Posted by VP of Action Josephine Martell

The Justice Department recently announced that it had changed the federal definition of “rape.” Going forward rape will include male victims and female perpetrators, as well as, situations in which victims are unable to give consent, such as a disabled person or someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The new definition defines it as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

For years, a number of organizations had been calling for changes to the old definition which was narrowly defined as “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will,” and only counted vaginal-penile penetration and women as victims.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/January/12-ag-018.html

Written by RI NOW Activist Shandi Hanna:

On December 10, 2011 nearly 200 people gathered in Burnside Park in Providence to be a part of a rally and march that aimed to bring awareness to the issues of homelessness and affordable housing in RI.  These protestors were a variety of men, women and children, some struggling with these issues themselves.  The event was coordinated by Occupy Providence, the RI Coalition for the Homeless, and Direct Action for Rights and Equality, but was also supported and advertised by a number of other agencies, including RI National Organization for Women and many others.  I attended the rally as an active member of RI NOW and as a young woman who is personally inspired and energized by the Occupy movement and the potential it has for making change.  The rally began at Burnside Park, which has been “Occupied” for nearly 2 months by the 24 hour a day protesters that make up Occupy Providence.  After some guidance from Occupy organizers, the march began and took us through the streets of downtown Providence.  While we marched people waved signs bearing messages such as “Housing is a Human Right” and “Stop Foreclosures and Evictions”, and chanted rhymes such as “Money for homes and education, not for banks and corporations”.  The march concluded with the participants gathering on the State House steps, where we listened to speeches from homeless advocates as well as individuals who were or currently are homeless.  The rally at the State House was followed by discussion groups among the protestors and rally organizers, a pot luck dinner, and the setting up of tents to camp out on the State House lawn.

According to the RI Coalition for the Homeless, the top two reasons people become homeless in Rhode Island are a lack of adequate income and the lack of affordable housing.  If an individual works at a minimum wage job, in order to afford the average 2 bedroom apartment in RI, they would need to work 102 hours a week for 52 weeks a year.  That’s a small price to pay for a roof over your head, no?  Now let’s imagine instead of an individual it is a single family household headed by a mother, who in order to work needs to find childcare for her child in addition to all the other expenses.  Given the recurring cuts to programs such as The Child Care Assistance Program, RI Works Cash Assistance, Rite Care Health Insurance, and staffing cuts to the Child Support Enforcement Agency, a working mother has very few supports to help her work and maintain her household.  One third of all single-mother families have incomes below the Federal Poverty Level (which in 2008 was $17,600 for a family of 3), a statistic which includes those single-mother families who are receiving government assistance.  With numbers like this, it is no surprise that out of the roughly 4,400 people who experienced homelessness at some point last year, an estimated 39% of those were families, 13% of which were children under the age of 5.  On average, 15% of homeless persons found themselves without a home due to being victims of domestic violence, the majority of this group being women.

In Rhode Island, the lack of affordable housing is an enormous problem, especially when coupled with the extremely high unemployment rate that has plagued our state for years now.  Those living near and especially under the Federal Poverty Level are one mistake or miscalculation away from finding themselves homeless, and many times the mistake is not theirs, but instead their landlords.  Between January and June of 2011 in, an average of 188 resident foreclosure deeds were filed per month in Rhode Island, which is especially devastating given the number of multi-family homes that were foreclosed on.  During that time period, 317 multi-family homes were foreclosed, which equals out to roughly 908 individuals and families that lived in those homes being kicked out.  Add to that the 811 single-family homes and condominiums that were foreclosed on in the same time period, that leaves a total of 1,719 homes lost in RI in 6 months alone.

Homelessness and affordable housing are a huge issue for everyone in RI, and especially for women and children.  The intention of the rally and march was not only to bring attention to these issues and get people talking about them, but also to let everyone know what can be done to help.  There are three key pieces of legislation that will be introduced in the upcoming legislative session that are aimed to combat these issues and should be strongly supported by citizens and lawmakers alike.

1)    Dedicated Funding for Affordable Housing: RI is one of only 9 states that doesn’t have a dedicated stream of funding for affordable housing, which is imperative to ending homelessness.  Affordable housing often takes multiple years to build, and in order to keep up with the demand, a reliable funding stream needs to be available for those willing to build these homes.

2)    Homeless Bill of Rights: This bill is to ensure that homeless Rhode Islanders are granted the same rights, privileges, and access to services as any other citizen, including the right to vote, use public spaces, and get equal treatment by police, medical professionals and employers.

3)    Just Cause Bill:  This legislation will prohibit banks from evicting former tenants and homeowners of foreclosed properties unless they fail to pay rent, harm the property, or otherwise give “just cause” for eviction and will allow more individuals and families to stay in their homes rather than the streets.  In late July of 2010, “An Act to Stabilize Neighborhoods” was unanimously passed in Massachusetts legislature, which is the country’s most comprehensive law that protects people in foreclosed properties.  This act contains a “just cause” section that is similar to the protections which will be allowed if this bill passes.

Now is the time to start talking to the people in your community as well as your Senators and Representatives about these bills and where they stand on the issues of homelessness and affordable housing.  These issues are important to all of Rhode Islands’ residents, and especially woman and children.  Let’s make this the last winter that our fellow residents will be out in the cold.

Our friends at the Women’s Health and Education Fund are hosting the 2nd annual WHEF Bowl-a-thon at Town Hall Lanes in Johnson on April 3rd. WHEF is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization that raises money to help low-income women access the reproductive health services of their choice.

Their bowl-a-thon, hosted with the support of the National Network of Abortion Funds, is from 3-5 p.m with registration beginning at 2 p.m.  At this website, you can register a team, find out more information about the event, or make a donation in support of a bowler.  Questions can be directed to bowl4whef@gmail.com.

Join the planning committee and other WHEF bowlers downstairs at Local 121 to register for the 2011 event! And, of course, to have a few drinks, appetizers, check out photos from last year’s event and mingle with other pro-choice rock stars like yourself! After raising nearly $8,000 last year, WHEF is setting its sights high and looking to bring in $20,000! For more information, please contact us at bowl4whef@gmail.com.

The Health Care Reform Bill, which passed into effect last Tuesday, excludes abortion  from the procedures covered by federally funded health insurance companies (except in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is at risk). The legislation was altered to omit abortion coverage in order to have a better chance at passing. This is a reminder that abortion rights, including funding and access, are still in jeopardy.

Check out this article for more information.

On March 23, 2010, Washington became the seventh state to prohibit the shackling of pregnant incarcerated women during labor and delivery.

Washington’s law is similar to statutes already passed in Illinois, California, Vermont, New Mexico, Texas, and New York.  Pennsylvania may soon join the list, as their State Senate recently passed an anti-shackling bill as well.

Across the nation, prisons, jails, and other penal institutions have routinely shackled pregnant women across the stomach and at the ankles and wrists during transport, labor, and even childbirth.  Women who have experienced these restraints recall the practice as humiliating and even potentially dangerous.  ”I felt like an animal who was giving birth in front of her masters,” said one former inmate who provided testimony in Washington.

A number of professional groups have condemned the practice of shackling pregnant women, including Amnesty International and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).  The judicial system has also weighed in:  the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals held in a 2009 case, Nelson v. Norris, that shackling a woman in late-stage labor, in the absence of a security need, constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” in violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Advocacy groups in Rhode Island have been working hard to raise awareness about this issue.  The RI affiliate of the ACLU and RI NOW jointly filed an open records lawsuit against the Department of Corrections (“D.O.C.”) at the beginning of February.  They are contesting the agency’s refusal to release the entirety of its policies relating to the use of restraints on women prisoners when they are in labor, delivering a baby or in post-delivery recuperation.

In the meantime, legislation called the Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act has been introduced in both the Rhode Island House and Senate this session.  The bills establish standards for the treatment of pregnant prisoners; among other things, the proposed law would ban restraints during the transportation of a woman to a medical facility and during labor, delivery, or postpartum recovery.  An exception is carved out to allow the least restrictive restraint if an inmate is deemed to be a serious risk of physical harm to herself or others or is a flight risk.  However, the legislation would ban the use of leg or waist restraints while a woman is in labor or delivery in all circumstances.

If you are concerned about this issue, contact the members of the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee and/or the Senate Judiciary Committee.