News & Events
The year in Women: A look back on 2011
December 29, 2011
Make no mistake, 2011 was a rough year for many, especially women. But here (in no particular order) are ten bright spots in what was often a very dark year. Although in 2011 women faced unprecedented challenges in Wisconsin and around the world, these steps forward make us hopeful for 2012:
You continued to support the Wisconsin Women’s Network: 2011 was an incredible year for the Wisconsin Women’s Network. We began outreach programs to young women, we moved our office and joined the Center for Change, we planned and began implementing our 2012 Women’s Policy Institute, we held fundraisers and events such as the Women’s Equality Day Celebration and Artful Women. But we could not have done any of these things without you—our incredible paying members, our volunteers who led so many of these efforts, our energetic and passionate interns, our supporters on Facebook and Twitter, our regular eBulletin readers, our donors, and the community leaders and advocates who attend our events. You are the fuel that keeps our coalition running; you inspire us with your commitment to women’s advancement; and you ensure the Network remains strong. Thank you for your continued support of our work!
Women make their marks on state politics: Although Wisconsin women continue to be grossly underrepresented in elected office, 2011 may mark a turning point for women in politics. During the August Senate recall elections alone, seven women were on the ballot in six elections (five Democrats and two Republicans)—with two women from each party (four total) winning. We can only hope that women from both parties will come together in 2012 to help improve conditions for Wisconsin’s women and girls.
Small steps towards workplace equality: Women’s advancement (or inability to advance) in the workplace was a major topic in late 2011 and received special attention is several major news outlets. The talk led to some signs of progress. For home care workers, who are predominantly women, 2011 was a year of victory as the Obama administration proposed regulations to provide these workers minimum wage and overtime protections. On the state level, Milwaukee Women Inc. announced that the number of women holding seats on publicly traded corporate boards in Wisconsin has risen dramatically since 2003, although the number of women executives remained the same.
Progress for women in the Middle-East: In a year of protests and government overthrows, 2011 showed signs of hope for the increased status of women in the Middle East. Perhaps, most notable was Saudi women gaining the right to vote. Progress could also be seen in efforts to protect women’s health and security—such as efforts in Afghanistan to cut down on its horrendous maternal mortality rate. There is still a long way to go for women in these countries and around the world, but these developments offer some hope for the new year.
Three Women share Nobel Peace Prize: Perhaps making up for years of ignoring women’s efforts to advance international peace, the Nobel jury in 2011 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to three women, in acknowledgement of women’s growing international leadership and the non-violent international struggle for women’s rights.
Politicians and advocates continue the fight to protect women’s health and reproductive rights: In a year filled with state and federal legislation detrimental to women’s access to health care and reproductive rights, the continued fight against these measures was truly remarkable. WWN Reproductive Rights Task Force members NARAL-Pro Choice Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, Family Planning Health Services, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, the Wisconsin Women’s Health Alliance and the ACLU led efforts to protect comprehensive sex ed and access to health care and reproductive planning services for women across the state.
Bipartisan support for efforts to protect sexual assault victims and end violence against women. In Wisconsin, 2011 was a year of budget cuts, but late in the year politicians on both sides of the aisle spoke up to protect sexual assault victim services—with Governor Walker announcing in December the restoration of some funding for victims programs. Although some devastating cuts remain in place, it was comforting to see politicians on the state and federal levels acknowledge that sexual assault and violence against women should never be partisan issues.
A new generation gets vocal and takes action: In the year of the protester, young women were there every step of the way, often risking their lives to build a better future for themselves and others. They reported abuse at the hands of their governments, documented uprisings in their communities, organizing rallies and awareness campaigns on issues ranging from revolution, to health care access, to economic inequality, to censorship. There can be little doubt that the passionate, civic engagement of so many women in their 30s or younger can in the years to come only increase awareness of the issues that affect them and their families.
The League takes the lead to protect voters: After 91 years, the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, one of WWN’s founding organizations, continues to be a vocal advocate for unhindered suffrage for all people regardless of political persuasion, gender, income, education, race, age or physical ability. In 2011 the League sued the State of Wisconsin over its new voter ID law, which the League argues greatly restricts citizens right to vote—proving that the fight for suffrage did not end with the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment.
Birth control to be covered under new health care law: In early August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced guidelines requiring health insurance plans to begin covering several women’s preventative services including birth control. Although it remains to be seen whether the federal government will require insurance plans provided by religiously-affiliated employers to also cover birth control, this announcement was still a major step forward for women who struggle to afford their birth control and other family planning services.
