Rep. Sue Wallis rocks.

A Wyoming House of Representatives bill that would have required doctors to offer an ultrasound to any woman seeking an abortion has been defeated in commitee.
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/02/05/legislature/breaking/doc498b13d76e5d9724543036.txt
Kudos to Representative Sue Wallis (a Republican from Gillette) for providing personal testimonial about her own abortion and her lack of regret about it. She didn't have to add her story to the debate, but attached a very public face to the issue by doing so.

A history of tough, independent women

The NY Times had a fascinating article yesterday on the history of northern Wyoming. In the early 1900s, there was a movement to lop off the top half of the state and join forces with a part of Montana and South Dakota to form a separate state: Absaroka. While not specifically a women's history, the story does feature a few tough ladies:

“It was 90 miles of dirt road to the county seat,” said Helen Graham, who was a teenager in 1930s South Dakota, a daughter of struggling homesteaders.

And a modern-day ranch woman:

Jill Havert stirred 40 eggs for the guests and crew in a cast-iron pot as the gas burners hissed under the canvas and the creek rippled outside. Ms. Havert, a 21-year-old nursing student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, is being “initiated,” as she put it, into the Kerns family. Her boyfriend, Tyler Kerns, 20, is one of Ken Kerns’s grandchildren and a junior in architectural engineering at the university. He has been making cattle drives since childhood; she was on her first, and dark-before-dawn breakfast duty was part of the drill.

“This is a sink-or-swim family,” Ms. Havert said. “But I’m holding my own.”

Film Fest Wrap-Up

My friend Shannon attended the special screening of "Don't Fence Me In" during last weekend's JH Film Festival. The documentary about Wyoming women and girls was made by Bonnie Kreps and Charlie Craighead. After the screening, there was a panel discussion on Wyoming women and activism. I asked Shannon to share her reflections:

I had a great time at the screening of the homegrown film "Don't Fence Me In" at the film festival on Saturday. I was inspired by the quality of the film from the cinematography, to the audio to the editing, and mostly I was inspired by the stories of the women featured. Hearing the story of a young women elected county commissioner on the reservation, or the first female black legislator, or the rancher from Powell, or the rural doctor, or the young environmental activists from our neck of the woods, was a reminder that Wyoming does have diverse landscapes and experiences that shape women's lives. The discussion with the film makers afterward allowed the point to be made (thanks to Mickey Babcock) that this film was made because Wyoming is the Equality State (NOT!) and it is important that women's stories be told so that folks can take action to support equality. I hope this film gets good play time. Kudos to all of the folks involved: Bonnie Kreps, Amy McCarthy, Mickey Babcock, Charlie Craighead, and the cinematographer/editor (I can't remember her name, but she did a fabulous job). PS Charlie said this was the first time he worked with an all women crew and that the approach to movie making was very different and that he loved it!

Affordable Housing and Women: A Conversation with Melissa Turley

Cowgrrl Up! recently spoke with Jackson Town Council member Melissa Turley about how affordable housing issues impact women in our area. This is the first in an occasional series of conversations with women leaders about women and housing in Jackson Hole.

CU: Do you think affordable housing in Jackson is a women's issue? If so, how?

MT: Across Wyoming, we know that seventy-one percent of single parent households are headed by women, and thirty-eight percent of these families live in poverty (Department of Family Services - 2003). We also know that Wyoming’s wage gender gap is the worst in the nation: women in Wyoming earn 66 cents to every dollar earned by men. (Status of Women in Wyoming - 2004). But in Teton County, affordable housing is an issue that impacts a large cross-section of our community - it certainly impacts single female heads of household to a great extent, but it also impacts families with two heads of household, singles, and the whole range of economic levels, ages, and careers. So while I understand that affordable housing is one of many challenges that is more difficult for female heads of household, it is definitely not an issue that is limited to women.

CU: What can women do to advocate for themselves as Jackson moves forward with its comprehensive plan?

MT: It's important for all members of our community to get engaged and make their voices heard through the comprehensive plan update. I hope people will visit the comprehensive plan website, www.jacksontetonplan.com, or Town Hall, to learn more, and let us know what's important to them. This process will define how we want our community to grow for the next five to ten years, and we need to hear if people value more affordable housing, or better public transit, or so many other things!

CU: Do you think town and county leaders need to take women's issues into account as they move forward with planning? (Wage differences, occupational demographics, need for proximity to health care..)

MT: I would hope that as our community's local elected leaders plan for our future, they are creating a plan that supports a vibrant community for all citizens. I think our current leaders have been very supportive of social services that serve women and children, but they would appreciate hearing from women in the community about other steps they can take to support women's issues. Please contact them!

Melissa Turley serves on the Jackson Town Council. She is the owner of the consulting firm m.e.t. solutions; she serves on the boards of Equality Initiatives and Girls Actively Participating. She is the proud owner of a Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust affordable home.
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Fun Facts: Wyoming Women's History

From the State of Wyoming's own website:

"Wyoming is also known as the 'Equality State' because of the rights women have traditionally enjoyed here. Wyoming women were the first in the nation to vote, serve on juries and hold public office.

In 1869, Wyoming's territorial legislature became the first government in the world to grant 'female suffrage' by enacting a bill granting Wyoming women the right to vote. The act was signed into law on December 10 of that year by Governor A.J. Campbell.

Less than three months after the signing of that act, on February 17, 1870, the 'Mother of Women Suffrage in Wyoming'-Ester Hobart Morris of South Pass City-became the first woman ever to be appointed a justice of the peace. Laramie was also the site for the first equal suffrage vote cast in the nation by a woman-Mrs. Louisa Swain on September 6, 1870."

Atta Girl Awards - Nominate by March 12

The Equipoise Fund is accepting nominations for its annual ATTA GIRL awards. Get your nomination in by March 12 at http://www.equipoisefund.org/nominations.html.

"The Equipoise Fund created the Atta Girl Awards to give Wyoming women and girls a 'butt-boost' for all the lives they lift. The Equipoise Fund invites nominations of inspiring Wyoming women who use their energy and creativity to create positive change for women in Wyoming. Nominees may be engaged in personal, volunteer or professional venues. Their efforts should increase the vision, voice and visibility of Wyoming women directly, or their efforts may empower and encourage other women to claim their voice."

I love this organization!!!