07 LC 36
0410
House
Resolution 17
By:
Representatives Thomas of the
55th,
Abdul-Salaam of the
74th,
Benfield of the
85th,
Beasley-Teague of the
65th,
and Sinkfield of the
60th
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
the National Advocates for Pregnant Women's National Summit to Ensure the Health
and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women and proclaiming January 19, 2007, as
Ensuring the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women Day in Georgia;
and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) works to secure the human and
civil rights, health, and welfare of all women, particularly pregnant and
parenting women and those who are most vulnerable, low-income women, women of
color, and drug-using women; and
WHEREAS,
the NAPW works to ensure that women do not lose their constitutional and human
rights as a result of pregnancy; that addiction and other health and welfare
problems they face during pregnancy are addressed as health issues, not as
crimes; that families are not needlessly separated based on medical
misinformation; and that pregnant and parenting women have access to a full
range of reproductive health services, as well as nonpunitive drug treatment
services; and
WHEREAS,
the goal of the NAPW's Summit is to acknowledge and build on the connections
between those who identify themselves primarily as pro-choice and members of the
maternity rights and birth with dignity movements; and
WHEREAS,
this ground-breaking event will honor differences of opinion, recognize the
common threats all pregnant and birthing women face, and celebrate the common
ground shared as everyone works together to ensure the humanity, dignity, and
well-being of all pregnant and birthing women, their families, and their
communities; and
WHEREAS,
today's highly politicized and polarizing abortion debate creates the false and
destructive illusion that there are two kinds of women – women who have
abortions and women who have babies – when the reality is that they are
all the same women; and
WHEREAS, 61 percent of women having abortions are already mothers, raising one or more children; and
WHEREAS, 61 percent of women having abortions are already mothers, raising one or more children; and
WHEREAS,
by age 25, approximately half of all women in the United States have experienced
at least one birth, and by age 44, this figure increases to approximately 85
percent; and
WHEREAS,
because there are ongoing efforts to limit women's access to contraception and
abortion services, women who are continuing to term also face increased
interference with their rights – such as being denied access to vaginal
births after cesarean sections, are sometimes shamed, coerced, or forced into
having unnecessary c-sections, or are threatened and sometimes actually punished
through criminal or civil child welfare sanctions for continuing to term in
spite of health problems they face due to suffering a stillbirth or for choosing
a particular method of delivery; and
WHEREAS,
pregnant women, regardless of their views on the abortion controversy, are
increasingly confronting employment discrimination as well as policies around
health insurance, the environment, and drugs that threaten their health and
well-being and that of their children; and
WHEREAS,
pregnant women across party lines and of diverse faiths continue to face
domestic violence and discrimination based on race, class, and disability;
and
WHEREAS,
over 50 international, national, and Georgia-based organizations with diverse
interests and commitments are supporting this pioneering Summit.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body recognize the National Advocates for Pregnant Women's National Summit
to Ensure the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women and salute its
worthy goals and efforts towards ensuring the humanity, dignity, and well-being
of all pregnant and birthing women and their families; and proclaim January 19,
2007, as Ensuring the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women Day in
Georgia.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the National
Advocates for Pregnant Women.