Ukrainian Women: There's Room for You in UNA (12/31/77)

Ukrainian Women: There's Room for You in UNA

by Mary Dushnyck
UNA Vice-President

(Editor's note: This article was printed originally in "Our Life" magazine, organ of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, and is reprinted in The Ukrainian Weekly for the interest of its readers).

Although International Women's Year was held officially in 1975, the Decade of Woman was designated from 1976 to 1986, during which plans and programs on behalf of women will be projected and implemented. Our Ukrainian American and Canadian women will be taking part in such efforts through their various organizations.

For many decades the Ukrainian National Association (UNA), or "Soyuz," has supported and cooperated with our women's organizations by furnishing them with a forum in our newspapers to expound their views and publicize their activities. We have thus contributed immeasurably to their growth and development. With the expansion of women's groups, there has been an ever greater amount of coverage in our UNA press.

Now, the UNA is approaching our leading women's organizations with a proposal for their cooperation and participation in the UNA, the foremost Ukrainian fraternal organization in the world.

Although many women are already UNA members, there are thousands who are not, or who have insufficient coverage. Therefore, we will present briefly the various aspects of the UNA, its product - insurance - and the benefits accruing to its members.

Many women may ask why do they need insurance, and why in the UNA. There are scores of reasons.

First, of course, is financial security for women of every status - housewives, working wives, singles, and women heads of households. Women, like men, should have life insurance to replace income that would be lost if they died - to provide financial protection for dependents and to cover debts, hospital, funeral and other bills, etc.

Today, more than 40 percent of women in America (35 million) are working and contributing to the family income; also there are many working mothers, as well as women heads of households - one out of 13 families, and increasing yearly. As the sole support of their families, with added financial responsibilities and the necessity to provide for their dependents, be they children, parents or whoever, these women should have some form of insurance protection.

Also, for a wife or homemaker, whose services are now rated at $13,000 annually, insurance is a necessity. In case of her death, life insurance would help provide the money to hire household help. If a working wife should die, the loss of her income must be protected to maintain the standard of living. Single women also need coverage, which can be obtained cheaply during their younger years; they may have dependent parents or others who should be protected.

There are several types of insurance - term, whole life, endowment, paid-up, accident and others.

Term insurance provides temporary protection for five- or ten-year terms, and is relatively inexpensive for a parent or parents for whom it offers maximum protection when children are young and in school. The lowest amount issued on a Term policy is $5,000, but it can go up to $50,000, depending on age. Before the expiration of the Term policy, it can be changed to any other type.

Whole Life gives protection for as long as one lives and the premium remains the same. Unlike Term, Whole Life and all other life policies accumulate "cash value," which one would receive if the policy is surrendered. Loans can be made for emergencies on all policies, except Term and Accident, at 4 percent interest up to the then cash value of the policy.

An Endowment policy offers life insurance protection and helps one accumulate money, payable 20 years later. If one were to die before that period, the beneficiary would receive the full amount of the policy. Premiums are higher, but for someone without family obligations, an Endowment policy can be useful for saving money and yet being protected. There is also an Endowment at 65 policy.

Then there are the 20-Payment Life and Life Paid-up at 65 policies, which are self-explanatory. On the first, premiums are paid for 20 years and the policyholder is insured for the rest of one's life. Young people can get either of these policies cheaply and be covered for life.

The Double Protection to Age 65 policy is ideal for persons requiring larger amounts of protection but who cannot afford to pay higher premiums. The amount of the policy is payable at death before age 65, but one-half of the amount is payable at death after 65. Dues are payable during the lifetime of a member. It is a form of Term and Whole Life.

Finally, there is a policy which almost everyone should have, the Accidental Death and Dismemberment (ADD), which is the cheapest of all and is issued for amounts of $5,000 only. Benefits are payable only in case of accidental loss of life or loss of a limb or limbs, or an eye or both eyes, before age 65. Dues are payable to 65 or to prior death. Should the accident occur while the member is a passenger on a public conveyance (plane, subway, bus, train) the benefit is $10,000. This policy is issued from ages 16-55. Accidents (auto and drowning) are the leading cause of death for young people. This is the fourth ranking cause of fatalities in the U.S. for the rest of the population.

Also, there is a Double Indemnity Rider available on all adult life policies, in the event of accidental death. This rider is issued only at ages 16-55 and ceases at 65. Dues for Double Indemnity are paid with the premiums.

Parents, grandparents and others may wish to insure children in the UNA, which has several juvenile policies, issued to age 15 1/2. The Endowment at Age 18 is called the College or Educational policy, as it matures when the member becomes 18 and the money is used for the insured's education. (It is issued only up to age 10.) There is also a 20-Year Endowment, Endowment at Age 65, a 20-Payment Life, Life Paid-up at Age 65, and a Term to Age 16, which has no withdrawal value.

The UNA has also issued a new $1,000 Term TP-65 Juvenile certificate, available from ages 0-15, with a single dues payment of $75 up to age 23. It then converts to a paid-up at 65 Life policy, without medical examination, in the amount of $5,000, with annual dues of $75. Under the TP-65 the child is entitled to all rights of UNA membership.

A special rider is available on children's policies, called the Payor Benefit Rider, which waives payment of dues upon the death of the payor (the person paying the premium). This means a juvenile member (up to age 21) would be exempt from paying dues after the payor's death.

Dividends are paid annually on all policies, except ADD and TP-65 to Age 23.

Unlike insurance with commercial firms, membership in the UNA carries many benefits, such as aid to sick members and scholarships for UNA student members; also, children's and tennis camps, music and folk dance workshops, Ukrainian cultural courses, cultural events and sports tournaments, all held at the UNA's popular vacation resort, Soyuzivka, in the Catskills.

Another UNA contribution are its publications - the daily Svoboda (which can be subscribed to by members at a nominal sum of $7.80 annually although it costs the UNA $30 a year per subscriber), The Ukrainian Weekly (in English), and the Veselka magazine for children. The UNA has published two volumes of "Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia," as well as many other books in Ukrainian and English. It also donates to worthy Ukrainian cultural, religious, youth and humanitarian institutions, and takes part in actions for our persecuted kin in Ukraine.

The UNA is an 84-year pillar of the Ukrainian community, with close to 88,000 members, a 15-story building Home Office in Jersey City and assets of over $42 million. With an increase in members and added resources, it would be able to serve and benefit our community in even greater measure. And with more female members, women would wield a significant influence in the UNA.

Consequently, in this Decade of Woman, we believe UNWLA members, as well as other Ukrainian women in the U.S. and Canada, in a spirit of cooperation and reciprocity and for their own self-interest, as well as for the Ukrainian cause in general, should consider joining the Ukrainian National Association, our Ukrainian "Fortress Beyond the Sea."

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