Whatcom Peace & Justice Center in Bellingham, Washington
  • Home
  • Who we are
    • Blog
    • Press
    • Video
    • Archive of Newsletters
    • Financials
  • What we do
    • Learn with us
      • Timeline
      • Alternatives to Violence Workshop
    • Alternatives to Military Service
      • College opportunities
      • Opt-out of military recruitment
    • Whatcom Civil Rights Project
    • Resources for Community Use
    • Library
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer
  • 2022 International Day of Peace
    • Sponsor International Day of Peace
    • Peacemaker Awards
      • Nomination Forms
  • Donate
    • Become a monthly donor
    • Wish List
  • Home
  • Who we are
    • Blog
    • Press
    • Video
    • Archive of Newsletters
    • Financials
  • What we do
    • Learn with us
      • Timeline
      • Alternatives to Violence Workshop
    • Alternatives to Military Service
      • College opportunities
      • Opt-out of military recruitment
    • Whatcom Civil Rights Project
    • Resources for Community Use
    • Library
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer
  • 2022 International Day of Peace
    • Sponsor International Day of Peace
    • Peacemaker Awards
      • Nomination Forms
  • Donate
    • Become a monthly donor
    • Wish List
Search

Reproductive health of Marshallese women post-WWII

7/19/2018

 
Image of a nuclear mushroom cloud from the nuclear weapon test called the
Photo from United States Department of Defense
Nuclear weapons and their legacy are not as far in the past as I grew up believing. I learned this a few weekends ago after attending a workshop put on by Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility about nuclear weapons and their history in Washington State.

The Marshall Islands, where the U.S. conducted 67 nuclear weapons tests between 1948 to 1956, is among the communities that continues to feel the impacts of Cold War-era military action. Learning about U.S. involvement in the Marshall Islands made me realize how many interconnections there are between nuclear war and social justice issues.

The reproductive health outcomes of Marshallese women are still poor, even 62 years after the last bomb was tested.

Cancer is the number two cause of death, with thyroid, cervical, and breast cancer being most prominent amongst women. Yet there are no permanent oncologists anywhere on the Marshall Islands.
​

Pregnancies often end in stillbirths, miscarriages, and birth defects commonly referred to as “jellyfish babies.”
Image of activist Lijon Eknilang saying
Photo from Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Along with poor health outcomes, there are also many barriers to accessing healthcare for the Marshallese.

Under a treaty known as a Compact of Free Association, COFA, Marshallese citizens are allowed to work and live in the United States without a visa. However, despite paying taxes, Marshallese citizens are barred from accessing Medicaid and Medicare under current federal law. Only those who receive health insurance through their workplace have access to care, and only very few have that opportunity.

States can pass legislation that adds immigrants under COFA back into state Medicaid and Medicare programs. As of March 2018, only Oregon, Hawaii, and Washington State had passed any such legislation.
​

As someone interested in reproductive health, it has been deeply troubling to learn about this through my participation in the workshop and subsequent research. It has become clear to me that more emphasis needs to be put on the cultural history and legacy of a population when serving in the healthcare field. The folks that tend to slip through the cracks of systems are the ones professionals have the least cultural knowledge of. 

Written by Hannah Peters

Hannah is a Western Washington University student and current militarism research intern at WPJC 


Comments are closed.

    Contributors

    We invite the WPJC community to contribute fact-checked submissions on local, national and global current events.  Linking to original sources and articles is required.   Submissions may be sent to office@whatcompjc.org for review. 

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Aramak
    Bellingham
    City Council
    Domestic Spying
    Law Enforcement
    Prison-industrial Complex
    Prison Labor
    Student Organizing
    Sustainable Food
    Whatcom County

    Archives

    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    June 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center calls on our government and society to disavow policies of violence and seek a culture of peace.
  • Home
  • Who we are
    • Blog
    • Press
    • Video
    • Archive of Newsletters
    • Financials
  • What we do
    • Learn with us
      • Timeline
      • Alternatives to Violence Workshop
    • Alternatives to Military Service
      • College opportunities
      • Opt-out of military recruitment
    • Whatcom Civil Rights Project
    • Resources for Community Use
    • Library
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer
  • 2022 International Day of Peace
    • Sponsor International Day of Peace
    • Peacemaker Awards
      • Nomination Forms
  • Donate
    • Become a monthly donor
    • Wish List