Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and the Dane County Coalition for Women’s Health gathered downtown Wednesday in recognition of comprehensive women’s health care providers and Women’s Health Day.
The Dane County Women’s Health Coalition is composed of 20 organizations and individuals, such as Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health and the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
Approximately 50 students, doctors and community leaders rallied on the steps of the City-County Building with homemade signs bearing various messages in support for reproductive choice, such as “Pro-Faith, Pro-Child, Pro-Choice,” “Reproductive Justice for All” and “Future Doctors for Choice.”
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Falk proclaimed Wednesday as Women’s Health Day in support of medical professionals who provide necessary reproductive care to women in the community.
According to Chris Taylor, public policy director at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, many of these healthcare providers have been targeted and harassed for providing necessary services.
Falk said the proclamation of Women’s Health Day is important because “every aspect of women’s reproductive health and making sure that women have choice is important to celebrate and recognize every day.”
She said the rally recognizes the advancement of women’s reproductive rights, which should be appreciated and expanded further.
“It really sends a message about what the priorities are of this community,” Taylor said. “That we are going to support the women and the women’s health care providers.”
Several medical students participated at the rally to demonstrate support for women’s health care providers. UW medical student Holly Holbrooks said she participated in the rally because she is a future doctor.
“I wanted to show support for health care providers in Dane County because we will join them in the near future, and it’s important for the medical community to show our support,” Holbrooks said.
Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, addressed the realities of political opposition to women’s health care policies, but supporters have actively prevented the passage of opposing legislation.
“I’ve been stunned to discover that it’s constant battle to protect women and teen girls’ rights to comprehensive health care,” Berceau said. “I’ve seen them insert the politics of ideology into our doctor’s offices, into our families and into our bedrooms. Consistently and fervently, my like-minded colleagues and the people standing here have helped me and others stop these anti-women policies from becoming law.”
Matt Sande, legislative director for Pro-life Wisconsin, said he supported the idea of a Women’s Health Day, but said it should focus on ailments affecting women such as osteoporosis, breast cancer and other diseases.
Sande added certain aspects of the focus of this day, such as reproductive rights, entails abortions, which he calls incongruent with women’s health.
“Pro-Life Wisconsin is pro-women’s health,” Sande said, adding abortions do not constitute health care due to their risky nature.
Falk also said she will continue to fight for the financial support necessary for the continuance of organizations such as Planned Parenthood, which provide health care to more than 70,000 women and men throughout Wisconsin, in the upcoming budget process.
