Senator awarded Women’s Advocate of the Year award

Senator Leticia Van de Putte was presented with the Women's Advocate of the Year Award, March 1, at the kickoff ceremony celebrating Women's History Month. Van De Putte was selected for the award by the Women's Studies Institute for her continual efforts to "write women back into history." The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Elena Gutierrez, who stressed the importance of women and the vital roles they serve.

Van De Putte complimented UTSA and the Women's Institute. She pointed out that UTSA has recognized the power of a woman as evident with the university's female athletic director and dean of the college of business—positions strongly dominated by males.

Van De Putte continued by addressing the increasing responsibility of the modern woman in the "sandwich generation," which describes the task of caring for the grandparents of a family as well as the children.

This added responsibility placed on the "sandwich generation" increases the need for education which the Senator stressed cannot be interrupted by the "systemic discrimination" that may linger in Texas schools.

Gutierrez spoke about the significance of reproductive justice. A published author on the subject, she provided two stories to view reproductive justice in a broader context. One was about a woman named Rosie Hernandez.

Hernandez died from an infection caused by an unsterilized abortion. Hernandez had the money to pay for a legal abortion, but the scholarship money that she would have to use would have kept her from going to college that next semester. She felt that she would have to sacrifice her safety in order to escape the poverty she knew all her life.

Gutierrez then made it evident that cases similar to Hernandez's could become even more common. Comprehensive reproductive health care is an issue included in the controversial healthcare reform bill.

A proposed option would prohibit use of federal funds to cover abortion; as a result, millions of women would lose the privilege to get an abortion, subjecting women to secondary healthcare.

Gutierrez believes all options should be guaranteed to women and men no matter their economic background. She urged people to educate their friends, family and colleagues on the issues that are at stake in Washington D.C., "sharing one's own story can help to create an inclusive environment which will be the platform of change."