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Noteworthy

From the March 2004 edition:


Woman charged with murder for refusing C-section
On March 12, 2004, a flurry of national media reports highlighted the case of Melissa Ann Rowland, a Utah mother charged with criminal homicide in the death of a fetus for refusing to undergo a Caesarean section. Rowland, 28, was pregnant with twins when she sought treatment at several medical centers in Salt Lake City. On at least two occasions, doctors who examined Rowland recommended an immediate C-section based on indications of fetal distress, but Rowland—who has a long history of mental illness—declined. The twins were later delivered by C-section—a boy was stillborn; a girl survived and was placed, by prearrangement, with an adoptive family. If convicted of “depraved indifference” in the death of the male fetus, Rowland faces life in prison

Prior to giving birth, Rowland lived in a Salt Lake City suburb, subsisting on Social Security and disability benefits. She has been incarcerated since early January under a Utah law permitting criminal prosecution of women who abuse drugs or alcohol during pregnancy (the surviving twin tested positive for cocaine and alcohol exposure). Doctors and nurses who treated Rowland at one hospital stated Rowland disregarded their recommendation to undergo a C-section because she was concerned about the possibility of vertical scarring. Rowland denies she ever put concerns about her appearance above the safety of the babies and says her two older children, who live with their paternal grandparents, were also delivered by Caesarean.

While many mothers (and others) may not be moved to sympathy over the plight of a woman who allegedly endangered her unborn children by ignoring the warnings of trained medical professionals, the prosecution of Melissa Rowland is deeply troubling on several levels. First and foremost, the charges levied against Rowland suggest pregnant women fall into a special legal category where an individual’s right to refuse medical intervention is subordinated by the “rights” of a fetus. The conceptualization of “fetal rights” and “fetal abuse” in state criminal and civil statutes is, of course, a key strategy of anti-abortion lobbyists who hope to use these laws as a stepping stone for overturning Roe v. Wade. On the other hand, the representation of pregnant women as lesser persons in the eyes of the law is only a short leap from regressive cultural attitudes that presume any mother displaying a modicum of self-interest is neglecting the critical needs of her child.

The political fervor over fetal protection laws seems especially cynical considering the general lack of interest in expanding government programs to help needy families gain access to adequate resources—such as preventive health care, affordable housing, child care, education, and livable wages—so that more babies and children can lead safe and healthy lives once they’re actually born. Or how about expanding access to high quality pre-natal care—including mental health care and drug and alcohol treatment—for uninsured and underserved women? Not to mention universal paid parental leave for working mothers, which would go a long way for women who might be worried about losing a job or paying the rent during the six-plus week recovery from a C-section.

Information in this article was based on reports from the Salt Lake Tribune, Associated Press and Deseret Morning News.

For more information and research about the criminal prosecution of pregnant women in the U.S., visit the Advocates for Pregnant Women web site.

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Time magazine covers at-home moms
Professional women who abandon up-and-coming careers to stay at home with their kids are the subject of another high-profile cover story—the latest investigation of this often-abused topic appears in Time magazine (“The Case for Staying Home”, March 22, 2004).

It turns out that Time’s reporting on the issue is refreshingly well-balanced compared to recent coverage of the so-called “opt-out revolution” in the New York Times. Claudia Wallis, the story’s lead writer, skillfully captures the role of workplace dynamics in the exodus of talented women from elite professional positions and argues—quite effectively—that there are typically more complex factors at play in a mother’s decision to forgo paid employment than a desire to yield to the pull of maternal love. Two side articles–one by The Two-Income Trap co-author Amelia Warren Tyagi on the economic necessity of paid work for most middle-class mothers and another by journalist Michael Eliot on the how the realities of contemporary life undermine the ideal of shared parenting—round out the main feature. There is not even a hint of the dreaded Mommy Wars in Wallis’s tight reporting, which is almost unprecedented in popular journalism that wanders anywhere near the topic of mothers and paid employment. The only thing really missing is fuller acknowledgement that work-life conflict encroaches on the economic stability and quality of life of all parents—not just middle- and professional-class married couples. Omissions aside, mothers’ advocates now have a glimmer of hope that future forays into serious reporting on motherhood will take the lead of Time’s informative, clear-headed example.

Time magazine: The Case for Staying Home
(full text may not be accessible to non-subscribers)

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Elsewhere on the Web:
Recent news and commentary of note

From Women’s eNews (www.womensenews.org)

A Mother’s Place Is in the Women’s Movement
By Elizabeth Bauchner, WeNews commentator
In observance of Women's History month, Elizabeth Bauchner looks at how early feminism spearheaded social reforms, but left women in the home. The second wave focused on the work force. Now, she says, it's high time to fight for mothers' rights.

Women Sharpen Views on Social Security Run
By Marianne Sullivan, WeNews correspondent
With women having the most to win or lose from changes in Social Security, legal experts and other activists are sharpening their arguments about a major issue in the presidential campaign.

From The Boston Globe “Boston Works” section
(www.bostonworks.com):

Parents’ stress over care gap often disrupts work
By Maggie Jackson, Globe Correspondent, 3/14/04
Two Brandeis University researchers have completed the first study measuring how parental angst over after-school arrangements translates into on-the-job disruptions. Parents who are somewhat or considerably worried about after-school care, for instance, are three times as likely to report high levels of job disruptions.

For maximum efficiency, call on a mother
By Miranda Daniloff Mancusi, Globe Correspondent, 2/22/04
The skills of a mother could significantly increase her organization's productivity through her talents for assessing priorities, maximizing time, multitasking, and efficiency.

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National Council of Women’s Organizations
offers comprehensive voter’s guide

The NCWO (www.womensorganizations.org), an umbrella group of over 200 women’s organizations, has published The ABC Guide to Women’s Issues, a voter guide explaining 16 policy issues important to women. Issues covered include child care, paid family leave, health care, Social Security, and welfare reform. Each topic offers examples of questions for candidates, and the booklet includes a section on “The ABCs of Raising Women’s Issues.” The full edition of this attractive, easy-to-read guide is available for download (in .pdf) from the NCWO Web site.

The NCWO ABC Guide to Women’s Issues

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Welfare reform:
Child care shortfall, Working Moms in a Bind

In February 2004 the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) (www.clasp.org) released an analysis of state funding for child care assistance to low income families. According to the report, funding shortfalls are forcing states to enact restrictive policies that are hurting poor families and efforts to promote their employment and earnings, and the Bush Administration’s recently proposed FY 2005 budget would make this situation even worse.

Child Care Programs Help Parents Find and Keep Jobs:
Funding Shortfalls Leave Many Families Without Assistance

By Jennifer Mezey, February 10, 2004

In an article available from the AlterNet news service (www.alternet.org), Heather Boushey of the Center for Economic Policy Research looks at welfare reform and which aspect of the program have helped TANF recipients find jobs and care for their families. Boushey notes that changes currently under consideration would cut funding for child care assistance while increasing work hour requirements.

Working Moms in a Bind
By Heather Boushey, Center for American Progress, March 8, 2004

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NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
Family Initiative for Better Child Care

A project of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund (www.nowldef.org), the goal of the Family Initiative is to educate, engage and mobilize families from all walks of life to support major public investment in quality child care, preschool and afterschool. A downloadable report explains “what child care and early education choices parents have today (including some “best practices”), and how, working with families, communities, businesses, unions and government, we can and must create better quality, more affordable choices.” This report is clearly written and highlights all the key issues—a great tool for advocacy or education on child care policy. Other resources and publications are also available from the Family Initiative Web site (www.familyinitiative.org).

NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Family Initiative:
Better Child Care, Preschool and Afterschool
(in .pdf)

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Current Divorce Statistics

For those interested in all the gory statistical details of marital dissolution in the U.S., Divorce Magazine.com (www.divorcemag.com) has compiled facts and figures from several government and independent sources to create a quick reference. Unfortunately, individual entries aren’t cited to the original source, so the information is of limited use. But isn’t it great to know that as of 2002, the average drop in the standard of living for females after divorce is 45% and that 380,000 women are stalked by their ex-husbands each year? And by the way, in 1998 there were 9.68 million single parent women and just 2.04 million single parent men. Guess which group is twice as likely to be living in poverty?

U.S. Divorce Statistics compiled by Divorce Magazine.com

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— MMO March 2004

Previously in MMO Noteworthy ... 
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© 2003-2008 The Mothers Movement Online.

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