Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/author/malena-amusa/)
Malena Amusa is a freelance reporter based in St. Louis.
Health reform is beginning to require insurers to cover contraception, which is bringing battles over the mandate to a head in states across the country. “It’s not a safe place for women and health care,” says a congressional candidate in Missouri.
As the U.S. maternal mortality rate continues to increase, the new health care law could offer improvements in preventative care for women. Yet, definitive answers to why more American mothers are dying remain scarce
As an office manager in a St. Louis technology company, Shawntay Nicole’s work duties have steadily increased without any increase in pay or title. To let off steam, she turns her real-life frustrations into laughs at a stand-up comedy club.
Soy milk invaded my childhood at age 6 and not because I particularly preferred it. Rather my mom bought it, packed it in the fridge, and drank it. And because I adored and mimicked my mom, I drank soy milk with enthusiasm. This past Tuesday, thoughts of soy milk and my mother came to mind as I attended Michelle Obama’s White House kick-off of "Let’s Move," her multi-year, multi-agency, and era-changing plan to fight childhood obesity in America. It was my first time inside the White House and as soon as Michelle Obama walked out confident and beautiful, I realized that she could tell America to eat turnips and flax seed every morning and night and a good portion of people would follow suit.
New York City statistics include the troubling finding that black women here are nearly eight times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white mothers. Efforts to explain the trend appear nonexistent.
Public hospitals in New York City are marketing breastfeeding directly to their patients, a third of whom are African American. The plan is part of a goal to obtain official “Baby Friendly” designations for 11 hospitals.
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“Precious,” the controversial movie about an abused obese black teenager, co-produced by Oprah, is up for six Oscars on Sunday; “Avatar” is up for nine. Black female film critics have given both movies mixed reviews.
One of Senegal’s leading lawyers has mediated labor strikes and defused election violence. Her name is Amsatou Sow Sidibe and Malena Amusa thinks she’s a major reason why Senegal is relatively peaceful compared to neighboring Guinea.
Michelle Obama breastfed both her daughters and advocates are hoping she will use the platform of her anti-obesity campaign to promote breastfeeding and share her own experiences.
