AAUW Cancels Service Learning Event with Susan G. Komen Foundation

[Ian David]

AAUW Cancels Service Learning Event with Susan G. Komen Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02/02/2012

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AAUW Cancels Service Learning Event with Susan G. Komen Foundation

WASHINGTON – The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is disappointed with the Susan G. Komen Foundation's decision to strip funding for cancer screenings from Planned Parenthood. As a result, AAUW will not offer the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure as an optional pre-conference community service opportunity at the upcoming National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). NCCWSL is an annual leadership event, now in its 27th year, attended by hundreds of college women from across the nation.

"This is an opportunity for AAUW to demonstrate leadership on a vital women's health issue: cancer screenings and mammograms for poor and underserved women," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "Taking a stand now is an excellent example of what the NCCWSL conference is all about: empowering college women as leaders and informed decision makers."

To its credit, Komen has made advances in women's health. This optional service learning activity has been part of previous conferences.

"AAUW is disappointed that some are playing politics with women's health and jeopardizing care for the most vulnerable among us," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations.

AAUW's long-held position on health care is clear. The member-adopted Public Policy Program makes "increased access to quality, affordable health care and family planning services" a priority.

AAUW hopes that Planned Parenthood and the Komen Foundation, both iconic organizations well known for their efforts to improve and advance women's health, can come to an agreement to restore this critically needed funding. Planned Parenthood health centers provide a wide range of safe, reliable health care, more than 90 percent of which is preventive, primary care. These clinics are often the only source of medical care for their patients, providing access to contraception, reducing sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screening for breast, cervical, and other cancers.

"This is a regrettable situation for all concerned but exactly the kind of circumstance in which we must strongly adhere to our principles. Those principles have guided us well for more than 130 years," Hallman said.


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The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 130 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.

More:
http://www.aauw.org/media/pressreleases/komen_02022012.cfm

[Carolina]

1. Good

Let the hits keep coming.

Way to go, AAUW
Way NOT to go, Komen

[redqueen]

2. Excellent.

They're a fantastic organization.

[CherokeeDem]

3. As a former AAUW member....

I applaud their decision! Komen's action has angered the organizations that were vital to their success. Perhaps the Koch brothers will fund Komen from now on, I know they are getting any more money or volunteer time from me.

[justiceischeap]

11. It'll be a while until we see what happens to Komen

but, from what I've seen, most of the positive comments are from people who are against choice. If Komen looses most of it's bipartisan support, I doubt they'll be the organization they once were with just the anti-choicer's--unless the Koch Bros. step up.

[yardwork]

12. That's all they've got. The trouble with that is that Komen's marketing was broad-based.

The news today that Susan G. Komen is no longer funding stem-cell research, which means that they've dropped all pretense of doing legitimate cancer research, will just accelerate this public relations disaster. By the time this is done SGK will have lost not only hundreds of thousands of supporters, but the good name and good will they had all across the country.

I've never donated to SGK or paid much attention to their races or marketing, but I do like the color pink and I've bought their branded items thinking that I was helping to contribute to a good cause. No more. I will shun all their little trinkets and all pink-branded SGK merchandise from now on. Millions of other people just like me are suddenly very aware of SGK and we feel very negatively toward them.

I don't think that the organization will ever recover from this. They can never get back that good name.

[jeff47]

13. Don't forget about the corporate angle

Lots of companies slapped pink on their products because Komen was a "safe" charity. You wouldn't upset any possible customers by donating to Komen, so companies did to look like they cared about people.

This decision ends that.

[yardwork]

14. Now I'm learning that Komen protected polluting companies that may actually cause cancer.

Lobbying efforts by founder Nancy Brinker protect companies from federal laws, allowing them to continue polluting the environment in ways that probably cause cancer. So this is really corrupt.

[suffragette]

4. K&R

[avaistheone1]

5. YES!

K&R

[joeybee12]

6. Excellent!

[xchrom]

8. Du rec. Nt

[MoonRiver]

9. Great!

Every decent person and organization needs to take a stand against the SGK bully.

[countryjake]

10. K&R!