January 2012
With the economy finally looking up, the Obama administration, re-elected for a second term, is now able to fund the social programs it’s pledged to invest in. President Obama has promised to find ways to decrease the cost of education to make a college education accessible for “everyone who wants it.” CNN has reported that special grants will be available for young women, but no further details are available at this time.
February 2012
The Feminist Majority Leadership Foundation is teaming up with The Astrea Foundation to conduct research on infertility. After over a decade of research on dioxin exposure, there are now official statistics demonstrating a decrease in ovum production among women born before 1990. The combined $2 million grant will focus on solutions to negotiate this rise in infertility.
June 2012
The FMLF/Astrea infertility grant has published its first list of solutions: at the top is a request to advance fertility resources, particularly to encourage younger women who aren’t ready for pregnancy to freeze at least one of their eggs for possible adoption. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) has announced that it has enough funding to continue its current level of compensation per-egg. The average payment per egg is $8000.
July 2012
The Coalition for Christ, the largest evangelical Christian organization in the country, has condemned Obama’s plan for a 50% tuition refund for younger women who donate an egg to When We’re Ready, an organization that coordinates egg transfers to infertile couples, including women in same-sex relationships. “It is not the right of When We’re Ready to play God,” The Coalition lashed out, “homosexuals are not able to have children for a reason…and heterosexual infertility is part of the greater plan.” Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has called this a “breakthrough, both in facilitating the reproductive cooperation of our country and for affordable education for women, a minority group that have historically been prevented from accessing the most elite universities in our country. Less than 100 years ago, women couldn’t even vote,” he concluded.
August 2012
The first surgical removal of a uterus, followed by a safe and vibrant re-implantation, has been deemed a success. Sarah Doyle of Springfield, NJ is comfortably recovering in her home with her husband Todd and three-year-old son, James. Nestle has funded the research behind this medical breakthrough, and pledges millions of dollars towards technology to freeze and store uteri. The ability to perform temporary hysterectomies has been lauded by reproductive rights supporters as a further step towards family planning and reproductive freedom. Gloria Steinem, poster-child for the Second Wave of feminism, calls this, “a milestone. I never thought I’d see the day.” She is 82.
October 2012
Nestle has invented a pod that can house a woman’s uterus for up to 15 years without noticeable damage. The pod looks a lot like those Nespresso machines that were so popular in Europe 5 years ago. Anyone remember those?