ANNAPOLIS The Women Legislators of Maryland will focus this legislative session on issues such as substance abuse and treatment, women and children’s health, gender bias, domestic violence and economic empowerment.
The group evaluated their fulfillment of promises they made to Maryland women four years ago, finding many accomplished but others still with work ahead to gain equality for females in the state.
“We’ve (done) a sort of report card to ourselves,” said Delegate Sue Hecht, D-Frederick, first vice president of the organization. “We (reviewed) how we’ve done in each of our promises to see what’s ahead.”
In September 1995, the group adopted the Pledge to Maryland Women based on ideas from the World Conference on Women in Beijing.
The 30,000 women at the Beijing conference developed a global plan on women’s equality and empowerment. From that, the Maryland legislators promised to concentrate on 12 specific women’s issues, including affordable health care, reproductive rights and equity in the workplace.
The 55-woman caucus analyzed their performance, said Delegate Sharon Grosfeld, D-Montgomery, treasurer of the group.
“We want to look at how we stack up and what we’ve done for Maryland women lately,” said Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore, president of the caucus, at a group meeting.
The caucus, in connection with the Maryland Commission for Women and the Center for Policy Alternatives, will present their accomplishments and outline their continuing agenda Wednesday at noon on the steps of the Statehouse.
Health care, economic and criminal bills that the Women Legislators supported and the governor signed into law top the list of successes, said Grosfeld and Delegate Adrienne Mandel, D-Montgomery, co-chairwoman of the caucus’ legislative committee.
Such bills include beginning an osteoporosis prevention and treatment program and a breast cancer-screening program, both offered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The group’s greatest pride, however, comes in last year’s passing of a bill that provides for health care plans to cover prescription contraceptive drugs, Grosfeld said.
“Maryland became the first and only state so far to do that for women,” she continued.
Despite the significant gains made in these arenas, though, the women’s caucus has a full agenda this session.
“We’ve made significant progress, but, unfortunately, it’s not complete yet,” Mandel said.
This year, the nine senators and 46 delegates are championing bills that call for health care coverage for annual chlamydia screenings and outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
“We look for bills that will get lost if we don’t champion them,” Hecht said.
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