Chirpstory - Stories Tagged with women

Alabama is among 12 states that have proposed controversial legislation aimed at what some protestors call an effort to “turn the clock back 100 years.” Since the mid-term 2010 elections after Republican politicians took control of state legislatures around the country, hundreds of hostile laws have been proposed targeting women’s health issues, voter rights, workers’ rights, and immigration.

Mrs. Obama’s efforts couldn't have come at a better time than now as women's issues have emerged as a key area of debate in this year's presidential race. The controversy over women’s reproductive rights, in particular, has brought women’s issues to forefront as Republican legislators have begun pushing an ugly, anti-women agenda in recent weeks, and women of all backgrounds, religions, and political persuasions have begun pushing back.

During the conference call, the First Lady is expected to discuss the progress the Obama Administration has made over the past three years and address what goals remain. She is also expected to remind the Obama volunteers of why it is so important to work to get President Obama reelected so that he may build on his list of accomplishments—including signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act—a major step forward for women's equality—and his leadership in passing historic health reform that now gives women access to a wide range of preventive health services, including contraception, mammograms, and well-woman visits, all without a co-pay.

During the month of February, Mrs. Obama has hit the road--both formally and informally--to tout both her message of women's fitness and health, and President Obama’s huge list of accomplishments. On yesterday, the First Lady Michelle Obama headlined a major donor fund-raiser lunch for an Obama "Women and Technology" event in Washington before welcoming a group of students to a Blues at the White House event in celebration of Black History Month.

If Twitter activity is any indication, then volunteers across America appear to be excited about the First Lady’s anticipated participation in the Women for Obama conference call and house parties.

A sampling of views expressed on Twitters by both women and men indicate overall strong support for more and more women to step up and call out Republicans for their obstruction.