Huguier

Last year, a mother fled Honduras where her husband continuously beat, starved and imprisoned her. Her own government refused to protect her; chastising her for reporting on a man and returning her to her abuser.
After several escape attempts, she and her two children reached the United States and asked for asylum. In court, she produced evidence to the judge-- scars of her beatings, Honduran documents dismissing her claims and threats from her abuser. As the US government has done since WWII, her family was granted asylum on the grounds of domestic abuse and gang violence. Yet if she were to arrive today, merely six months later, she would be detained, likely criminally prosecuted and her children would be separated from her.

In only six weeks, the combination of Trump’s Zero Tolerance and Session’s revocation of domestic abuse as a valid claim to asylum, have sent countless women back into life threatening environments and separated nearly 2000 children from their parents. These two policies, enacted separately but intrinsically linked are a direct affront to women’s rights. The enforcement has swiftly backtracked decades of US precedent protecting those who face persecution in their own country.

We believe that as a country of immigrants, we mirror those who arrive at our door.

We support addressing border crossing not as a criminal but rather a civil act and should be addressed while keeping families’ together- a consensual stance adhered to for decades of both democratic and republican administrations.
And we stand with women fleeing violent abusers and complicit governments as well as their children experiencing the sense of abandonment innate in separation.
We urge you to contact your congressmen and put pressure to stop these policies. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : Pikul Noorod via Shutterstock

Currently, black infants are twice as likely to die and black women are three to four times as likely to die a pregnancy related death. More profoundly, factors like education and wealth have little influence; a black woman with a college degree is more likely to lose a baby than a white woman with less than 8th grade education.
Why? The research points to a correlation between institutional structures and medical consequences: the psychological affects of systemic and institutional racism is triggering physical conditions (such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia) for black women.

Additionally, a pervasive racial bias within healthcare affects black women with even the greatest of advantages (wealth, high education, etc.). Noting this alarming research, the UN ordered the United States to “eliminate racial disparities in the field of sexual and reproductive health” in 2014. Yet to date, very few states have taken action.
We strongly stand with institutions like Planned Parenthood and support politicians like NYC Governor Andrew Cuomo who announced several initiatives in the last week aimed at reducing infant death. We urge all to contact your Elected Officials and reject any healthcare reform that does not provide method and funding to rectify these disparities. - Maureen Post

For more information, please visit - https://flottetonne.com/2018/04/22/nyregion/childbirth-death-doula-medicaid.html

Photo Credit : National Library of Medicine

This year, 390 women are planning to run for the House of Representatives, a number that is higher than in any other point in our history. Twenty-two of them are non-incumbent black women—a number that if elected, would more than double the list of 18 black women currently serving in the House.
Likewise, 49 women are planning to run for a spot in the Senate- a figure that is 68% higher than at this same point in 2014. The intention of these emerging politicians is clear: replace the establishment.

They’ve eyed career politicians who’ve taken seats vacated by their fathers, who have sustained careers by forging the interests of their white male counterparts, who push for the advancement of a few to the detriment of the whole. And unlike most industries, where ousting marauding men, who have amassed rank, cultivated a “boys club” mentality and garnered expertise is a long term struggle, elections make rapid change possible. Undeniably, significant barriers continue—campaign finance, institutional structures or party alignment-- but whether you’re a cancer surviving pediatrician, former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor or a military wife, these women are proclaiming to all within earshot, that yes, YOU CAN RUN. And winning an office, whether of sizeable influence or simple small town sway, starts to slide open the door of change.

We support these candidates at the polls—pushing all women to vote in any and all elections. We support She Should Run’s goal of 250,000 women running for political office by 2030. And we celebrate today, those women who stand instead of sit, who speak when told to stay quiet, who have fostered our past and who bravely step forward to lead our future. - Maureen Post

For more information please visit: http://www.sheshouldrun.org/

Photo Credit : Library of Congress

What began 15 years ago with a single call from a Peruvian mother stuck in a detention center, Sandigo now receives daily requests from parents in “mixed status” families—children born citizens of the United States with parents who are here illegally. Panicked and desperate at the prospect of deportation, parents’ on the other end of the line agonize over whether they will remove their children to countries they do not know or they leave their children behind with no parent, no advocate and uncertain legal rights.

In calling, some parents request Sandigo sign power-of-attorney enabling her to talk to schools, hospitals and federal courts. Others plead she’ll take their children in if needed and even those with the option of sending their children to legal relatives, ask for the support of Sandigo’s education and knowledge of the system. Of an estimated four million American children who have a parent in the country illegally, Sandigo has signed power of attorney papers to some 1,400 of those children in the last 15 years. The bulk of these conversations have taken place since Trump’s inauguration. Amidst Trump’s consistent threats of deportation, the denial of DAPA (a sister law to DACA to provide parents of citizen children with the ability to work) and his administration’s hard line battle in Congress over the future of DACA, we push our representatives and ourselves to stand in defiance against political moves relying on fear and intolerance.

We respect those here under DACA as our fellow American citizens. And we thank you Nora Sandigo, for reminding us how much good there is in the world. - Maureen Post

Support the efforts by donating goods to the Nora Sandigo Children’s Foundation by visiting https://flottetonne.com/

Photo Credit : WIRED magazine

Each year, as a reward for academic achievement, students from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota are invited to attend a Rapid City Rush Hockey game. The Reservation, which has been home to the Oglala Lakota Tribe since 1889, is the eighth largest in the US. Like annual clockwork, in 2015, fifty or so 9 to 13 year old students made the hour trip for the hockey game. Throughout the game, as they sat with parents and chaperones, men sitting in a VIP box shouted racial slurs as they dumped beer on them from above. While initially investigated as a possible Federal Hate Crime, the incident was ultimately politicized and diminished down to a single charge of disorderly conduct. Despite opposition from Reservation residents, civil rights organizations and Native American advocates, the man was fully acquitted.

FBI reports in the last ten years assert Native Americans are more than twice as likely to be victims of race-based hate crimes as other racial groups. The greatest majority of these crimes are verbal harassment on the street, in public spaces and within business establishments. Further, the Bureau’s most recent report recognizes an increase in hate crimes across the board-- affecting all racial, religious and ethnic minorities. This rise is exponentially exacerbated by a 67 percent increase in reported hate crimes against Muslims.

We stand with Native Americans and support the removal of offensive representation and mainstream appropriation of their heritage. We outspokenly deny the Trump administration the arrogance to determine what is or isn’t offensive and respectfully defer to the voices of communities who have been greatly affected by a history of exploitation and discrimination.

Trump’s references to Native Americans and Muslims this week are indefensible. We urge you to write to your elected officials, donate to the ACLU and speak up and out in your own community. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : Allen Russel

In 1991, as Clarence Thomas was about to be confirmed to the US Supreme Court, a private interview between Anita Hill, one of Thomas’ former employees, and the FBI was leaked to the press. In the interview, Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment while working for him nearly 10 years earlier. As Americans watched on national television, Hill testified to her account in front of an all male Senate panel. She described Thomas’ continuous advances, his inappropriate sexual conversation and his claims of sexual prowess. When she was finished, the panel questioned her timing, her honesty and her motivation. Publicly, critics accused her of being delusional or having been slighted and as such, seeking revenge. Thomas’ testimony followed, relentlessly and under oath denying all allegations.

Over the course of the hearings, Hill’s account was confirmed by polygraph and four women came forward, willing to attest to the allegations. Thomas refused the polygraph and acknowledged he had asked her out 5 to 10 times and gone to her house on several occasions but “never thought anything of it.” In Hill’s words, "I have nothing to gain here. This has been disruptive of my life, and I've taken a number of personal risks. I have not gained anything except knowing that I came forward and did what I felt that I had an obligation to do. That was to tell the truth.” After extensive debate, Thomas was confirmed by a vote of 52–48, the closest margin in over 90 years.
For the first time, the controversy brought sexual harassment into the public sphere. As women listened to Hill’s testimony and subsequently witnessed Thomas’ ability to overcome it, a wave of intolerance and confidence emerged.

In the year that followed, harassment complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increased by 50 percent. Record numbers of women were elected to Congress and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, providing victim’s rights and due process, was passed. For the first time in history, private companies initiated training programs to deter sexual harassment.

We lend our courage to any woman who is facing harassment and is hesitant to speak out. We support those who have courageously come forward to force a slow but steady change in workplace culture. And we chose to avoid supporting any corporation or entity that opts to ignore or pay off accusations of sexual harassment. And even years later, we still stand with you Ms. Hill. - Maureen Post 

Photo Credit : R. Michael Jenkins.

In the 1968 Olympic summer games, Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200 meter race. Taking the medal podium alongside Silver medalist Australian Peter Norman, the three would exercise their right to free speech and political protest.
As the national anthem began, Smith and Carlos raised a black-gloved fist and held it in the air for the duration of the song. This silent action, which the International Olympic Committee would condemn, intended to highlight racial and social injustice plaguing Black America. In addition to a fist in the air, the two athletes stood without shoes, but rather in black socks, symbolizing black poverty. Smith wore a black scarf representing black pride and Carlos unzipped his tracksuit jacket as a sign of solidarity with American blue collar workers. Around his neck he wore a beaded necklace to represent “those individuals that were lynched, or killed and that no-one said a prayer for, that were hung and tarred.”
Compounding the unity of the demonstration, Australian athlete Peter Norman, who was a critic of Australia’s former White Australia Policy, joined them in wearing Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badges. The Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR), an organization founded in 1967, aimed to protest racism in sports and racial segregation in the United States. This silent action would prove to scream out for years; spurring public debate on the plight of the African American community and underscoring the need for American Civil Rights and equality on the international stage.

We stand with professional athletes and coaches who choose to take a knee during the national anthem in protest of social and racial injustice.

We stand with those who fight for our country and ensure our freedom to express dissent when we see discrimination and inequality.

And we denounce Trump’s statements and refuse to allow a President to dictate and threaten our civil liberties under the guise of patriotism. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : John Dominis via Wikimedia Commons

In 2011, former members of the American violent far-right extremist movement created the non-profit Life After Hate. Having disavowed a culture of racism and prejudice, the organization works to help other individuals leave lives of violence and hate. As they would openly attest, they felt they needed to “counter the seeds they had once planted.” In the time since, Life After Hate has helped countless individuals to transform their lives and supported institutions to understand the causes of intolerance. Through their personal experience, they have developed an understanding of what draws individuals to extremists groups as well as what pulls them out. They have become the catalyst for change of an incredible magnitude.

In January 2017, the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration awarded Life After Hate a $400,000 grant to support their efforts. As part of the Countering Violent Extremism Program, they were the only recipients to focus entirely on fighting white supremacy.
However, once Trump took office, the grant was revoked despite reports from the FBI reiterating the threat of domestic extremist groups. When questioned, the Department of Homeland Security stated they were prioritizing organizations that worked directly with law enforcement and targeted radical Islam.
To counter the movement we witnessed in Charlottesville as well as the views of extremist individuals including our current administration, it is critical that we support organizations teaching love and tolerance. - Maureen Post

Support Life After Hate by visiting: https://flottetonne.com/donate

Photo Credit : John-Paul Henry via Unsplash

Each day we go to work, women earn only a portion of their male counterparts. In the same positions, with the same education and qualifications, in low and high paying jobs alike. White women earn on average $.79 cents for every man’s dollar and if you are black or brown, it falls as low as $.55 cents.

It was in the 1940s that Winifred Stanley, a female Congresswoman, first introduced legislation pushing to close the gender wage gap. Voted down, it wasn’t until 1963 that President Kennedy passed the Equal Pay Act making wage discrimination based on gender punishable. However, the law left efforts to enforce tedious and subjective.
Currently still the standard; women are required to show that both the employer pays different wages and that they are performing equal work on jobs requiring equal skill.

More so, employers are able to avoid liability by asserting the pay difference is the result of a system of seniority or merit or quantity or quality of production. In essence, the burden of evidence falls unfairly on the plaintiff with large loopholes for companies to explain away discrimination. And so despite that 60% of women today are the sole or primary breadwinners, the initial pushes of the 70s and 80s have stalled. We see relatively the same number of women in roles as CEOs, partners in law firms and tenured university professors as we did in the 90s. The reasons for this are vast and systematic. Many of us are caught in intertwined cycles of poverty, discrimination and sexism. We are often forbidden to discuss wages with co-workers, thus perpetuating only a mere 44% of men to perceive that a pay gap exists.

We have been conditioned to believe that speaking out in the workplace equates stereotypes of bossy, angry or bitter, that in order to be taken seriously, we must “play down” or neutralize our womanhood. We are often made to feel that because we are more likely to be balancing home and work life or because we are entering male dominated fields of science and tech, a difference in pay is justifiable. But it is not. And it is imperative that we speak out.

We must voice our support for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Introduced in April 2017, the Act extends the intention of the Equal Pay Act to make discrepancies in wages transparent. The Act, which has been debated and voted down by Republicans several times, allows employees to freely discuss wages and prohibits employers from taking retaliatory action against employees who raise concerns. In short, the Act would make wage discrimination based on gender subject to the same remedies as discrimination based on race or national origin. - Maureen Post

Write to your Congressman. Resist the stereotypes. Question your employer. Support your fellow female co-workers.

Photo Credit : Huffington Post

As Hurricane Katrina hit hard and floods rolled in, it was women who were left in the Lower Ninth Ward. Disproportionately more likely to live in poverty, eighty percent of the people who remained were women, relegated to stay without cars to transport and with elderly or children to care for. In the days and months to follow, Louisiana communities witnessed an uptick in domestic violence and sexual assault. The lack of schools, childcare facilities, housing and public transportation— magnified barriers to employment and resulted in diminished workforce participation and wages for women of color.
These gender specific realities are universal to natural disasters around the world. In the 1995 Kobe earthquake, 1.5 times as many women died as men and in the 2004 Asian Tsunami, three times as many women were killed. And in Bangladesh in 1991, 90% of those killed by the cyclone were women who were more likely to be home. But the correlation between climate change and women’s rights goes far beyond natural disasters.
Specifically throughout the developing world, women make up the majority of agricultural field labor; impacted both physically and financially by rising temperatures, diminishing access to water and poor air quality.
As water becomes scarcer, women will be forced to trade time at school or work for time at wells and rivers. As disasters become more routine, women will be confined to caring for family at home. And as farming yields decrease, women and girls will eat less to provide food for their male family members. - Maureen Post

It is for these reasons that the link between climate change and women’s rights are intimately linked. Climate change quite literally is a women’s issue. And so in the face of the administration’s current budget and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, we encourage you to undertake any and all of the following:

1. Combat social and environmental barriers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers by supporting efforts by the American Association of University Women to increase women in STEM education.

2. Oppose the Presidential budget proposal by writing to your congressperson and rejecting the $1 billion dollar cut to the EPA, elimination of the Great Lakes Restoration program and funding cuts for air quality management and climate change research.

3. Support C40, “a network of the world’s mega cities committed to addressing climate change. C40 supports cities to collaborate effectively, share knowledge and drive meaningful, measurable and sustainable action on climate change.” http://www.c40.org/cities

Three years ago, Maria Hamilton’s son, Dontre Hamilton was shot and killed by a police officer. He was shot 14 times while in the park in the middle of the day. He was unarmed with nothing but a few pieces of candy in his pocket. The officer involved was fired but never criminally charged and continues to receive his full salary, in the form of a Duty Disability Retirement Payment, every year.

Amidst grief and anger, Maria Hamilton looked to other mothers, women who too had lost a child in a police shooting or in police custody and asked them to join her. Together the mothers of Terell Johnson, Dontre Hamilton, Corey Stingley, Brandon Johnson, Derek Williams, Darius Simmons, Larry Jenkins, Ernest Lacy and others created Mothers for Justice United, an organization dedicated to seeking justice for their children and putting an end to race based police policies.

On Mother’s Day weekend in 2015, they traveled to Washington DC marched on the US Department of Justice demanding their voices be heard. They since have spent their days protesting police brutality, marching against racial profiling and demanding justice.

This Mother’s Day, we stand with the Mothers for Justice United and honor their loss by demanding justice on their behalf.

Dontre Hamilton, Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Tanisha Anderson, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Rumain Brisbon, Jerame Reid, Tony Robinson, Philip White, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, Freddie Grey, Sandra Bland, Sam Dubose, Christian Taylor, India Kager, Jamar Clark, Terence Crutcher, Yvette Smith, Jordan Edwards and many more. - Maureen Post

For more information please visit: http://www.mothersforjusticeunited.org

Photo Credit : Mothers for Justice

In some neighborhoods in Syria, more than 50 bombs and mortars strike a day. They attack civilians, in homes and in public spaces, unexpectedly and indiscriminately.

Amidst an ongoing five year war, the people of Syria, specifically the women of Syria, live within one of our world’s greatest humanitarian crises. Women, who make up the displaced majority, regularly face kidnappings, rape and sexual assault, lack of basic services including reproductive healthcare and extremist control of dress and movement often rendering them home bound. Young girls, lacking education, money and security, are marrying far too young.

But in the midst of chaos and strife, something beautiful is happening. Ordinary people—both within Syria and abroad—have become providers of Smart Aid. A program created and sustained by the Karam Foundation, Smart Aid distributes support by asking one simple question: what do you need. Their work stabilizes women and families with programs to deter girls from child labor and marriage, and provide mothers with needed infant formula, food and cooking fuel. Their efforts are fiercely immediate and strategically long term-- any refugee family can receive a monthly stipend if their children remain enrolled in school.

And so today we stand in solidarity with the people of Syria. We recognize specifically Syrian women and girls face a struggle unlike any most of us have ever known and ask you to educate yourself on the war and the workings of the Karam Foundation. - Maureen Post

To help please visit: https://www.karamfoundation.org #womenforsyria

Photo Credit :  © Aneesa Talib for The Halimah Trust, UK