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Week of
March 15, 2012 | | WOMEN IN THE WORLD "If Lehman Brothers had been a bit more Lehman Sisters," said Christine Lagarde at Newsweek and The Daily Beast’s annual Women in the World Summit, "we would not have had the degree of tragedy that we had as a result of what happened." The outspoken IMF chief was joined by Meryl Streep, Hillary Clinton, Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowe, and many other spectacular women at the event at Lincoln Center in New York City. While leaders like Lagarde make headlines, there are countless other mothers, sisters, and daughters who slip beneath the headlines yet push the world every day toward a brighter future, writes Tina Brown, editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and Newsweek, in describing the inspiring event. CONTROVERSY Knowledge is power, but when it comes to abortion, it can make a thorny decision even thornier. Some states, including Arkansas and Kansas, are considering laws that would protect doctors who don't provide full information to their pregnant patients about their fetuses—failing to warn them about birth defects that might lead mothers to abort. However, in Oregon, a judge recently handed down a nearly $3 million settlement to a couple that was misinformed about their daughter's Down syndrome diagnosis. Michelle Goldberg writes that wrongful-birth lawsuits are an important safeguard for women against substandard natal care. BATTLE The battle over President Obama's contraception mandate is just winding down, but Congress looks set to divide along party and gender lines once again. This time the issue is the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act. The legislation would continue grant programs to law enforcement and shelters for battered women, and increase free legal assistance to victims of domestic violence. It would also allow more abused illegal immigrants to claim temporary visas, and would extend programs to same-sex couples—two aspects that Republicans object to. Democratic women plan to march to the Senate floor and demand passage of the bill. "I am furious," said Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington. "We're mad, and we're tired of it." LIFESAVER She has provided lifesaving healthcare and housing to as many as 90,000 Somalis displaced by civil war. This week, Dr. Hawa Abdi was honored for her work, receiving a Women of Impact Award from the Women in the World Foundation, including a $25,000 grant. One of the first female obstetricians in her country, Abdi, who was recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize as well, has seen more than 400 people flee her facility this week amid the violence that has torn Somalia apart over the past two decades. "Nobody defines a woman of impact more than Dr. Abdi," said Women in the World Foundation president Kim Azzarelli. To get involved, visit the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation.
REVENGE In a controversial move, a female Ohio legislator introduced a bill Monday that would require men to have medical tests and visit a sex therapist before getting a prescription for Viagra and other erectile-dysfunction drugs. Sen. Nina Turner said that if lawmakers want to put limits on women's reproductive health, men's reproductive health should be examined as well. Turner's bill is part of a national trend to spur legislation about men's reproductive health—which some see as an act of revenge. | | 
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