DAG-Stuttgart & Southwestern Germany

March 2023 Newsletter

This month we are celebrating Women’s History Month & National Disabilities Awareness month.

“I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.” —Mary Wollstonecraft

Knowing women’s past achievements gives girls and women today the continued courage to enter professions that are male dominated, demand respect as human beings both at home & in the workplace & to demand having the same rights & privileges as male counterparts.

The movement for women’s suffrage began in the early 1800’s with women like Lucretia Mott & Elizabeth Lady Stanton, emerging out of a general movement for women’s rights. Several women’s organisations were formed during this time. The first Women’s History Day took place on February 28, 1909, in New York City. Two years later it became a holiday and much later was celebrated during the whole month of March.

In 1869 Wyoming territory was the first place to grant women the right to vote, but it wasn’t until 1920 that the 19th amendment was signed into law, allowing white women to vote. The amendment prohibited Native American, Black, Latinx and Asian American women from voting. This injustice was not rectified until 1965, with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. Mississippi was the last state to ratify the 19th amendment.
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“Part of the problem is that we tend to think that equality is about treating everyone the same, when it’s not. It’s about fairness. It’s about equity of access. —Judith Heumann

Disability is a global public health & also a human rights issue. Disability & poverty mutually reinforce one another. One in 6 people worldwide experience significant disability.

In the US, people with disabilities have pushed for the recognition of disability as a part of identity that influences the experiences of an individual, but not as the only defining feature of a person.

The marginalisation of people with disabilities continued until WWI, when veterans returning from war expected the US government to provide medical care & support in exchange for their service to their country. Advancements in technology in the 1930’s as well as improved government assistance contributed to more self-sufficiency & self-reliance for people with disabilities.

President Franklin Roosevelt, himself disabled, was a great advocate for people with disabilities. The many disabled veterans returning from WW II made disability more visible and their welfare became a greater concern for the general public.

Despite many advancements, people with disabilities still did not have access to public transportation, bathrooms, telephones or stores. Work places had no entry for people with disabilities, & attitudes of many employers made it very difficult to find meaningful employment.

With the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, disability advocates joined forces with minority groups to demand equal opportunity, treatment & access. They fought against stereotypes & negative attitudes, while rallying for institutional & political change.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, after decades of lobbying & campaigning. This ensured the equal treatment & equal access of people with disabilities to public accommodations & to employment. Disability rights activists continue protecting those who are discriminated against today. This includes issues like law enforcement & the treatment of people with disabilities.
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      Announcements:
• The Stuttgart Chapter is putting together a gift basket to be raffled off at our AGM at the end of the month. This could be anything from local foods, candies, homemade items, services you offer, homesteads, etc. Please contact us at [email protected] to contribute something.

• Please support our organisation by volunteering your time or donating to help pay for the diverse ways we reach potential US voters!

           Events:
• March 8 at 2 pm ET: Screening & Discussion: Reversing Roe
   
 • March 10 at 7:30 pm: Stuttgart & Southwestern Germany chapter meeting & elections

• March 24-26: DAG AGM in Ingelheim. Please join us for discussions, national DAG elections & planning for the next year. Please RSVP for this in-person meeting; the elections will be held virtually as well

• April 14 at 8 pm: our April chapter meeting will be held at Forum3 in Stuttgart. Please RSVP to receive up-dates or changes

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please reach out to us!

Wishing everyone a nice week,

Sasha Arrington
Chapter Chair
Stuttgart & Southwestern Germany Democrats Abroad Germany