jenny cares 

Give Women Access to Credit
Give Women Access to Credit - The Petition Site 
...Women comprise 70% of the world's poor, even though an increasing number are the primary breadwinners in their families.
...Because they are poor, women have less access to credit and thus can't invest in ways to increase their income to better provide for their children. Microfinance programs combat poverty, especially for women, by providing financial services for the poor. Raising women's incomes have incredible effects. Their children get a healthier diet, and a chance to go to school, expanding their lifetime opportunities.
Enabling women to earn a better income is the first step to breaking the viscous cycle of poverty. Tell Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to focus on programs that lift women out of poverty.
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/120/402/392
...
My thoughts: Women are very often left raising children alone, trying to provide good, safe homes, food, clothing, education. The majority of farmers of the world are women. Too little support, including financial, goes to women.
Men very often have other agendas, no matter what country you examine. The negative effect of providing predominately men with loans means promoting war, power games, gambling, drinking and the toys of men's egoes (e.g. cars, guns).
...

If you've never heard of interstitial cystitis, you are not alone.
From What you don't know about your bladder could hurt you:
   It is pronounced in-ter-stish-uhl sĭ-stī’tĭs -- IC for short. Between three and eight million women, and one to three million men in the United States have it. That's a lot of people, but exact numbers are hard to come by because there is no single definitive test and it is often mistaken for other disorders. Diagnosis is made only after excluding other urinary/bladder conditions. The cause is not known.
  IC is a chronic, often painful condition involving pressure and discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region, associated with urinary frequency and urgency, which can lead to disruption of normal activities. When health care providers are not properly educated about IC, diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be delayed for years, severely impacting quality of life. That's exactly why health care providers and patients need information and education -- and that's where you can help.
.
Please lend your support to IC patients by asking the Labor-HHS-Appropriations Subcommittee to provide $660,000 for IC Education and Awareness Program in their FY11 bill. 
.
For the past five years, Congress has provided funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote IC education and awareness. The CDC program supports much-needed healthcare provider and patient education, as well as information sharing between patients, healthcare providers, and researchers. Unfortunately, President Obama's FY11 budget request recommends the elimination of this program.
.
Please urge Congress to restore federal funding for a critical interstitial cystitis (IC) program.
.
The Cause: The exact cause is still unknown, but several factors that may contribute to the development of IC.
--bladder trauma, such as from pelvic surgery;
--bladder overdistention;
--pelvic floor muscle dysfunction;
--autoimmune disorder;
--bacterial infection (cystitis);
--primary neurogenic inflammation;
--spinal cord trauma;
--the possible relationship between IC and abuse (sexual, physical, and childhood sexual) is being debated after different studies yielded conflicting results.
.
The Symptoms: Symptoms differ from person to person, but common symptoms include:
--frequent urination -- up to 60 times a day in the most severe cases;
--sense of urgency for urination, sometimes accompanied by pain, pressure, or spasms;
--pain in the lower abdominal, urethral, or vaginal area;
--pain associated with intercourse; men may experience testicular, scrotal and/or perineal pain, and painful ejaculation.
.
The Treatment: Most doctors and patients find that a combination of treatments works best. It is a process of trial and error that includes:
--oral medication;           --topical medication;
--bladder retraining;        --hydrodistention;
--physical therapy;         --bladder instillations;
--dietary supplements;    --electrical nerve stimulation;
--surgery;    --complementary and alternative treatments.
. Watch the short educational video:

.
Take Action! Care2 Action: education and awareness for both health care providers and patients is crucial. Please Sign the Petition Asking Congress to Save Funding for Interstitial Cystitis
my C2NN article and share petition with your contacts to help raise awareness and support