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March is National Women’s History Month, a hard-won observance that started in 1978 with a one-day celebration in Santa Rosa, California. In 1980, Jimmy Carter signed into law a weeklong celebration (annually, the week of March 8); and, finally, a month-long annual March observance became a federal proclamation in 1987 under Ronald Reagan.
“To meet each new challenge and issue, women leaders have too often had to reinvent the wheel. An understanding of our heritage helps us to see ourselves as part of a community of women, and our struggles as a continuation of the struggles of women before us.”– Ruth Abram, Women’s Action Alliance
This has been our mantra at A Case for Women for going on eight years. We were founded in 2016 by a mother and daughter team working at their computers in the kitchen, who said: “Enough!” Having just been awarded an official woman-owned certification, we continue to be completely women-owned and women-run with 70 team members contributing across the country.
How We Accelerated Justice Together in 2023.
Today women are making such phenomenal strides, but we’re still not equal in every respect, like vulnerability to sexual assault in every corner, not to mention pay disparity and medical research. Here are some highlights:
#icouldntsayno.
You don’t have to be raped to have been sexually assaulted: Harassment, unwanted touch, indecent exposure all count. When women learn other assault survivors suffered the same experiences they did, they often feel shocked, betrayed by their own instincts. Further, a woman doesn’t have to verbally say no to mean no.
That’s why we launched #icouldntsayno, a sweeping national sexual abuse campaign targeting specific areas of industry where abuse stems from power imbalances: finance, entertainment, and elite sports.
In the past, many assault survivors kept quiet. But not today. Silence only perpetuates the problem. So, however scary, more women are coming forward anonymously or publicly. We’re here to help and we don’t do or publicize anything without your consent.
We Broadly Accelerated Attacks on Sexual Assault/Trafficking.
In 2023, ACFW tackled Rideshare, the Troubled Teen and Real Estate industries, Internet mega-platforms and hotels, Catholic and Mormon churches, Predator Coaches and Physicians who used their once-renowned reputations to abuse trusting athletes and patients, respectively, sometimes for decades with no acknowledgement or interference from federations and hospital administrators, despite multiple complaints against serial abusers.
In the above categories, ongoing lawsuits are being fought and won, while many others are pending.
We Fought Cancer from Toxic Products, Including:
J&J Talcum Powder.More than 50,000 women have sued Johnson & Johnson, alleging its Talcum Baby Powder caused their ovarian cancer. Talc is mined next to asbestos deposits and randomly contains sharp, microscopic asbestos needles that damage ovaries, but for generations the company marketed its baby powder as safe and soothing.
J&J tried holding up the case by filing a sneaky bankruptcy plea, but it was dismissed in January 2023. J&J then offered $6.9 billion to settle at least those 50,000 cases (more are pending), averaging $130,000 per plaintiff. That amount is considered inadequate; how much more the company might be persuaded to pay, and how long that will take to resolve, remains a question.
L’Oréal, Etc.: Chemical Hair Relaxers: At last, a scientific link was confirmed in 2023 between chemical hair straighteners and uterine cancer. We confronted the issue from both sides. Women who reported using hair relaxer products would be proven more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer as those who did not. Yet aggressive marketing campaigns promoted these products as safe for decades.
On average, settlements for hair relaxer-related cancer per patient range from $100,000 to $1.5 million. The case is ongoing.
Gerber, Etc.: Toxic Baby Food.
In 2023, a shocking connection was confirmed between premier (legacy) baby food giants and off-the-chart heavy chemicals that can cause neurological problems like autism (ASD), severe ADHD, and other cognitive disorders in infants and toddlers when there is no other genetic history in the family.
Again, the companies involved are the most high-profile manufacturers in the business, the same brands that have been telling us for generations they’re practically part of the family and leading consumers to believe the formulas were medically approved.
In February 2024, state attorneys general doubled down on the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), demanding required testing for lead and other heavy metals in baby food (arsenic, mercury, cadmium) after recent cases of lead poisoning in 20 states.
Enfamil & Similac Preemie Baby Formula: NEC.
Lastly, we got the word out in 2023 about a grisly infant intestinal disorder called Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC – pronounced NECK) – developed mostly by premature babies who drank cow’s milk-based formula advertised for decades as gentle and safe by monopolies Abbott and Mead Johnson. An Illinois mother who lost her infant son to NEC was awarded $60 million on March 14, 2024. Hundreds of other cases are still pending.
Speak Your Truth, Even If Your Voice Trembles.
These are a few examples of the joys and challenges we took on together.
We wanted to share what you did in 2023. One thing is certain: We can’t make history without your stories. Each of you who takes a stand not only changes your own path monumentally, but perhaps saves countless other women from suffering the trauma you endured.
Please, if you need legal advice or assistance after a tragedy you didn’t see coming, don’t fend for yourself or trust just anyone to help you navigate. All we want to do, every day, is make sure women know they can trust us – with the smallest details and the massively important things. So far, 15,000 women have. So can you.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is moving forward even when you’re afraid.
When you’re ready to move forward, we’re ready to listen to your story. We’re here 24/7 and you’ll always be communicating with a real human who knows exactly what you’re talking about. Wouldn’t that be nice.
