CHICAGO, Ill. –State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, released the following statement after attending the historic signing of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which protects women’s right to choose in Illinois:

“100 years ago, Illinois demonstrated its commitment to equality and self-determination by being the first state to ratify the 19^th amendment, paving the way for women’s right to vote. Today, we renewed that commitment by signing the Reproductive Health Act into law, which ensures we trust women to make their own medical decisions.

“While there are those who wish to diswtort and politicize this issue, we must not forget that this is about women having the freedom to know their own minds and make their own choices about their bodies. The RHA ensures that comprehensive reproductive health care will remain a reality in Illinois, regardless of what happens at the federal level. I am proud to stand ever vigilant against those who wish to take us back to a time when women died attempting to exercise freedom over their own lives. We will not go back.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A resolution backed by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, defends women’s reproductive rights by calling on the federal government to restore funding to women’s health clinics.

“The federal government is taking every chance to push their dangerous agenda against the reproductive rights of women across the country,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “This latest move will ratchet up the costs of healthcare for women, making it difficult or even impossible for some women to afford critical medical screenings and procedures. We can’t stay quiet while the federal government places constraints on doctors, limits accessibility to women’s health clinics and restricts funding for reproductive services.”

Gong-Gershowitz is supporting House Resolution 204, which urges the federal government to get rid of a new rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that strips federal funding from health clinics that provide reproductive health services. The rule also prevents doctors from referring patients to other providers who may provide the services.

“It is a fundamental right for a woman to make health care decisions about her own body,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “Putting financial hurdles in front of women is wrong and it has to end.”

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. – In an effort advance the conversation on women’s rights and women’s health in Illinois, state Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, is inviting residents to participate in his upcoming Women’s Advisory Meeting on Sunday, April 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 6 at the Alcott Center, located at 530 Bernard Dr. in Buffalo Grove.

“With the federal government refusing to stand up for women on a national level, it falls to the states to make sure the rights of women in Illinois are protected,” Didech said. “Whether it is demanding equal pay for equal work or ensuring that women are not denied access to lifesaving health care services, it is clear that there is too much at stake to sit on the sidelines.”

Didech has helped advance numerous measures aimed at promoting equality and advancing women’s rights in the Illinois House of Representatives this spring, including legislation aimed at fighting salary discrimination against women in the workplace and protecting reproductive health care. Didech hopes the advisory meeting will serve as a forum to discuss these topics as well as further the conversation on health care, education, economic development and other issues affecting women in the community.

“A lot of important measures have been brought forward in Springfield this year to advocate for women and their health, but there is always more that can be done to promote equal rights and treatment under the law,” Didech continued. “By working together, we can move the conversation forward and help me make sure the diverse voices of our district are heard in the Legislature.”