Blog # 4 "Women, stand up and count"

This article was found on the Austin American Statesman.

This article was written by author Sangita Nayak “Women, stand up and count” was published on March 5, 2010. The author’s purpose is to ask women in the United States to fill out the census form. The intended audience is for all of us who care about the census and particularly for women. The author’s main claim is that it is important for women to fill out the census form so they can be counted fairly.

First, a myriad of federal programs rely on the census to set funding levels. By completing the census forms we will ensure public education, child care and public transportation among other important issues. Second, funding for many programs designed for survivor of domestic violence rest with allocations determined by the count.

The author also claims that women with previous domestic violence are scared of reporting residence information, women in migrant families might also be skeptical about reporting their residence but women should not be scared to fill out the census forms because their address would be confidential and the census will not shared their residence information, it is in fact against the law to share this information. The author states that 9to5, rely on vital services that could go underfunded if women don't fill out their census forms. For women who care about their households, their communities and their nation's public services, taking a few minutes to complete a census form will go a long way toward getting a fairer distribution of resources. Crucial services such as the provision of food stamps and the funding of child care depend on an accurate count. I found the author’s argument persuasive mainly because I have personally experience the fear of filling out the census form by thinking that it was going to affect me at some point. The author is not able to offer many actual facts they are mostly human experience that some of us women have probably been through.

I believe the author was very persuasive to the intended audience, particularly using the strategy of how important it is for women to complete the census form and get fairly counted. The author Sangita Nayak is the lead organizer at 9to5 Milwaukee, she wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues.