NOW Conference Opens June 29 in Baltimore, Takes on War on Women

Hundreds of women’s rights activists and supporters from every corner of the nation will converge in Baltimore, Md., this weekend, June 29 – July 1, at the National Organization for Women annual conference. This year’s conference, entitled “Energize! Organize! Stop the War on Women,” will focus on key issues that have been under attack, such as contraception coverage and the Violence Against Women Act, and NOW will adopt an agenda for the year ahead that addresses the ongoing War on Women.

“Today, more than ever, we are fighting for issues that are critical to the well-being of women and their families,” said NOW President Terry O’Neill. “It’s time to strategize for the 2012 elections, and stress how important it is to elect women (and men) who will champion women’s rights.”

Local elected officials, including Baltimore’s Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Maryland State Senator Roger Manno and State Delegates Susan Lee and Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, will open the conference on Friday morning. They will be followed by an impressive line-up of featured speakers throughout the three-day event, such as Tony award-winning playwright Eve Enlser, performer and author of The Vagina Monologues; Krystal Ball, new co-host of MSNBC’s The Cycle; and Tamika Mallory, executive director of one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations, National Action Network, just to name a few.

Special honorees will include Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D- N.Y.), who will receive NOW’s first-ever first Woman of Impact Award, for her political leadership and outstanding support of women’s rights on Capitol Hill. Georgetown law graduate Sandra Fluke, who was prevented from testifying at a congressional briefing on birth control, will receive a Woman of Courage Award. Dr. Vivian Pinn will receive NOW Foundation’s Victoria J. Mastrobuono Award for her contributions to women’s health and the field of women in science and medicine while at the National Institutes of Health.

Conference attendees can also look forward to a Mothers and Caregivers Summit, networking opportunities and dozens of workshops and discussions on hot topics ranging from how to fight hate crimes and racism to harassment in the workplace.

The schedule of speakers can be found in the program agenda. Read more about all the conference speakers and honorees here.

If you are a member of the media and would like to attend the conference, and/or set up advance interviews, visit our website to apply for press credentials.

The National Organization for Women is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has hundreds of thousands of members and contributing supporters and hundreds of local and campus affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NOW’s goal is to take action to bring about equality for all women.

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Contact: Caitlin Gullickson, media[at]now.org, 202-628-8669 ext 123