ADDENDUM NOW ISSUES POLICY MANUAL 1997 – July 2018

NOW Issues Policy Manual

Addendum 1997 – July 2018

The following is a comprehensive addendum to the Issues Policy Manual for the National Organization for Women. This addendum runs from 1997 through the present. For policies adopted prior to 1997, please see the original Issues Policy Manual (1966-1996). The conference-adopted policy is identified by the year of adoption in bold type; policy adopted by the National Board is identified by the month and year of adoption.

This addendum contains the following categories:

Affirmative Action 3

Child Abuse 5

Child Care 8

Declaration of Sentiments 9

Disability Rights 12

Domestic Relations/Family Law 21

Economic Justice/Employment 27

Education 53

ERA 57

Environment 66

Feminist History/Tributes 67

Global Feminism/US Foreign Policy 73

Health/Health Care 91

Human Rights 113

Immigrant Women/Immigrants 117

Incarceration/Law Enforcement 125

Judges/Courts 137

LGBT Rights 141

Media/Communications 154

Military 162

Politics/Elections 167

Racial & Ethnic Diversity 188

Religion 207

Reproductive Freedom 212

Sexual Harassment 235

Sports 239

Violence against Women 242

War/Peace/Disarmament 261

Young Feminists 267

Questions regarding the formatting and accessibility of the policy manual may be directed to online@now.org

The policy manual is available on the chapter leadership website (password-protected) at https://now.org/for-now-leaders/

RACIAL INCLUSION ACTION PLAN NOW

2011

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a herstory of passing multiple resolutions on racial diversity and immigration but not fully implementing them for varied reasons;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Combating Racism Ad Hoc Committee and the board committee on Ending Racism create a tool kit, by the 2012 National Conference, which will emphasize racial and ethnic inclusion, immigration issues, and the dismantling of white privilege, and include, at minimum:

the three articles that were recently distributed to the NOW National Board — i.e., Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Latoya Peterson’s On Being Feminism’s ‘Ms. Nigga,’ and Hepshiba’s White Privilege Diary Series #1 — White Feminist Privilege in Organizations; and
a model racial inclusion plan that contains cultural communication dynamics education; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW hold a diversity-inclusion-themed national conference in 2014 and explore the provision of conference scholarship funds to ensure the attendance of economically disadvantaged feminists of color.

WOMEN’S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

4/01

WHEREAS, white women have been the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action programs that open doors in education, employment and contracting which were previously closed to women; and

WHEREAS, the low number of tenured female professors and the low number of women enrolled and earning degrees in math, science and computer science demonstrates the need for continued outreach and recruitment of women in these fields; and

WHEREAS, women-owned businesses are awarded only a minute portion of public contracts; and

WHEREAS, many business organizations such as the National Business Round Table, the National Association of Manufacturers, and unions recognize the benefits that affirmative action programs and policies bring to business by building a diverse workforce; and

WHEREAS, millions of older women and women with disabilities now live below the poverty level because they have been denied equal opportunity and pay equity; and

WHEREAS, women still suffer from being deprived of economic opportunity and equity; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women activists across the nation must be prepared to combat the assault on affirmative action exemplified by national campaigns of distortion and misrepresentation, led by Ward Connerly and others, which have succeeded in eliminating affirmative action in some states;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW continue its work with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and other organizations to strategize new ways to work together to preserve and protect affirmative action and counteract threats to it.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

1999

WHEREAS, an anti-affirmative action climate is growing nationally; and

WHEREAS, affirmative action policies have played an important role in breaking down barriers to equal opportunity and equal employment; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of support for Affirmative Action Programs and is against discrimination based on race and gender; and

WHEREAS, all city, county, and state entities are required to file Title VI Assurance Plans; and

WHEREAS, the federally-required Disparity Reports on government contracts show discrepancies disproportionately benefiting white males; and

WHEREAS, these reports are available to all people in all cities, counties and states

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that chapters of the National Organization for Women (NOW) be urged to promote the creation of a commission to look at these reports and their corresponding issues; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, as an alternative, chapters be encouraged to establish ad hoc groups to work in coalition with other community organizations to gather and review this data in order to judge the feasibility of filing a complaint with the appropriate agencies (EEOC, Federal Attorney General) on behalf of women.

ADDRESS SEXUAL VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM ON PREK-12 CAMPUSES & BRIDGE GAPS FOR MINORS

07/2018

WHEREAS Title IX applies to prek-12 campuses as well as college campuses and while 1 in 5 college aged women are sexually assaulted, high schoolers report high numbers of assault and sexual violence, including sexual harassment, with trans students still at higher risk; and

WHEREAS Title IX applies to prek-12 campuses as it does all education levels, yet various education and political campaigns fail to address it, regardless of the investigations of prek-12 institutions currently underway by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and not counting the prek-12 survivors having been rejected their complaints. As of June 2018, There were 162 prek-12 schools under investigation by the OCR for mishandling sexual harassment and 137 for mishandling other forms of sexual violence; and

WHEREAS prek-12 survivors, like other survivors face issues with trauma and knowledge of rights and how it affects our timeliness of filing OCR complaints within the given span of allotted time; and

WHEREAS younger prek-12 students face barriers in finding their Title IX guidance officer; and rates of sexual violence in high schools are only marginally lower and too face issues with hostile climates and retaliation from which they are protected under Title IX; and

WHEREAS prek-12 students face greater risk given that they face both student on student sexual violence and teacher on student sexual violence; and

WHEREAS ending sexual violence and sexual discrimination are priorities of NOW; and

WHEREAS prek-12 survivors face particular gaps in finding justice and advocacy. Child Advocacy Centers (CACS) do not educate or train staff in Title IX but deal with many Title IX challenges; and

WHEREAS there is very limited coordinated activity addressing PreK-12 sexual violence CACS do not communicate with state sexual violence coalitions or national organizations and state sexual violence coalitions which provide technical assistance, direct services and legal help to survivors often has an age limit which restricts minor survivors and the one organization that does address sexual violence for prek-12 students (Stop Sexual Assault in Schools) mainly addresses parents and teachers; and

WHEREAS National organizations who handle Title IX cases for college students often turn away minors and age limits are faced in dealing with survivors that alienate many minor survivors and prek-12 survivors do not face protections under the Clery Act; and

WHEREAS prek-12 Survivors are restricted by their knowledge of sexual violence and these definitions are provided by comprehensive sexual education and this is not provided to all students but it should provide age appropriate information on reproductive rights and responsibilities as well as legal rights against sex discrimination; and

WHEREAS being minors, prek-12 survivors often face particular issues with expression and choice of action post-assault as they are subject to whether their parents and school officials believe them and minors do not know their rights to take their own action should these individuals not believe them; and

WHEREAS Title IX is under attack and the Trump administration has repealed some Title IX guidance documents that address and prevent sexual harassment and violence;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the resolution that NOW will continue our mission to end sexual violence, protect women and children, and upholding supporting the success of Title IX to end gender based violence by formally recognizing prek-12 sexual violence as a threat to gender equity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that thus forward, NOW will keep prek-12 survivors in mind in its actions, and fight for not only college aged survivors of sexual violence but those of prek-12 institutions as well; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED NOW will continue to support sexual violence prevention work and encourage work with local school districts in knowing that this work affects students in primary and secondary schools; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED NOW will be an ally for these survivors, fighting for legislation that will uphold protections for students and speaking out on unfair rulings and injustices against these students; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that NOW will continue to speak up for these survivors when they can’t defend themselves and provide a platform for those that can.

Submitted by: Violence Against Women Issue Hearing, Co-Chairs: Marion Wagner and Tricia Methner

NOW TO DENOUNCE SO-CALLED PARENTAL ALIENATION (SYNDROME)

2006

WHEREAS, the term Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) was created by the psychiatrist, Richard Gardner. It is used as a tactic in courts by litigating attorneys as a defense strategy for batterers and sexual predators that purports to explain a child’s estrangement from one parent, or explains away allegations against the estranged parent of abuse/sex abuse of a child, by blaming the protective parent; and

WHEREAS, there are no data to support PAS; and

WHEREAS, mothers are primarily pathologized and blamed for interfering with their children’s attachment to their fathers and PAS is used by many evaluators and courts to discount children’s fears in hostile and psychologically abusive situations as a form of entrapment, keeping the child from the protective parent; and

WHEREAS, abuse is continued via the court system thru a series of ruthless assaults from all angles strategically planned over time by an abuser, his criminal-divorce-personal injury attorneys and PAS therapists to fully discredit, blame and control a protective parent with the sole purpose of hiding abuse, infidelity, finances and to “win” possession of the child(ren), while proponents of PAS profit; and

WHEREAS, as documented in the PBS film, Breaking The Silence, The Children’s Stories there are epidemic levels of abuse and dysfunction in our court system where espoused judges repeat Richard Gardner’s unsubstantiated doctrine and make binding recommendations in conjunction with PAS therapists and PAS attorneys; and

WHEREAS, the newly revised, 2006 edition of “Navigating Custody and Visitation Evaluations in Cases with Domestic Violence: A Judge’s Guide,” published by The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, includes a strong statement condemning the use of PAS which it calls a “discredited” syndrome that favors child abusers in custody determinations;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) denounces Parental Alienation Syndrome and recommends that any professional whose mission involves the protection of the rights of women and children denounce its use as unethical, unconstitutional, and dangerous.

ADDRESSING SEXUAL ABUSE BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY

2002

WHEREAS, many members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy—its priests, bishops, and cardinals—have committed numerous grievous acts of sexual abuse against women, men and children with callous disregard for the victims; and

WHEREAS, the Roman Catholic hierarchy has engaged in a pattern of cover-ups that involve the awarding of vast sums of hush money and moving priests and bishops from parish to parish and diocese to diocese to avoid detection or scandal; and

WHEREAS, the Roman Catholic hierarchy’s heinous acts of sexual abuse and violence and pattern of cover-ups have occurred not only in the United States but worldwide in many countries of Europe, Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, as well as in Australia; and

WHEREAS, the Roman Catholic hierarchy’s outrageous and hypocritical behavior has even included the impregnation of young nuns and the arrangement of illegal botched abortions for these nuns, as well as, in at least one instance, the performance of the funeral mass for a victim by the perpetrator, as reported by nuns in various countries of Africa; and

WHEREAS, the Roman Catholic hierarchy has proclaimed for itself a higher moral authority and on the basis of that moral authority has influenced public policy to restrict access (with callous disregard for the pain, suffering, and death of countless people) to all methods of effective family planning, birth control, and abortion and to cut off access to condoms despite the horrific AIDS pandemic; and

WHEREAS, some 40% of sexual abuse cases caused by the hierarchy are thrown out of court because of the statute of limitations; and

WHEREAS, the Roman Catholic hierarchy has lobbied to narrow the statute of limitations state by state; and

WHEREAS, these acts involve criminal behavior and the irresponsible spending of vast amounts of charitable monies;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) commends the Boston Globe for its courageous coverage of Cardinal Bernard Law and the scandal in Boston, which helped to expose to all Americans these heinous acts and patterns of wrongful behavior, as well as the courageous attorneys, especially Jeffrey Anderson of St. Paul, MN, who have not only litigated against church officials on behalf of victims of church abuse but also filed RICO [racketeering] lawsuits against the hierarchy, including the Vatican; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW commends the various state and county prosecutors who are pursuing perpetrators of these criminal acts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW calls for political leaders to take a courageous stand by initiating hearings at the local, state, and national levels to determine if any of the billions of dollars of public monies that have been awarded to the Roman Catholic church or other religious institutions for charitable activities on behalf of orphans, foster care, adoption, child care, health care, and other social services have been used for hush money, cover-up, or other illicit activities in connection with this abusive and criminal behavior; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW work to extend or eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitation in sexual abuse cases, especially those involving minors, so that both perpetrators and institutions are brought to justice and the laws of our states and nation protect victims in both civil and criminal cases; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW oppose secrecy agreements in settlements in these cases which protect the perpetrator and the institution engaged in the cover-up, as against public policy; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that members of the clergy should be legally mandated to report incidents of sexual abuse to police or appropriate public authorities.

PROMOTE CHILDCARE/EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND PAID LEAVE 2002

WHEREAS, childcare and early childhood education programs are important social responsibilities and need to be broadly supported by traditional sources of tax revenues and with provision of services through an accountable system of public control; and

WHEREAS, there exists a decades-old crisis in the availability of affordable, high-quality childcare/early childhood education (ECE) programs, and government officials have failed to allocate sufficient funding to subsidize the high costs of care and instruction; and

WHEREAS, because a majority of parents—even those with children under six—are now in the paid workforce, the need for services is acute and the demand for after-school care, summer programs, and also evening and early morning care has increased; and

WHEREAS, parents who would like to obtain leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act are not able to do so because they must take the leave without pay; and

WHEREAS, studies show that early childhood education beginning at least at age three for disadvantaged children is essential to their learning-readiness at kindergarten and first grade and that universal pre-K programs will assist these children to become productive adults and will reduce poverty; and

WHEREAS, the challenges include low pay and frequent turnover of childcare workers; lack of access by workers to training and education; lack of high quality, enforceable health and safety standards; and inadequate tax base of inner cities and rural areas to support comprehensive programs of childcare and early childhood education;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) seek external funding to initiate a national campaign to 1) make early childhood education programs universally available through our public education systems in all states and the District of Columbia, 2) pass legislation that would require the federal government to assist states and local school districts in expanding the public systems to offer ECE and full-day kindergarten and 3) increase federal funding, with state and local contributions, to allocate at least $25 billion in additional funds annually for the Childcare and Block Grant Development program, Head Start, Infant Head Start, and Social Service block grants;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW advocate for legislation providing government-assisted benefits in the form of refundable tax credits for parents who stay home to care for children or sick relatives; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW continue to work for passage of legislation to increase pay and expand training opportunities for childcare workers and for expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act to lower the threshold to 25 employees per affected business, to increase covered leave time, and to require that states incorporate the FMLA in their Unemployment Compensation (UI) programs so that workers taking leave may continue to receive part of their salaries.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE 1999

WHEREAS, it is an accepted fact that high quality early childhood education and child care are critical to the development and success of young children; and

WHEREAS, high quality early childhood education and child care educators are traditionally underpaid and under-appreciated in their roles as mentors of our nation’s children; and

WHEREAS, complete and comprehensive high quality early childhood education and child care should be a right for all children in this country;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) call for publicly-funded, high quality early childhood education and child care in all communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage chapters to raise the issues of public funding and minimum standards for high quality early childhood education and child care programs with all elected officials and candidates in their communities to raise both awareness and create action on the issues; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW call for the implementation of a livable minimum standard of wages for high quality early childhood educators and child care workers, particularly in federally-funded programs.

1998 DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN

On this twelfth day of July, 1998, the delegates of the National Organization for Women gather in convention on the one hundred and fiftieth year of the women’s rights movement.

We bring passion, anger, hope, love, and perseverance to create this vision for the future:

We envision a world where women’s equality and women’s empowerment to determine our own destinies is a reality;

We envision a world where women have equal representation in all decision-making structures of our societies;

We envision a world where social and economic justice exist, where all people have the food, housing, clothing, health care and education they need;

We envision a world where there is recognition and respect for each person’s intrinsic worth as well as the rich diverity of the various groups among us;

We envision a world where non-violence is the established order; We envision a world where patriarchal culture and male dominance no longer oppress us or our earth;

We envision a world where women and girls are heard, valued and respected.

Our movement, encompassing many issues and many strategies, directs our love for humanity into action that spans the world and unites women.

But our future requires us to know our past.

One hundred fifty years ago the women’s rights movement grew out of the fight to abolish slavery. Angered by their exclusi,on from leadership and public speaking at abolitionist conventions and inspired by the power of the Iroquois women, a small dedicated group of women and men built a movement. After its inception, the movement as fractured by race. Our history is full of struggle against common bonds of oppression and a painful reality of separation. Nevertheless, these activists created a political force that achieved revolutionary change. They won property rights for married women; opened the doors of higher education for women; and garnered suffrage in 1920.

In 1923, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the historic Seneca Falls convention, feminists led the demand for constitutional equality for women to win full justice under the law in order to end economic, educational, and political inequality.

Our foremothers — the first wave of feminists — ran underground railroads, lobbied, marched, and picketed. They were jailed and force fed, lynched and raped. But they prevailed. They started with a handful of activists, and today, the feminist movement involves millions of people every day.

Standing on their shoulders, we launched the National Organization for Women in 1966, the largest and strongest orgnization of feminists in the world today. A devoutly grassroots, action-oriented organization, we have sued, boycotted, picketed, lobbied, demonstrated, marched, and engaged in non-violent civil disobedience. We have on in the courts and in the legislatures; and we have negotiated with the largest corporations in the world, inning unparalleled rights for women.

The National Organization for Women and our modern day movement have profoundly changed the lives of women, men, and children. We have raised public consciousness about the plight of women to such an extent that today the majority of people support equality for women.

In the past 32 years, women have advanced farther than in any previous generation. Yet still, we do not have full equality.

We have moved more feminists than ever before into positions of power in all of the institutions that shape our society. We have achieved some measure of power to effect change in these institutions from within, yet still, we are far from full equality in decision-making. We demand an equal share of power in our families and religions, in law, science and technology, the arts and humanities, sports, education, the trades and professions, labor and mnagement, the media, corporations and small businesses as well as government. In no sphere of life should women be silenced, underrepresented, or devalued.

Today, we reaffirm our demand for Constitutional equality for women and girls. Simultaneously, we are working with sister organizations to develop and pass a national women’s equality act for the twenty-first century. And we participate in and advance a global movement for women and demand that the United States join the overwhelming majority of nations of the world in ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women without reservations, declarations, or understandings that would weaken this commitment.

We reaffirm our commitment to the power of grassroots activism, to a multi-issue, multi-tactical strategy.

We are committed to a feminist ideology and reaffirm our historic commitment to gaining equality for women, assuring safe, legal and accessible abortion and full reproductive freedom, combating racism, stopping violence against women, ending bigotry and discrimination based on sexual orientation and on color, ethnicity, national origin, women’s status, age, disability, size, childbearing capacity or choices, or parental or marital status.

We will not trade off the rights of one woman for the advancement of another. We will not be divided. We will unite with all women who seek freedom and join hands with all of the great movements of our time and all time, seeking equality, empowerment, and justice.

We commit to continue the mentoring, training, and leadership development of young and new activists of all ages who will continue our struggle. We will work to invoke enthusiasm for our goals and to expand ownership in this movement for current and future generations.

We commit to continue building a mass movement where we are leaders, not followers, of public opinion. We will continue to move feminist ideals into the mainstream thought, and we will build our media and new technologycapabilities to control our own image and message.

How long and hard a struggle it was to win the right for women to vote. Today, we fight the same reactionary forces: the perversion of religion to subjugate women; corporate greed that seeks to exploit women and children as a cheap labor force; and their apologists in public office who seek to do through law what terrorists seek to accomplish through bullets and bombs. We will not submit, nor will we be intimidated. But we will keep moving forward.

Those who carried the struggle for women’s suffrage through to its end were not there at the start; those who started the struggle did not live to see the victory. Like those strong feminist activists, we will not let ourselves be dispirited or discouraged. Even when progress seems most elusive, we will maintain our conviction that the work itself is important. For it is the work that enriches our lives; it is the work that unites us; it is the work that will propel us into the next century. We know that our struggle has made a difference, and we reaffirm our faith that itwill continue to make a difference for women’s lives.

Today, we dedicate ourselves to the sheer joy of moving forward and fighting back.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES 2012

WHEREAS, while all women and girls are at some risk of experiencing violence or abuse, this violence occurs more frequently in the lives of women and girls with disabilities, and researchers attribute this heightened vulnerability to the complex intersection of disability with gender, poverty, isolation, reliance on others for support, discrimination and stereotypes that they are dependent and asexual — all issues that restrict their violence awareness, safety-promoting behavior and access to resources; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are more likely to experience physical and sexual violence and to arrive at adulthood having already been sexually assaulted as girls than are their non-disabled peers; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are less likely to receive sex education or participate in personal safety or abuse awareness programs, and they are often socialized to be compliant or have a disability that may impede their ability to assess situations of risk, resulting in their not knowing that what they are experiencing is abuse or a crime; and

WHEREAS, predators often specifically target women with disabilities because of their vulnerabilities and the perception that this puts abusers at lower risk of discovery; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities experience disability-specific forms of violence, such as withholding, damaging or removing medical equipment and/or communication devices; physical, emotional and social neglect; unwanted sexual touching during dressing and bathing; financial exploitation and abuse by caregivers — situations that have no analog among non-disabled women; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are also more likely than their sisters without disabilities to experience multiple forms of violence, violence of greater severity, and violence that continues for a longer period of time, but when they reach out for assistance to heal they are met with little to no support, resistance and insensitivity by law enforcement, social services and the healthcare systems;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) continue supporting reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), including specific recognition that women with disabilities are more likely to be survivors of sexual, domestic and stalking violence than are their non-disabled sisters and that VAWA should promote the need for barrier-free and inclusive services by rape crisis centers, domestic violence service providers, law enforcement and related healthcare systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW urge collaboration between its District Rights ad hoc Committee, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and OVW’s Disability Program grantees to develop a simple, effective guide that includes training for evaluating and enhancing the accessibility and inclusivity of services and supports offered by publicly funded rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs and shelters; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage state and local chapters to engage their publicly funded, local and statewide rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs and shelters in a dialogue around eliminating barriers to and increasing access for women and girls with disabilities who are survivors of sexual and domestic violence and stalking, through the use of the previously mentioned guide; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW advocate and lobby all states and the District of Columbia to ensure that all services, law enforcement and healthcare systems involved in supporting survivors of sexual and domestic violence and stalking are barrier-free and inclusive of women and girls with disabilities.

ENSURING INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES IN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE WOMEN’S PROGRAMMING 2011

WHEREAS, the June 9, 2011, report of the World Health Organization and the World Bank titled “World Report on Disability” indicates that, worldwide, the prevalence of disability has dramatically increased from 10 to 15 percent of the population, which is about one billion people and includes an increased estimate of the proportion that are women and girls with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer have engaged in vigorous efforts to advance the rights of women and girls in the areas of health, including sexual and reproductive health and maternal mortality, education, economic development, anti-trafficking, and conflict and post-conflict environments; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are rarely included in such efforts and, if included, their participation is rarely part of the media coverage of such efforts; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are more often subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, and the numbers of women with disabilities increases as a result of conflict, necessitating their inclusion in programs addressing sexual and gender-based violence and anti-trafficking programs, especially in regions of conflict;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) advocate that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) do the following:

Address concerns of women and girls with disabilities in migrant and refugee policy and programming; and
Include women and girls with disabilities in anti-trafficking programs, making it understood that women and girls with disabilities are often victims and that disabilities often result from trafficking; and
Include women and girls with disabilities in programs addressing economic empowerment of women, such as micro-finance, leadership skill development, mentoring programs, and economic skills workshops; and
Include images of women and girls with disabilities in the DOS multimedia activities; and
Include women and girls with disabilities and their organizations in meetings with women’s groups held during country visits by the Secretary of State and the Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues; and
Ensure that issues of concern to women and girls with disabilities be included in DOS’ multilateral diplomacy at the United Nations Security Council, General Assembly, Commission on the Status of Women, Human Rights Council, and at other international and regional multilateral organizations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW advocate that the DOS collaborate with both Special Advisor for International Disability Rights Judith E. Heumann and with organizations representing women and girls with disabilities to take vigorous and targeted efforts to increase the number of women and girls with disabilities who participate in educational exchange programs, with a goal of at least 10 percent of such participants; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NOW Disability Rights Committee, in collaboration with the NOW Global Feminist Issues and Strategies Committee, and in consultation with the National NOW officers, draft a letter to the Secretary of State and other appropriate individuals to advocate for the issues elaborated in this resolution.

LOVE YOUR BODY AND WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES 2011

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women’s (NOW’s) Love Your Body Day campaign, poster contest, and event activities are examples of the kind of activism that changes the quality of life for women and girls throughout our nation; and

WHEREAS, NOW seeks to be inclusive of women and girls of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and abilities, including women with either visible or invisible cognitive, mental and/or physical disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the primary intersection of Feminist Studies and Disability Studies is a focus on the body, which determines both whether you are a woman or are disabled; and

WHEREAS, both beauty and disability tend to be things you are considered either to be born with or without, and they are also equally considered to be things that can be “fixed” or “improved” with surgery; and

WHEREAS, women with disabilities face two separate, but related, pressures for surgery — the same pressure to have cosmetic surgery to “beautify” themselves as experienced by women without disabilities and the pressure of reconstructive surgery to “normalize” their bodies (for example with cochlear implants); and

WHEREAS, this pressure to conform to an external standard of both a normal body and a beautiful one doubles the pressure felt by women with disabilities to conform to these standards and/or face the same feelings of self-rejection and self-hatred women without disabilities face as they compare themselves to a standard of beauty defined by some men and the media; and

WHEREAS, these feelings of self-rejection and self-hatred often limit or impair women from garnering the internal strength built on self-acceptance and self-love that empowers women to move beyond the limits and expectations that society has often placed upon them;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW’s “Love Your Body” Campaign incorporate ads of women and girls with disabilities within their offensive and positive ads shown on the Love Your Body Campaign section of the NOW website. The LYB Campaign should also include women and girls with disabilities in the graphic images and messages of the LYB Poster Contest by reaching out to artists with disabilities to submit contest entries; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that feminist and disability activists be encouraged to find and submit negative ads and images of women and girls with disabilities to be considered for addition to NOW’s Media Hall of Shame; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage state and local chapters to host Love Your Body events that include or focus on women and girls with disabilities by providing additional suggested activities on the “What Can I Do” part of the Love Your Body website; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Disability Rights Ad Hoc Committee of NOW working together with the NOW National Action Center to address these specific additions to the Love Your Body Campaign; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Love Your Body Campaign be enhanced by including issues that women and girls with disabilities also face around loving their bodies so that it emphasizes and honors the fact that all women and girls are perfect just as they are.

HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES 2009

WHEREAS, in 1993, the National Organization for Women (NOW) passed the Single-Payer Health Care resolution, but the resolution did not mention problems that women with disabilities have obtaining health care; and

WHEREAS, people with disabilities are in particular need of single-payer, universal health care, which will place their health needs above the profit motive of insurance companies, which often deny insurance based on pre-existing conditions or drop them from insurance because of their conditions; and

WHEREAS, applying for Social Security disability is a particularly onerous process, which may take years, is regularly denied, and can be disastrous for women who have no other means of support; and

WHEREAS, people with disabilities have particular health care needs that are often incredibly expensive, andtheir health or lives may be endangered due to lack of health care; and

WHEREAS, women with disabilities often cannot access health care either due to lack of accessible medical facilities or lack of sensitivity toward medical or reproductive issues of women with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, comprehensive health care is needed to level the playing field and make health care accessible and affordable for all women, including women with disabilities;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW include women with disabilities in the advocacy for single-payer health care or health care reform with a public option; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW include women with disabilities in their single-payer health care or public option talking points; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW push for a reasonable time to appear before a Social Security judge; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW encourage chapters and at-large members to include women with disabilities in their advocacy for single-payer health care or health care reform with a public option.

COMMUNITY CHOICE ACT

2/09

WHEREAS, over 25 million women in the United States have some type of disability. This includes sensory, physical, mental, or self-care limitations plus limitations in going outside the home and employment; and

WHEREAS, there are over 1 million women living in nursing homes in the United States—including 5.3 percent of the population of women over age 65—and 24 percent of women in the United States either live in nursing homes or are women with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, current Medicaid rules encourage placing women with self-care limitations into nursing homes and discourage providing home care services that will allow women to stay in their homes and communities. Over 65% of long-term-care Medicaid dollars are spent on nursing homes, and less than 35% are spent on community care services; and

WHEREAS, women with disabilities overwhelmingly prefer to receive services in the most integrated setting possible and to stay in their own homes so that they can retain more control over their lives and their bodies by having the choice to remain in their own homes; and

WHEREAS, women who remain in their own homes are more likely to become or remain employed and live well-rounded, satisfying lives than women who are forced to live in nursing homes; and

WHEREAS, community services are less expensive on average than institutional services, and a 2005 study found that home care reduces costs by 37%; and

WHEREAS, June 22, 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court “Olmstead” decision, which forbids segregating people with disabilities in institutional settings, and mandates that persons with disabilities receive services in the “most integrated” setting; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has long-standing opposition to all forms of discrimination and is on record in support of the rights of women with disabilities and has an uncompromising investment in working to protect the rights of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, legislation like the Community Choice Act requires each state to have at least a minimal Medicaid-funded personal assistance program so that all U.S. citizens with disabilities can choose to live in their own homes, establishes a national program of community-based attendant services and supports for people with disabilities, allows Medicaid money to follow the person, and allows eligible persons to choose where they want to receive services and care,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW will encourage the United States Congress to pass, and President Obama to sign, the Community Choice Act or equivalent legislation, and will support efforts of other organizations to encourage the passage of this bill; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Disability Rights Ad Hoc Committee of NOW will work together with the NOW National Action Center and the disability community to advocate for the passage of legislation like the Community Choice Act, and full implementation of the Olmstead decision.

BACKLOG OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

2008

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a continuing commitment to the rights of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, NOW first called for modernizing Social Security in order to resolve all Social Security inequities; and

WHEREAS, it is a travesty that the Social Security Administration has a three-year backlog in processing disability claims and has a high rate of initial denial of claims;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NOW membership be informed of this problem by the National Action Center in a regular leadership mailing, in the National NOW Times (NNT), and by other means with the assistance of the Disability Rights ad hoc committee; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center and NOW members be encouraged to pressure Congress and the federal government to reduce the Social Security claims backlog.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

2007

WHEREAS, there are an estimated 300 million women with disabilities worldwide, with 240 million of them living in developing countries, who are disabled as a result of mental, physical or sensory impairment. No matter which part of the world they are in, their lives are often limited by physical and/or social barriers; and

WHEREAS, the consequences of disablement are particularly serious for women, because disabled women are discriminated against on double grounds: gender and disability. Therefore, they have less access to essential services such as health care, education and vocational rehabilitation; and

WHEREAS, disabled persons often suffer from discrimination, because of prejudice or ignorance, and also may lack access to essential services; and

WHEREAS, while the United Nation’s CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women) establishes a worldwide commitment to combat discrimination against women and girls, there are few references to women with disabilities. This leaves women with disabilities invisible to many countries who are signatories to CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is on record in support of the rights of women with disabilities globally and has an uncompromising investment in working to protect the rights of people with disabilities and to dismantle ableism; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s long-standing opposition to all forms of discrimination and NOW’s historic purpose include full participation, independence, and diversity for all, including people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, in December 2006, the United Nations adopted a Convention on the Protection and

Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities and this Convention has been signed by numerous countries and the Convention includes an article (Article 6) that provides that State Parties:

“recognize that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination, and in this regard, shall take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by them of all their human rights and fundamental freedoms;” and
“take all appropriate measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the present Convention.”

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW will encourage the United States to sign and ratify this Convention and will support efforts of other organizations to encourage the ratification of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities without any reservations, declarations or understandings (RDUs) as a vehicle to improve the rights of women and girls with disabilities in the U.S. and globally; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Disability Rights Ad Hoc Committee of NOW will work together with the NOW National Action Center to advocate for this Convention’s ratification by the United States.

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES ACTIVIST STRATEGY CAUCUS

2005

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has an uncompromising commitment to protecting the rights of people with disabilities and to dismantle ableism; and

WHEREAS, disability rights issues are at the forefront of political debate in terms of federal judicial appointments, states’ rights, civil rights law enforcement and legislation, health care and other issues; and

WHEREAS, NOW must remain on the cutting edge of the disability rights movement; and

WHEREAS, NOW has long standing opposition to all forms of discrimination and NOW’s historic purpose includes full participation, independence, and diversity for all, including people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1978 “Provision for Disabled Persons” supports equal opportunity for all; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1985 “Elimination of Work Disincentives for Women with Disabilities” committed NOW to work for legislation to achieve economic equality and psychological independence; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1987 “Campaign to Free Sharon Kowalski” mandated that NOW develop actions to confront “-isms” such as handicapism (now known as ableism); and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1995 “Disability Rights Education” resolution called for the education of our membership on disability rights issues; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 2002 “Women with Disabilities and Allies Forum” resolution called on NOW to hold such a Forum which was successfully held in October 2003; and

WHEREAS, NOW recognizes the essential need for continued dialog on strategies to eliminate the double-pronged discrimination experienced by women with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, both feminists with disabilities and feminists without current disabilities share similar issues with similar strategies, as well as different issues and different strategies;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW embark on a formal discussion among NOW activists with and without disabilities, disability rights activists and others; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW sponsor a one-day “Women with Disabilities Feminist Activist Strategy Caucus” to foster discussion among and bring together NOW activists with and without disabilities to develop new NOW strategies for action to fully integrate issues of women with disabilities into our feminist work on domestic violence, child custody, health care, equality in employment and education, lesbian rights, body image, reproductive and abortion rights and all feminist issues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each Region in NOW shall be represented in this Caucus; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Disability Rights Ad Hoc Committee work closely with NOW’s National Officers to organize this Caucus; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this Caucus be held preferably preceding, but no later than, October 2006, the date and location to be determined by the Disability Rights Ad Hoc Committee and the National NOW Officers.

THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN’S REAFFIRMATION OF INCLUSION

1/05

WHEREAS, the philosophy of NOW is to oppose any discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, women’s status, economic status, age, disability, size, childbearing capacity or choices, or parental or marital status and has a stated policy that it will not trade the rights of one group over another; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s statement of purpose states that women must be brought into full participation in the mainstream of American society, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men; and

WHEREAS, the purpose includes, but is not limited to, equal rights and responsibilities in all aspects of citizenship, public service, employment, education and family life, and it includes freedom from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, women’s status, economic status, age, disability, size, childbearing capacity or choices, or parental or marital status; and

WHEREAS, no person who subscribes to NOW’s purpose shall be excluded from membership, segregated or otherwise discriminated against within the organization; and

WHEREAS, NOW is an organization whose membership includes diverse language, culture, ethnic and racial groups,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW’s Board of Directors reaffirms the organization’s commitment to the inclusion of and respect for all NOW members in all of its activities, meetings, and debates with all rights, privileges and responsibilities afforded to NOW members; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW’s Board of Directors reaffirms its commitment to opposing racism and xenophobia, including the targeting of certain immigrant groups, inherent in anti-immigrant sentiments, and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NOW Board of Directors reiterates its commitment to a feminist ideology and reaffirms our historic commitment to gaining equality for all women regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, women’s status, economic status, age, disability, size, childbearing capacity or choices, or parental or marital status; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National Action Center will send this resolution to the NOW leadership, publish it in the National NOW Times, communicate it through other means, and encourage discussion on this reaffirmation at all levels of NOW.

LEADERSHIP FOR THE 21st CENTURY

A PLENARY SESSION FOR THE 2003 NATIONAL NOW CONFERENCE

1/03

Because NOW sees and values leadership in all its diversity, we move that the 2003 National conference include a plenary session devoted to leadership in the 21st Century that includes a panel of NOW leaders — representing age, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

The Inter-generational and Diversity Board Committees and related CICs (Young Feminist, Diversity, Disability) will be an integral part of planning the plenary session and selecting its speakers.

There will also be a follow-up workshop to spark a dialogue about how we use issues of inter-generational, diversity and disability perspectives to strengthen NOW leadership for today and the future.

WOMEN AND DISABILITY ALLIES FORUM

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has an uncompromising investment in working to protect the rights of people with disabilities and to dismantle ableism; and

WHEREAS, NOW must remain on the cutting edge of the disability rights movement; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s long standing opposition to all forms of discrimination and NOW’s historic purpose includes full participation, independence, and diversity for all, including people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1978 “Provision for Disabled Persons” supports equal opportunity for all; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1985 “Elimination of Work Disincentives for Women with Disabilities” (who face double discrimination) committed NOW to work for legislation to achieve economic equality and psychological independence; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1987 “Campaign to Free Sharon Kowalski” mandated that NOW develop actions to confront “-isms” such as handicapism (now known as able-ism); and

WHEREAS, NOW passed a “Disability Rights Education” resolution in 1995 calling for the education of our membership on disability rights issues; and

WHEREAS, NOW recognizes the essential need for continued dialog on issues of sex, disability, ableism, and feminism in order to work together on issues of mutual concern and to successfully move forward in the new century; and

WHEREAS, both feminists with disabilities and feminists without current disabilities share concerns on issues, such as reproductive rights, about which they may disagree when it comes to strategy; and

WHEREAS, there is recognition of the need and desire for discussion which crosses boundaries of disability and ableism;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) and/or the NOW Foundation embark on a formal discussion among feminists with disabilities, disability rights activists and others; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW and/or the NOW Foundation jointly or independently sponsor a “Women with Disabilities and Allies Forum” to foster the discussion among and to bring together women living with disabilities, disability rights activists, abortion rights activists, other feminists, and supportive allies from across the country to discuss ableism, feminism, abortion rights issues, reproductive rights including the right to have sex and have and raise children, and other issues of mutual concern to the feminist and disability rights movements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this forum will celebrate our commonality, share our ideas, and create a framework to ensure the value, vision, and inclusion of women with disabilities in NOW; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Disability Rights Conference Implementation Committee (CIC) work closely with the National Officers to organize this forum; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this forum be held preferably preceding, but no later than December 2002, the date and location to be determined by the Disability Rights CIC and the National Officers.

ENVISIONING DISABILITY RIGHTS

1997

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) long standing opposition to all forms of discrimination and NOW’s historic purpose includes full participation, independence, and diversity for all, including people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1978 “Provision for Disabled Persons” supports equal opportunity for all; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1987 “Campaign to Free Sharon Kowalski” proclaimed that no one should be denied access or freedom of association, and supported Sharon’s request that persons with disabilities have the choice to remain in their own homes rather than be institutionalized; and

WHEREAS, this resolution proclaimed that the medical and legal system would rather declare a person helpless mentally and physically than deal with the facts of that case; and

WHEREAS, it also mandates that NOW develop actions to confront “-isms” such as handicapism (now known as able-ism) so women can receive proper medical/mental/health care; and

WHEREAS, the medical, legal, and Medicaid/Medicare systems unnecessarily institutionalize and segregate more than 2 million people with disabilities, both young and old, rather than allowing their full participation and inclusion in society; and

WHEREAS, nursing homes and other institutions cost taxpayers an average of $35,000 annually; and

WHEREAS, home- and community-based services, such as attendant services cost on average

$8,000 per year and allow for independence, freedom of association, and full participation; and

WHEREAS, legislation such as HR2020 (known as M-CASA) has been introduced in Congress to eliminate this institutional bias and segregation and allow real choice in health care and attendant services in one’s own home and community; and

WHEREAS, disability is part of life and living;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW commit itself to further outreach to the disability rights community by developing a brochure for distribution to leading disability rights organizations and to NOW chapters and states to aid in membership recruitment; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW support and advocate for the passage of HR2020 and similar legislation to envision disability rights in order to reduce able-ism by removing the institutional bias, increasing equal opportunities, and eliminating work disincentives while providing quality health care for more individuals.

NOW TO DENOUNCE SO-CALLED PARENTAL ALIENATION (SYNDROME)

2006

WHEREAS, the term Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) was created by the psychiatrist Richard Gardner. It is used as a tactic in courts by litigating attorneys as a defense strategy for batterers and sexual predators that purports to explain a child’s estrangement from one parent, or explains away allegations against the estranged parent of abuse/sex abuse of child, by blaming the protective parent; and

WHEREAS, there are no data to support PAS; and

WHEREAS, as documented in the PBS film, Breaking The Silence, The Children’s Stories there are epidemic levels of abuse and dysfunction in our courts system where espoused judges repeat Richard Gardner’s unsubstantiated doctrine and make binding recommendations in conjunction with PAS therapists and PAS attorneys; and

WHEREAS, the newly revised, 2006 edition of “Navigating Custody and Visitation Evaluations in Cases with Domestic Violence: A Judge’s Guide,” published by The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges,includes a strong statement condemning the use of PAS which it calls a “discredited” syndrome that favors child abusers in custody determinations;

FAMILY LAW AD HOC COMMITTEE PROPOSAL FOR NATIONAL ACTION

12/05

WHEREAS, there is a national crisis for women and their children in the family law courts, which is affirmed by experts and leaders in the women’s movement, is supported by research, and verified by women in every state who report injustice in their family law cases, especially battered mothers trying to protect their children from abusive fathers who aggressively litigate against them, using family court to stalk, harass, punish and impoverish their former partners and children; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) recognizes the crisis for women and their children in family law courts and passed a resolution to create the Family Law Ad Hoc Committee (?the Committee”) to advise the NOW Board on actions to take to address discrimination against women in family courts; and

WHEREAS, NOW is on the cutting edge of the progressive movement and the leader in taking on the issues that profoundly affect women’s ability to be in equal participation with men in all aspects of society; and

WHEREAS, NOW leaders have become part of the forefront of the movement for mothers’ rights in family court and have networked with experts and leaders in the field, and NOW President Kim Gandy has appointed members to the Committee who are also experts, there is ample access to extremely useful information on the issue; and

WHEREAS, getting and distributing information is always a first step in advocacy, and giving chapters tools is the best way to mobilize NOW members around an issue; and

WHEREAS, the National NOW Action Center has the resources in place to get information to people through its website, and to its chapters through Action Packets,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center devote space on its website for information that the Committee provides (in electronic form), with approval of the National Officers, including sample and model legislation, legislative testimony, articles, research studies, legal briefs and cases, links, strategies for approaching and persuading legislators/officials, media strategies and sample press releases; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Committee also provide the National NOW Action Center with items to help inform and mobilize chapters on the issue of mothers’ and family law, so that the National NOW Action Center can include this information in an Action Packet to send out to all NOW chapters that receive Action Packets; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW will use any reasonable opportunities to promote the web pages and Action Packets, for example, by mentioning them in newsletters, media interviews, speeches and in meetings.

NOW VALUES MOTHERS’ AND CAREGIVERS’ ECONOMIC RIGHTS

2005

WHEREAS, the landmark National Organization for Women (NOW) resolution “Homemaker’s Bill of Rights: Economic Recognition for Homemakers” (1978), which called for the acknowledgement of unpaid mothering and caregiving work as a valuable part of our nation’s economy, remains largely unfulfilled in state and national legislation nearly thirty years after its passage; and

WHEREAS, U.S. society’s underlying bias against mothers’ and caregivers’ work, whether or not it is performed in conjunction with paid or waged labor, remains institutionalized within the U.S. Government and standard employment practices; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the care of children, our swiftly aging nation is putting women, our traditional caregivers, into an even more tenuous economic position as the unpaid work of eldercare becomes more commonplace; and

WHEREAS, the anti-caregiving movement within conservative politics seeks to roll back entitlements such as Social Security Insurance and the Family and Medical Leave Act, and to further restrict access to public assistance benefits, forcing even greater numbers of women into poverty; and

WHEREAS, the current national discussion over the role of our mothers and caregivers is being led by corporate-owned media and right-wing ideologues; and

WHEREAS, it would benefit both NOW and the nation’s mother and caregiver population to build a feminist mothers and caregivers constituency within NOW to promote active resistance to political forces currently in opposition to the women’s movement;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW educate the public on this issue, build coalitions with feminist activist groups that advocate for mothers’ and caregivers’ economic rights and lobby for appropriate federal and state legislation to create programs such as quality universal childcare, Social Security and tax credits for caregivers, and paid family medical leave insurance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage state chapters to form Mothers’ and Caregivers’ Economic Rights Task Forces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage local chapters to form feminist mothering and caregivers programs to recruit women who might not otherwise become members and to develop strong community support for our organization; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Board form a regionally representative ad hoc committee comprised of chapter, state and national activists and experts that will work with the Board and the national officers to develop online resources and action kits, including talking points, programming ideas, media resources, and other materials.

NATIONAL AD HOC COMMITTEE TO WORK ON FAMILY LAW ISSUES

1/05

WHEREAS, national NOW has several ad hoc committees to work on special issues of importance to women in matters of justice and equality; and

WHEREAS, the misuse of federal spending and judicial abuse constitutes a lack of justice and equality; and

WHEREAS, an increasing problem is occurring due to the Department of Heath and Human Services’ (HHS) aggressive effort to divert even more money from TANF programs, which serve families (especially women and children), and marriage promotion and fatherhood initiatives have been substituted; and

WHEREAS, NOW routinely receives communication from women who have been subjected to gender bias and adversely treated by the family courts; numerous studies, both past and present confirm this to be true; and

WHEREAS, past NOW resolutions call for the creation of an activist organizing kit, a questionnaire to capture evidence from women’s court experiences and a grassroots court watch program among other actions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW form a national ad hoc committee to work and to further advise the NOW National Board of systematic changes or harmful legislation that adversely impacts women in the family court system and impedes justice and equality in the courtroom.

ACTION ON FAMILY LAW

2001

WHE

REAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is committed to justice for women and children; and

WHEREAS, there is a well-organized fathers-rights movement that is negatively affecting the judicial and legislative process regarding family law; and

WHEREAS, across the nation the majority of calls to chapters are regarding divorce and custody issues; and

WHEREAS, women are reporting gender bias, denial of due process, incompetence, corruption, and fraud in the family law and domestic courts; and

WHEREAS, restrictive laws and court orders that force women into mandatory mediation, whereby the mediator’s decree becomes the order of the court contrary to the wishes of the parties with no recourse to judicial review, deprives women of their due process rights; and

WHEREAS, women are being deprived of economic fairness by the failure of courts to enforce financial discovery; and

WHEREAS, because it is in the best interest of children to ensure their stability and continuity of care, there should be a rebuttable presumption that the primary caregiver of the children should be awarded custody;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW place increased emphasis on this national family law crisis; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW create an activist organizing kit that will include a questionnaire to capture evidence from women’s court experiences and a grassroots court watch program; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW release the results of the questionnaire and the court watch program at a national speak out where women give testimony regarding their experience in the courts with divorce, spousal support, property division, child support, child custody, family violence, and abuse.

OPPOSING REGRESSIVE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAWS

12/00

WHEREAS, a backlash has grown against tough enforcement of child support orders and aggressive collection of past due support payments and this has resulted in activism by extremist, misogynist men’s custody (or so-called men’s rights) groups; and

WHEREAS, men’s custody activists are promoting public policies and legislation that would underwrite their activities with taxpayer monies, their true agenda being one of aiding men to reduce or avoid paying child support through extensive litigation to gain custody (despite documented evidence of abuse in many cases) and to overturn progressive laws promoting equality and protection of women; and

WHEREAS, men’s custody activists and their allies from right-wing religious political organizations frequently cite faulty social science research to support false claims blaming an array of social ills on “fatherlessness” – even claiming incredibly that marriage prevents domestic violence and keeps women and children from being poor; and

WHEREAS, the vast majority of respected social science research concludes that it is the presence of loving, nurturing care-givers in a stable family situation that is also free of serious conflict or abuse that are the most important factors in rearing healthy, well-adjusted children; and that domestic violence and sexual abuse are pervasive problems that frequently lead to divorce; and

WHEREAS, these groups disseminate fallacious information to state legislatures and Congress in support of such regressive laws and policies as fault-based divorce, presumptive joint custody, covenant marriage, out-of-wedlock birth penalties for poor women, marriage bonuses to state welfare-to work programs, privatization of child support collection and many other bad ideas; and

WHEREAS, men’s custody activists, right-wing religious political groups and their friends in Congress have proposed that poor women and men be pressured into marriage, regardless of significant risks of increased violence to women and children and the continuing scarcity in many communities of jobs that pay wages sufficient to sustain families – the objective of such initiatives being to cease government expenditures for welfare, child support enforcement, food stamps, housing assistance and other necessary low income assistance programs; and,

WHEREAS, such developments are part of a more profound and dangerous trend against equal rights for women, against balanced power relationships between the sexes, against effective efforts to reduce domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse and against progressive reforms in marriage and divorce to better protect women and children;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW opposes the efforts of men’s custody groups and right-wing groups to force marriage, make divorce more difficult and to adopt domestic relations laws that make women captive in unhappy or abusive marriages; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW opposes sexist laws and application of laws that place unfair burdens on women who are non-custodial parents; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW goes on record supporting laws that deny child custody to abusers and will assist state and local NOW chapters who commit to work to enact such laws in their states.

ADOPT FAMILY LAW AND CUSTODY AS PRIORITY ACTIONS IN NOW

1999

WHEREAS, an overwhelming number of communications are received by the National Organization for Women(NOW) at the chapter, state and national levels from women who complain of injustice in family law courts, especially in cases involving domestic violence and child custody; and

WHEREAS, women lose custody of their children, despite being good mothers, despite a lack of involvement of the father with the children, and regardless of a history of being the primary caregiver; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of women who sue for child support experience a retaliatory suit for child custody; and

WHEREAS, many women who try to leave abusive husbands find a divorce court is a place where the abuse is allowed to continue, as abusers use custody to retain control over them and their children; and

WHEREAS, the growing so-called “fathers’ rights” legal industry is using custody suits as a lever to lower child support; custody awards are all too often distorted by anti-woman bias, money and politics; and

WHEREAS so-called “fathers’ rights” groups are connected nationally and in many states and areas have undue influence in the courts, political parties and the halls of legislature, and their strategies are replicated and modeled throughout the states, while women facing divorce and custody fights are isolated and alone and often lack sufficient funds to afford the legal battles currently necessary to be successful; and

WHEREAS endorsements of judicial candidates are even more effective than for legislative races because people have less information and NOW has such high credibility; and

WHEREAS, taking action against such gender bias is well-suited to the organizing and lobbying abilities, and fighting for justice for women involved in custody suits and divorce has been found to be a hot issue for NOW chapter organizing, membership recruitment, and public awareness of NOW’s issues;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW adopt a policy which expresses the suggestions of current feminist research and writing, including 1) a call to fully fund and implement judicial education regarding domestic violence, 2) a demand for meaningful judicial accountability and performance reviews of elected and appointed judges, 3) a model for selection and pre-selection of candidates for elected and appointed judicial posts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all chapter and state NOW PACs be urged to include judges and judicial candidates in their endorsement and support process and that chapters be encouraged to enable women and organize around this issue, using seminars on divorce, custody, finance, domestic violence, etc, as well as public forums, hearings and court watches; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW recognize family law and custody as crucial and urgent action and organizing issues in the lives of women and children; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Action Center assist state and local NOW chapters to advocate for reform, in ways including, but not limited to: 1) compiling model legislation, sample testimony, available research, etc.; 2) aggressively speaking out about this issue to other organizations, the public, and the press; 3) assist NOW units active on this issue to establish contact with each other; 4) create a membership/organizing brochure on these issues; 5) collect, organize and report on relevant information from chapters; 6) work with lawyers’ organizations, particularly women lawyers, to encourage increased pro-bono representation for women who cannot afford private counsel in custody issues; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a Conference Implementation Committee be formed to oversee and assist in the implementation of this and other related resolutions.

TAPESTRY OF POLYGAMY

1999

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is the world leader in fighting for the rights of women and their children for over 30 years; and

WHEREAS, the “Tapestry of Polygamy” is pioneering in the effort to disseminate the information and the realities of the practice of polygamy; and

WHEREAS, the “Tapestry of Polygamy” focuses on assisting those wishing to flee from the bondage of polygamy;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW in alliance with the “Tapestry of Polygamy” disseminate information on the abuses of polygamy to the general public and legislators; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW advocate to end the human rights’ violations due to polygamy; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW recognizes and supports the “Tapestry of Polygamy” in its ongoing effort to educate the public and government officials on the needs of families exiting this lifestyle.

7/98

As child support, child custody and other family issues are of primary concern to many NOW members, NOW again emphasizes its commitment to these very important issues.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO PREVENT HIGH COST PREDATORY LENDING 2017

WHEREAS, NOW commends the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and its director, Richard Cordray, for their efforts to fight against predatory loan products such as payday loans and car title loans that have forced and held women and communities of color, among others, into the debt trap; and

WHEREAS, many short term, small dollar loans, including payday loans, tend to be associated with exorbitant interest rates and other high-cost, wealth-stripping fees. Typical interest rates for these loans exceed 300 percent; and

WHEREAS, most payday borrowers make less than $30,000 a year and nearly half default on a payday loan — compared to only 3 percent of standard bank loan borrowers — despite the fact that most of those who default actually pay fees in excess of the original principal. Payday loans trap people in cycles of debt that drain local economies and result in a cascade of financial consequences, such as increased overdraft fees, delayed medical care, and even bankruptcy; and

WHEREAS, studies have repeatedly shown that the wealth-stripping effects of predatory lending practices have a disproportionate impact on women, families of color, and low-wealth families, robbing households of wages and savings that could otherwise be reinvested into wealth-building and into local neighborhoods and communities; and

WHEREAS, women make up roughly sixty percent of all payday loan customers. Payday loan use is even higher among single mothers. Payday loans are primarily used to pay for household expenses – expenses that tend to be the responsibility of women; and

WHEREAS, short term, small dollar lenders including payday and car title lenders collect over $8 billion in penalties and fees from borrowers on an annual basis; and

WHEREAS, many high-cost, small-dollar lenders do not assess a borrower’s ability to repay a loan, considering both income and expenses, and in fact intentionally rely on the unaffordability of these loans to extract huge profits from borrowers stuck in the debt trap cycle; and

WHEREAS, women overwhelmingly support strengthening regulation of payday loans. Seventy-two percent of women say that passing additional regulation of the payday lending industry is important to them. Seventy-five percent of women support the CFPB’s proposal to regulate payday lenders; and

WHEREAS, subsequent to extensive research of payday lending practices, the CFPB is currently engaged in the rulemaking process for rules that have the potential to end the debt trap created by unaffordable high-cost, small-dollar loans by ensuring that lenders require that borrowers have an ability to repay their loans; and

WHEREAS, NOW strongly condemns abusive, predatory, wealth-stripping lending practices in all forms, particularly those that disproportionately target women, communities of color and low-wealth families;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, NOW supports efforts by the CFPB to rein in the abusive, further-impoverishing practices of predatory lenders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW supports adoption of strong rules to protect consumers across the country, requiring high-cost, small-dollar lenders to ensure loans are affordable when considering borrowers’ income and expenses, and to ensure the loans can be repaid without refinancing or defaulting; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NOW supports state legislaton to end predatory loan debt traps establishing an interest rate cap of 36% or less to protect against triple-digit interest rate loans; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW encourages the CFPB (www.consumerfinance.gov) to adopt rules that encompass tactics used by predatory lenders to evade regulation.

CAMPAIGN FOR A $15 MINIMUM WAGE

2015

Whereas, closing the wage gap and achieving the economic empowerment of women is one of the priority issues of the National Organization for Woman, and

Whereas, NOW’s activism, has moved pay equity forward in the nearly half-century since our founding, and

Whereas the “15 NOW” Campaign for a $15-an hour minimum wage fights for livable wages and justice for all, and

Whereas the largest group of workers who earn minimum wages are women, and

Whereas in 2013, the very first “15 Now” ordinance was passed, raising the minimum wage to $15 and doubling the wages and living standards for those who are covered, and

Whereas strengthening NOW’s alliances with the “15 Now” campaign will build membership and effectiveness at the grassroots levels as we moved toward the 2016 elections,

Now therefore be it resolved, that the National Organization for Women work with the “15 NOW” campaign to raise the minimum wage to not less than $15 an hour at all levels of government, and

Be it further resolved that NOW recommend to the NOW/PAC that any candidate running for office must support an increase in the minimum wage and improvements in working conditions such as scheduling policies to receive both the support and endorsement of NOW/PAC.

FAIR WAGES AND TREATMENT FOR TIPPED WORKERS

2013

WHEREAS, the federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 per hour, or 30% of the federal minimum wage for non-tipped workers; and

WHEREAS, according to the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), restaurants are the fastest growing U.S. industry with the worst gender wage gap; and

WHEREAS, employees in the restaurant industry are less than 1% unionized, and unions would help to elevate the status of restaurant workers; and

WHEREAS, the vast majority of restaurant workers have no paid sick days and thus are forced to work while ill, potentially risking the health of their customers and co-workers; and

WHEREAS, sexual harassment is rampant and widely known but rarely reported in the restaurant industry;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) calls on Congress and state legislatures to enact living wage legislation with tipped workers to be guaranteed at least 70 percent of the federal minimum wage, as well as other wage-elevating legislation like the proposed federal Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 (S. 460), and that the minimum wage increase proportionately with increases in the cost of living on an annual basis, and that increases in the wage be based on the full Consumer Price Index (CPI) not just the core CPI which excludes food and energy so that all future wage increases shall reflect the full cost of price inflation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW push to pass paid sick day legislation at the state and federal levels for all workers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW work to make the media aware of the significant impact on women and people of color, who are disproportionately affected by depressed wages and hostile workplaces in the restaurant industry; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW chapters are encouraged to work in coalitions in their own states and local communities to push back against such inhumane treatment.

PRESERVING AND PROMOTING UNION JOBS AND UNION-MADE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

2013

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of supporting the working woman and recognizes the harm to sisters all over the world when companies do not assure workers’ rights, safe working conditions, health benefits, and livable wages; and

WHEREAS, union labels, shop cards, store cards, and service-buttons are hallmarks of high quality and are the best indicator of jobs that pay well, provide good benefits, and respect the right of workers to join a union; and

WHEREAS, union and nonunion families alike “look for the union label” when they shop precisely because they want to support strong and solid job growth in the United States, promote fair and humane global trade practices and purchase the best products and services in the world; and

WHEREAS, national tax and trade policies have caused our trade deficit to surge to a record- setting level leading to massive job loss in a wide range of sectors and the severe erosion of our manufacturing base; and

WHEREAS, due to these flawed trade policies, even products such as the American flag are often imported from countries that employ prison and child labor and deny workers their basic human rights;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the delegates to the NOW Conference reaffirm their commitment to buy union-made products and services and to look for the union label; and

BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW strive to use only American-made products or fair-trade products and services from organizations and companies that do not commit business practices that can be conceived by NOW as anti-union, anti-women, or anti-equality; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW reaffirms its commitment to working women by striving to ensure that major purchases of products and services are consistent with a pro-woman, pro-labor, and pro-equality agenda.

CHALLENGING WALMART’S DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES

2013

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has declared Walmart to be a Merchant of Shame; and

WHEREAS, NOW is currently engaged in various actions to challenge Walmart’s discriminatory practices; andWHEREAS, a past union action against J.P. Stevens & Company that involved a campaign to urge members to purchase single shares of J.P. Stevens stock proved successful;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that National NOW adopt a similar campaign to urge members to purchase single shares of Walmart Stock; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW members who are shareholders in Walmart be encouraged to attend shareholder meetings and participate in the voting process in order to influence the corporation’s policies affecting women; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW coordinate this shareholder action to challenge Walmart’s discriminatory practices.

NOW ENDORSES THE 21st CENTURY FULL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACT, H.R. 4277

2012

WHEREAS, according to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), women have made modest job gains during the economic recovery, even though heavy job losses in the public sector have contributed to a weaker employment picture for women, who lost 348,000 public sector jobs over the course of the recovery, offsetting their private sector job gains by 38.2 percent; and

WHEREAS, according to the NWLC and the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), women hold 29.4 percent of private sector jobs gained during the recovery, and just 22.5 percent of all jobs added between June 2009 and May 2012, which represents 41 percent of the jobs they lost during the recession, while men have regained 44 percent of their lost jobs; and

WHEREAS, steep cuts in local and state governments have resulted in a significant loss of jobs for women working as public school teachers, social workers, medical professionals, and child care professionals; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has consistently demonstrated a sincere commitment to help provide jobs for women by advocating for increased federal funding to states in order to maintain the optimal number of public sector jobs for women who are providing critically important services for children, women, families, seniors, and the disabled; and

WHEREAS, there is a significant percentage of households in the U.S. in which the woman is an essential breadwinner in order for a family to survive economically, and due to the recession, there are scores of single women-headed households across the nation in which the breadwinners are out of work and in urgent need of employment now in order to take care of their families’ most basic survival needs; and

WHEREAS, we are in one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression, and there is an urgent need for the federal government to take a major role in direct job creation so that 14 million unemployed workers can find work, and another 14 million who are working part time or have given up looking for work can find meaningful employment at a livable wage; and

WHEREAS, Rep. John Conyers, (D-MI) has introduced federal legislation, H.R. 4277, “The Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act,” a 21st Century “new New Deal” that would provide job training and employment opportunities for millions of unemployed men and women in the U.S. who wish to become gainfully employed; and

WHEREAS, under H.R. 4277, the federal government would train, hire, and pay unemployed women right now to become employed in a manner to promote employment diversity, pay equity and enhanced professional credentials;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) hereby officially endorse H.R. 4277, “The Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act,” so that women can be put back to work now, and encourage other grassroots civil-society organizations to also endorse this legislation, which must be passed with all deliberate speed to assure employment for all who want to work–especially women.

BENEFIT IMPROVEMENTS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

2011

WHEREAS, the average amount of Social Security retirement income for women is $11,377 per year, as compared to $14,822 for men — the difference being due to women taking time out of the paid workforce to raise children and care for ill relatives and to wage discrimination; and

WHEREAS, 46 percent of all single women over 65 receiving Social Security benefits rely on Social Security for more than 90 percent of their income, and a significant proportion of women of color rely exclusively on Social Security for their retirement income; and

WHEREAS, sex-based wage discrimination results in loss of income and reduced savings for women, ranging from several hundred thousand dollars to more than a million dollars lost over a working career; and

WHEREAS, due to disappearing pensions, unemployment among older workers, declining household income, increasing health care costs, reduced home values, and reduced value of investments after the financial meltdown, seniors are becoming more reliant on Social Security for retirement income; and

WHEREAS, modest changes to financing Social Security — such as raising the cap on taxable income (above $106,800) or slightly increasing the payroll tax rate — can finance benefit improvements and assure Social Security funding for the long term;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) urge that benefits under Social Security be significantly improved to assure that all workers who have paid into the system have sufficient income and not fall into poverty and that the Special Minimum for lifetime low-income workers be raised; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW urge that caregiver credits under Social Security be provided so that women do not lose Social Security income when they take time out of the paid workforce, and that eligibility for spousal benefits be lowered from 10 years of marriage to seven to reflect current demographics; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW urge that benefits for same-sex couples be provided; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW urge that benefits for disabled widows/widowers be raised to 100 percent of the deceased worker’s benefit and that the survivor’s benefit should be raised to 75 percent of the couple’s joint benefits, capped at the maximum earner’s benefit; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW urge that the age of eligibility for full retirement be lowered — not increased; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW advocate for legislation and policy that reflect all of the above noted improvements to Social Security.

“MEDICARE FOR ALL” IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM

2011

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has endorsed single-payer health care in 1993 and in 2009, and the fight to make health care a right for all people continues even after the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which expands the role of private health insurance, while limiting women’s access to reproductive health care; and

WHEREAS, women continue to pay more for health insurance, while earning less, and women spend more time than men providing unpaid care to elderly, disabled, or sick family members; and

WHEREAS, congressional proposals connected to the national budget debate seek to cut, privatize, or eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, and any health benefits derived from the Social Security Act — changes that will most heavily impact women; and

WHEREAS, expanding Medicare to everyone and eliminating the role of the private health insurance industry would save $400 billion a year, enough to extend comprehensive health care, including vision, hearing and dental coverage and all reproductive health care, to all of the uninsured and underinsured; and

WHEREAS, Vermont has passed a law that intends to make health care a human right for all Vermonters by implementing a single-payer program in the state, and various states continue to advocate for passage of single-payer health care as a means of pushing for national single-payer health care; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of organizations, local, national and international unions, cities, towns, and school boards have endorsed single-payer health care, and polls continue to show that the majority of physicians, nurses, and the public support single-payer “Medicare for All” as the solution to our health care crisis;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW continue to advocate for a “Medicare for All,” single-payer health care system as the solution to our health and fiscal crisis and oppose cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and any health benefits derived from the Social Security Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW participate in the activities around Medicare’s anniversary in July 2011 to build support for Medicare as the solution, not the problem, to our health care and fiscal woes; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW support single-payer health care legislation on the state and national levels, including Senator Sanders’ American Health Security Act of 2011 (S 915) and the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (HR 676), as well as legislation that supports granting the necessary federal waivers for states to implement single-payer health care.

HYDE AND SEEK-REPEAL THE HYDE AMENDMENT

2010

WHEREAS, United States Congress has renewed the Hyde Amendment in various forms since 1976, enacted in reaction to the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade; and

WHEREAS, the Hyde Amendment undermines women’s rights by discriminating against low-income women, prohibiting federal funding of abortion for the 12 million women of reproductive age who are served by Medicaid; and

WHEREAS, by prohibiting Medicaid funding of reproductive health insurance for low-income women, except in the cases of rape, incest or life-threatening situations, many women face late-term abortions or illegal, dangerous abortions due to the time required to find funds to pay for the abortion; and

WHEREAS, at times, the ban has been extended to prohibit funding for groups like Native Americans, federal employees and their dependents, Peace Corps volunteers, low-income residents of Washington, D.C., federal prisoners, military personnel and their dependents, and disabled women who rely on Medicaid; and

WHEREAS, the major health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was used by Democratic leaders to gain votes from abortion opponents by including provisions similar to the Hyde Amendment that further restrict coverage for the millions of women who seek insurance under the new Act; and

WHEREAS, other legislation, such as the ban on federal funds for abortions enacted by the Children’s Health Initiative Program (CHIP), which serves girls 19 and younger, has gone into effect to discriminate against women; and

WHEREAS, the Hyde Amendment has effectively politicized and stigmatized the legal practice of abortion and obstructed women’s constitutional right to control their reproductive lives;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) continue strongly to oppose the Hyde Amendment and any related legislative provisions; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Board of NOW is hereby instructed to develop a long-term strategy with other allied organizations for the defeat of the Hyde Amendment and that the grassroots level of NOW be urged to take action in an aggressive campaign to repeal the Hyde Amendment and to restore coverage for abortion care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

NOW MUST MAKE WELFARE REFORM A PRIORITY

2010

WHEREAS, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, set to expire in September 2010, is intended to be the principal federal safety net for impoverished families; and

WHEREAS, the current economic recession has resulted in a greater overall need-up to a 25% increase-for government assistance, with approximately 36 million people requiring some form of help to survive, while paradoxically, TANF benefits have decreased and the need for food stamps has increased, revealing a gap in support that many families desperately need; and

WHEREAS, women in poverty perform the bulk of caretaking duties for children, the disabled, and the elderly and are expected to perform these duties with little to no assistance in addition to maintaining and seeking employment as mandated to receive TANF benefits, and many of these women have timed out of the TANF system after a short five-year period yet still cannot find full-time work because of caretaking duties or disabled status; and

WHEREAS, women of color are hit disproportionately hard by poverty and difficulties in obtaining employment due to lack of job availability, accessible transportation, and child or dependent care; and

WHEREAS, TANF does not respond adequately and sensitively to women who are further burdened by domestic or sexual violence, and, indeed, family violence has the effect of increasing women’s poverty; and

WHEREAS, state budget pressures are further compromising the public welfare system by reducing funding and therefore hindering the system’s responsiveness during times of great economic need; and

WHEREAS, the TANF program currently attempts to promote marriage in a manner that disrespects and devalues so-called “nontraditional” families and does so by diverting millions in funds that otherwise would be disbursed to individuals who require them to survive; and

WHEREAS, minimum-wage jobs into which TANF recipients are pushed are nowhere near adequate in terms of providing a livable, sustainable wage to lift women and families out of poverty; and

WHEREAS, the TANF program has been rendered ineffective by chronic underfunding, severe and disproportionate sanctions for issues such as being late for work, and insufficient support components, such as cash assistance, job-training that prepares recipients for wage-earning work, and education;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW activists will lobby Congress to ensure that fundamental welfare reform happens and that it will include vital components, including, but not limited to, expanded educational opportunities for recipients leading to living-wage jobs, subsidized child and dependent care, funding for and access to adequate transportation, cash assistance, a new definition of “work” that includes full- or part-time care for young children, and protection of immigrant women; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that welfare reform must include the availability of confidential screening and services for women and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence, substance abuse, and physical and/or mental disabilities, and that welfare must respect and value all families regardless of citizenship status and not cater to antiquated and inappropriate ideas of what a family “should” look like or be comprised of; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW will make welfare reform a major priority to ensure impoverished families are not pushed even deeper into despair.

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE GULF COAST DISASTER

2010

WHEREAS, the Gulf Coast oil spill has already had cataclysmic economic, environmental and public health impacts; and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum (BP), by acknowledgement of responsibility for this cataclysm, has pledged to create a fund of $20 billion to be used to mitigate this disaster; and

WHEREAS, insufficient information has been made public detailing the terms and conditions for disbursement of these funds, leaving those affected by the disaster unsure which, if any, public health impacts, economic impacts, or environmental impacts will qualify for financial remuneration or by what criteria eligibility will be determined; and

WHEREAS, lawmakers, including Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, have called for active surveillance of Gulf Coast recovery workers’ health, and a number of cleanup responders on the Gulf Coast have been reporting vomiting, nausea, headaches and dizziness – complaints that are eerily reminiscent of illnesses reported by first responders in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks; and

WHEREAS, many small and woman-owned businesses in the Gulf Coast region may need professional assistance in preparing and presenting claims for compensation from the BP oil spill fund; and

WHEREAS, it is essential that the claims process and demographic information about the claimants and awardees of compensation from the fund be made publicly available, particularly as pertains to the health and status of women in the Gulf area;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) call upon all agencies of the federal government and the administrator of the BP oil spill fund to make publicly available demographic information-including breakdowns by gender, race, ethnicity, geographic location, and all other categories-relevant to the transparency and accountability of the process for remediation and remuneration from the effects of the oil spill; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW demand that all appropriate agencies of the federal government and BP undertake active surveillance of the effects of the oil spill; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that in order to ameliorate the harm caused by the oil spill, NOW demand that these agencies and BP make this information available to the public.

SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE IS AN ECONOMIC JUSTICE ISSUE

2009

WHEREAS, the lack of single-payer health care in the United States is a critically important issue of economic justice for women and their families that affects many economic issues in their lives, and women pay more for health insurance while making less money than men; and

WHEREAS, the lack of single-payer health care leads to unemployment and underemployment because employers do not want to pay health insurance benefits and thus either do not hire workers or hire a high percentage of temporary or part-time workers to avoid paying benefits; and

WHEREAS, many people are tied to jobs in order to keep their health insurance; and

WHEREAS, the largest percentage of people who file bankruptcy do so because of a health care crisis;

WHEREAS, various states have been actively working on passage of single-payer legislation as a vehicle for passage of single-payer on the national level;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) chapters be encouraged to participate in the July 30, 2009, National Day of Action, arranged and promoted by the coalition of single-payer health care organizations, to advocate for comprehensive, single-payer health care, as well as continuing their calls to Congress until single-payer health care is passed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW’s talking points on the need for single-payer health care include information on how the lack of a single-payer system affects employment and everyone’s general economic status and that this is an issue of economic justice, as well as health care access; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW will advocate for passage of state single-payer legislation as another means of the passage of single-payer on the national level;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW’s media campaign for single-payer health care include information on economic justice.

BACKLOG OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

2008

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a continuing commitment to the rights of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, NOW first called for modernizing Social Security in order to resolve all Social Security inequities; and

WHEREAS, it is a travesty that the Social Security Administration has a three-year backlog in processing disability claims and has a high rate of initial denial of claims;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center and NOW members be encouraged to pressure Congress and the federal government to reduce the Social Security claims backlog.

HEALTHCARE FUNDING CRISIS

2008

WHEREAS, since 1993, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has advocated that single-payer healthcare cover the full range of women’s healthcare needs throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, access to quality healthcare in the United States has markedly deteriorated for many decades—under Democratic and Republican administrations alike—and is inferior now to access to quality healthcare in almost all other industrialized countries; and

WHEREAS, the spiraling military budget has resulted in a projected 30.9% cut in social services block grants for 2009, while the U.S. military budget is larger than that of all other countries in the world combined, and the $720,000,000 spent every day on the war in Iraq would be enough to supply one year’s health insurance for 423,529 children; and

WHEREAS, some financially strapped states are reducing both eligibility and funding for State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) and Medicaid, causing approximately 1.5 million people to lose coverage over the past five years;

WHEREAS, decisions about the choice and duration of medical treatments have been usurped by the insurance industry from the healthcare providers and patients who should be making those decisions; and

WHEREAS, tens of millions of full-time workers are uninsured, while those with insurance are saddled with increasingly high premiums, deductibles, and co-payments; and

WHEREAS, this decline in healthcare delivery has had a disproportionate impact upon populations of color—over two-thirds of the uninsured being nonwhite, and hospital closings occurring disproportionately in urban communities—and single-parent families headed by women—37.5% of the uninsured being families with less than $10,000 annual income—thereby resulting in a pattern that is both racist and sexist; and

WHEREAS, while both major political parties now acknowledge the need to address the healthcare crisis, both continue to place the burden of healthcare on those unable to afford it;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW make universal single-payer healthcare, including comprehensive coverage of all women’s healthcare needs, a major campaign issue;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW call for universal single-payer healthcare to be financed by a drastic cut in the Pentagon’s bloated share of the national budget.

UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES

2006

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966, in part, to end discrimination in the workplace; an

WHEREAS, NOW has received numerous complaints against the United States Tennis Association (USTA), alleging that the USTA discriminates against its employee tennis umpires — including umpires Sande French, Cecil Hollins and Dudley Gayle — on the basis of sex, race, age and retaliation and that such complaints have received both national and international media coverage; and

WHEREAS, many of the allegations of discrimination are supported by sworn witness statements; and

WHEREAS, a USTA sectional President acknowledges in writing much of the alleged discrimination in tennis; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW calls upon New York State Attorney General Elliott Spitzer; the City of New York (including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Commissioner/Chair of the Human Rights Commission Patricia L. Gatling) and the USTA President Franklin R. Johnson to immediately and fully investigate the aforementioned claims of discrimination, report the results back to NOW and the public and take appropriate action to eliminate such alleged unlawful activity; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution be forwarded to organizations with the similar goal of eliminating discrimination, such as the National Council of Women’s Organizations, the NAACP and AARP, to consider passage of consistent resolutions.

MOBILIZING TO CLOSE THE WAGE GAP – ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR WOMEN

2006

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of working to end discrimination against women in the workplace. Moreover, the issue of economic justice for women and children is a NOW priority; and

WHEREAS, a young woman who graduates from high school this year and goes straight to work at $20,000 a year will make $700,000 less than a young man graduating with her over her lifetime; a young woman who graduates from college into a $30,000 starting salary will make $1.2 million less than a young man getting his diploma in line right behind her over her lifetime; and a young woman who gets a degree in business, medicine or law and graduates into a $70,000 starting salary will make $2 million less than a young man at her side over her lifetime; and

WHEREAS, most women suffer from the wage gap with 2004 Census data showing women’s median annual earnings were $0.76 per dollar earned by men and the gap was worse for women of color revealing African-American women earn only 69 cents for every dollar a man earns and Hispanic women earn only 58 cents to the male dollar and these women are less likely to work in professional and managerial jobs; and

WHEREAS, twenty-eight percent of single mothers with children live below the poverty level in the United States. Moreover, there is a lack of economic security for older women who have spent years doing low paid work as caregivers for which little or no Social Security taxes were paid and who eventually find themselves without economic resources due to the wage gap; and

WHEREAS, the wage gap is the result of a variety of forms of sex discrimination in the workplace, including discrimination in hiring, promotion and pay, sexual harassment, occupational segregation, bias against mothers, and other ways in which women workers and women’s work are undervalued; and

WHEREAS, NOW recognizes all women have the right to achieve economic freedom with the support of, but without interference or coercion from the government and the budgets that have been passed by the Bush Administration have resulted in a wider wage gap between classes, increasing the feminization of poverty; and

WHEREAS, Women Are Getting Even (WAGE) Clubs use a set of tools originally developed by Dr. Evelyn Murphy, a PhD economist, which brings women together to discuss the challenges they have in the workplace and to take action to achieve economic justice; and

WHEREAS, WAGE Clubs enable NOW to bring together our members, other women, and other organizations interested in furthering equality in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, WAGE Clubs give women the educational tools and resources they need to fight back and obtain economic justice;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW and its chapters work with the WAGE Project to end discrimination against women in the workplace; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW take action on Women’s Equal Pay Day to raise awareness of the discrimination women face in the workplace and actions that can be taken to end such discrimination; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW be strongly urged to include informative articles in National NOW publications on how to start a NOW WAGE Club; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW will work with its chapters to encourage the start of at least one NOW WAGE Club in every state by including information on NOW WAGE Clubs on the National NOW website, and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW invite allied organizations, including women of color and women with disabilities, to convene an Economic Justice Summit in 2008 in order to strategize and implement NOW’s ongoing economic justice campaign.

ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION IN DISASTER PLANNING AND RESPONSE
IN THE UNITED STATES

9/05

WHEREAS, the statement of purpose of the National Organization for Women (NOW) calls for equal rights and responsibilities including freedom from discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, physical/mental ability or parenthood; and

WHEREAS, the United States recently experienced Hurricane Katrina which killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi residents, and caused billions of dollars in property damage; and

WHEREAS, the federal government response was grossly incompetent, led by Bush’s FEMA and Homeland Security political appointees whose primary focus heretofore seemed to be the allocation of federal pork; and

WHEREAS, numerous sources have reported that Hurricane Katrina has had its greatest effect on women, people of color, lower income households and families, the elderly, children, ill and infirm individuals, and people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the immense tragedy experienced on the Gulf Coast exposed long standing discrimination and segregation practices in U.S. culture; and

WHEREAS, there was no evacuation plan for the people of New Orleans who did not own cars and could not afford to obtain transportation to leave; and

WHEREAS, buses reserved by FEMA were held outside the city of New Orleans in the white suburbs of Jefferson Parish and were not allowed by FEMA to enter New Orleans to rescue people from the Superdome or the Convention Center because it was “too dangerous;”

WHEREAS, rescue boats were not allowed to enter low-income, flooded, mostly African-American areas because it was ‘too dangerous;” and

WHEREAS, low-income patients at the public Charity Hospital were not rescued for several days and were finally carried by dedicated hospital workers down pitch-dark stairways to nearby Tulane Hospital’s helicopter pad, only to be left (some to die) while richer, less critically ill, private patients from Tulane and Methodist hospitals were rescued first; and

WHEREAS, the Jefferson Parish sheriffs and City of Gretna police used armed officers to stop hundreds of mostly-black evacuees from escaping the flood waters by crossing over the Crescent City Connection Bridge into Gretna, which is part of Jefferson Parish; and

WHEREAS, for several days, low income people, mostly black people, were not rescued from the Superdome or the Convention Center and many needlessly suffered and died; and

WHEREAS, bodies of the dead were not treated with dignity and were left untouched for weeks, and we still do not have a count or identification of the dead; and

WHEREAS, the Coast Guard heroically rescued people from rooftops in many cases only to place them on a highway bypass, with no further rescue for days and with virtually no provisions; and

WHEREAS, the relocation process has led to the separation of families, and has brought comparisons to the disintegration of families and communities during the Middle Passage of the slave trade; and

WHEREAS, the current administration is attempting to use this tragedy as an avenue for imposing long-time right-wing goals, such as the suspension of the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act requiring the payment of the prevailing wage in federal contracts, the imposition of private school vouchers, and the undermining of environmental regulations; and

WHEREAS, the Bush administration has announced a huge spending program to restore New Orleans and the Gulf Region without any plan, and is already handing out huge no-bid contracts to their “fat cat” political cronies — the first such no-bid contract of $500 million went to Halliburton; and

WHEREAS, the Bush administration has repeatedly cut funds requested by the Corps of Engineers for urgently needed levee projects in New Orleans, which could have prevented much of the post-Katrina havoc; and

WHEREAS, the government’s slow response and failure to deploy adequate personnel and resources contributed to the lack of personal safety and numerous accounts of physical, sexual and psychological violence particularly to women and children,

WHEREAS, the reopening of predominantly white areas of New Orleans, combined with the mass relocation of African-American residents to other parts of the nation is a form of “ethnic cleansing”; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW denounces these racist and classist policies and actions;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW calls for immediate and effective action by the federal government to address the needs of those who have suffered from Hurricane Katrina, including but not limited to: reuniting family members, and providing housing, food, healthcare, counseling, employment, job training and education;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW calls on Congress to establish an independent commission to review the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina and make recommendations for the handling of future catastrophes, and that said commission include proportionate representation of female and male residents from the affected areas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW calls on Congress to establish an independent oversight commission for the rebuilding efforts, eliminate no-bid contracts, give priority to contractors from the region, especially minority and women-owned businesses, require preferential hiring of local labor at a the pre-Katrina prevailing wage; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that NOW urges its members and supporters to take action as states, chapters, and individuals by:

Communicating to their congressional delegation the importance of establishing these independent commissions and for significant oversight by Congress;

Participating with state and local officials regarding emergency response plans;

Staying informed of the process and progress of this situation and letting your elected officials know of your concerns; and

Recruiting, nominating and supporting candidates who are firmly committed to eliminating discrimination in all forms.

NOW VALUES MOTHERS’ AND CAREGIVERS’ ECONOMIC RIGHTS

2005

WHEREAS, the current national discussion over the role of our mothers and caregivers is being led by corporate-owned media and right-wing ideologues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage state chapters to form Mothers’ and Caregivers’ Economic Rights Task Forces; and

SUPPORT “FAIRNESS: THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 2004”

9/04

WHEREAS, the court decisions of Buckhannon and Barnes v. Gorman make it extremely difficult for victims of discrimination to be reimbursed for their attorney’s fees, litigation costs, or full damages, even if the lawsuit is won; and

WHEREAS, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 placed arbitrary caps on the amount of damages victims of intentional discrimination can receive regardless of how large their financial, emotional, or physical loss, allowing large offenders to be relieved from taking full responsibility for their actions; and

WHEREAS, the decision in Barnes v Gorman eliminates punitive damages for discrimination against persons with disabilities, regardless of how intentional or extreme the discrimination; and

WHEREAS, recent Supreme Court rulings such as Alexander v. Sandoval redefine Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, creating narrow definitions behind the right to sue and intentional discrimination, extending the ruling to gender discrimination and the barring of retaliation lawsuits, while allowing employers to penalize those who wish to file suit; and

WHEREAS, the ruling of Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent School District creates an abnormally high standard for proving discrimination in sexual harassment suits, forcing victims to prove that administrators had “actual notice of” the harassment; in addition using the ruling to restrict damages for harassment based on race, color, and national origin, creating an atmosphere that encourages schools to avoid receiving knowledge of harassment; and

WHEREAS, the cases of Circuit City v. Adams and Gilmer v. Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation allow employers to require their employees to give up their right to sue as a term of employment, and instead enter binding arbitration where there is no requirement that the resolution abide by civil rights laws; and

WHEREAS, state employees can no longer sue for money damages for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act such as the denial of overtime pay, leaving employees vulnerable to employer abuse of federal labor laws; and

WHEREAS, a Supreme Court ruling has declared that undocumented immigrants are ineligible to receive pay back for violations of National Labor Relations Act, allowing employers to exploit and abuse undocumented laborers; and

WHEREAS, the proposed law addresses many other aspects of employment discrimination and unfair practices and directs that the federal government collect employment data that would assist the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in better enforcement of federal pay discrimination laws; and

WHEREAS, that the FAIRNESS Act would correct many of the disparities in current employment law and deficiencies in its enforcement, while addressing aspects of court rulings in discrimination cases that have unfairly increased the burden of proof on plaintiffs and placed additional restrictions that limit employee rights,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women endorse and work for adoption of “FAIRNESS: The Civil Rights Act of 2004,” promoting it as a legislative priority for all organizations and individuals working towards social and economic equality.

RECOGNITION OF NOW’S COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

2004

WHEREAS, the lack of safe, decent, and affordable housing affects over 95 million people in the United States; and

WHEREAS, women are in the greatest need, heading over 59 percent of the 5.3 million families with “worst case” housing needs; and

WHEREAS, women are disproportionately affected by federal housing assistance programs; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is committed to equality for low-income women, women of color, and women with disabilities, women who disproportionately face barriers to safe, decent, and affordable housing; and

WHEREAS, affordable housing is often the solution most desperately needed by women who are trying to escape violent domestic situations; and

WHEREAS, studies have shown that stable and affordable housing contributes substantially to family health and children’s education; and

WHEREAS, the 1998 Declaration of Sentiments of the National Organization for Women calls for access to housing for all;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW further develop and coordinate a multifaceted campaign, focused on but not limited to, protecting and increasing funding for the housing voucher program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and protecting and increasing funding for HUD affordable housing projects in state and local jurisdictions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this campaign may include any or all of the following: petition and post card drives, action kits, leafleting, lobbying locally and in Washington, D.C., a demonstration in D.C., electronic organizing by list serve and web site, and activist seminars at all levels of NOW; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center devote a prominent section on its web site to affordable housing, including affordable housing fact sheets, links to research and other resources, and action ideas for chapters and states.

EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL INSURANCE SYSTEM

1/03

WHEREAS, the present systems of social insurance through Social Security, Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI), and Medicare— which provide income to tens of millions of retirees, workers, and their dependents for retirement security, disability assistance, and assistance to dependent survivors of deceased or disabled workers—have greatly reduced poverty in the United States; and

WHEREAS, privatization of Social Security amounts to a massive scam requiring workers to risk their income in the stock market, enriching Wall Street brokerages with billions of dollars in fees and requiring trillions of tax dollars to subsidize the transfer, while providing no guarantee of earnings to individual investors, making dependents more vulnerable, and offering no provision for assistance to the disabled; and

WHEREAS, assertions about near-term insolvency are false; financing of the Social Security system is sound for at least the next 40 years, and with minor adjustments, it can be solvent for many more decades and even improved to provide better retirement and disability coverage for millions of workers and their families; and

WHEREAS, women constitute the vast majority of Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries, and while both programs have reduced older women’s poverty rates and improved health care access, more improvements must be made to address 1) the penalties incurred due to women’s care-giving years out of the paid workforce, 2) the special needs of widows, divorced women, persons with disabilities, and very elderly women due to lower lifetime earnings, exhaustion of savings, higher out-of-pocket medical expenses, and chronic, long-term health conditions, 3) needless bureaucratic hurdles under SSI that negatively impact poor disabled women, and 4) same sex partners are denied equitable benefits;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) urge Congress and the administration to improve and extend the long-term financing of Social Security through a number of system adjustments, including but not limited to, removing the cap on taxable earnings and credit them for benefit calculations, making the payroll tax rate structure progressive to allocate the burden more fairly, increasing slightly the payroll tax rate on employees and employers, allowing for a higher proportion of collective investment in U.S. bonds and Treasury notes, and providing for other means to increase revenue to the Social Security and Medicare trust funds; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW urge Congress to address in legislation relief for women, lower income earners, same-sex partners and disabled persons by providing a credit for care-giving; extending social security benefits to same-sex partners; removing the penalty for years out of the paid workforce; reducing the requirement for spousal benefit eligibility to seven years of marriage; improving Medicare coverage, making it available to retired persons under 65 years of age; establishing a comprehensive prescription drug assistance program through cost controls and a fair method of workers’ tax contributions to fund such a program; and considering public-supported long-term care assistance and other such programs as may meet the needs of an aging population; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW urge Congress to reject all efforts to convert Social Security to a system of private investment accounts, reject efforts to revamp Medicare as a voucher plan, and reject efforts to establish a inadequately financed, limited prescription drug plan.

2/02

The NOW Board commends Ronnie Podolefsky for her stellar work on behalf of working women in her defense of JoDee Flockhart in Flockhart v. IBP. The NOW Board commends Roxanne Conlin for her stellar work on behalf of working women in her defense of JoDee Flockhart in Flockhart v. IBP. Moved that JoDee Flockhart be considered for a Woman of Courage award.

2/02

Moved that the Executive Committee be authorized to name Wal-Mart a Merchant of Shame after first contacting the company to see if NOW could meet with them to discuss the issues.

REDUCE THE POVERTY, NOT JUST THE ROLL

2002

WHEREAS, the 1996 version of so-called “welfare reform,” Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), contained punitive measures burdening women and their families and has failed to address the core causes of poverty; and

WHEREAS, while states’ welfare rolls have declined in the past five years, incomes of poor families, in general,have not increased to a level that allows families to cover vital expenses such as food, housing, health care services, transportation, and child care; and

WHEREAS, poverty’s causes include systematic discrimination and exploitation of low-income workers as well as a lack of: (1) adequate education and training; (2) fair opportunities for non-discriminatory jobs that pay a living wage; (3) quality, affordable child care and other supports such as transportation, affordable housing, and health insurance; (4) services for persons with barriers to self-sufficiency such as family violence, disability, and substance abuse; and

WHEREAS, the TANF-reauthorization proposals now before Congress make TANF even harsher than the 1996 law and fail to provide adequate funding for a successful anti-poverty effort. Instead, they divert hundreds of millions of dollars from already underfunded programs for TANF families to (1) so-called “healthy marriage” promotion schemes, which may discriminate against non-traditional families and may pressure women into entering into or remaining in abusive relationships, and (2) programs for low-income, non-custodial fathers (fatherhood initiatives), which should not be funded at the expense of low-income parents and children served by or eligible for TANF; and

WHEREAS, Congress is now preparing to reauthorize TANF with even harsher provisions, ignoring the lessons learned from poor families’ experiences since 1996;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) call on Congress to include the following provisions, at a minimum, in TANF reauthorization:

Ending lifetime limitations on TANF benefits and removing of caps on education and training;

Full childcare funding for every eligible family, increasing federal funding to a level of at least $17 billion for the five years;
Maintaining the work requirement at 30 hours per week and counting as work a recipient’s participation in educational programs (including vocational, post-secondary, GED, ESL and literacy programs) as well as in other activities that help overcome barriers such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and physical and mental impairment;
Rejecting efforts to divert money from already underfunded TANF programs serving families to marriage promotion and fatherhood initiatives;

Making the family violence option a permanent, mandatory requirement for states;
Immediately restoring TANF benefits and food stamps to legal immigrants and their dependents;

Encouraging states to ensure that families’ incomes equal at least 120 percent of the poverty level before halting cash assistance, in order to produce family economic stability.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW chapters be urged to raise the level of action on this issue by immediately and repeatedly contacting members of Congress.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE AFTER 9/11/2001

11/01

WHEREAS, the devastating economic fallout from the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 is having a disparate economic impact on women; and

WHEREAS, the billions of dollars going into the resulting military action significantly reduce financial resources available for domestic programs; and

WHEREAS, the unemployment rate has climbed to the highest level in five years, disproportionately affecting women, especially female heads of household; and

WHEREAS, the regressive immigration policies and methods now being used in the name of combating terrorism impact the rights and lives of immigrant women, making them even more hidden;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW continue to bring to light economic injustices to women in this country and abroad, especially in light of the impact of these events; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW work to increase broader knowledge and understanding of the military action’s economic impact on women by expanding documentation available to members, such as the Economic Stimulus Plan Talking Points, and including sources for all facts and statistics; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW demand an end to corporate welfare that benefits the wealthy at theexpense of workers and their families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW fight to stop the Congress and state legislatures from allowing working class and poor women to fall even further behind as a result of the lost attention and resources diverted to military spending, losing any economic gains that have been made; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW remain vigilant in preserving domestic programs that improve the lives of women, addressing such issues as ending violence against women, ending poverty, improving access to quality health care, and other positive domestic programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW combat the collapse of the safety net by pushing for expansion of unemployment and social security and elimination of welfare time limits, rather than punitive restrictions; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW chapters be vigilant and actively involved in the budget process at the local, state and national level.

SEPTEMBER 2001 WORLD BANK/IMF PROTEST

9/01

WHEREAS, the World Bank/IMF sets distribution and cultivation of resources to all nations; and

WHEREAS, by dictating global monetary policy which disproportionately affects women, particularly in developing countries as the majority of the world’s poor are women and girls; and

WHEREAS, people who have spoken out against these policies have been suppressed, brutally attacked, tortured and murdered by governments hosting World Bank/IMF meetings; and

WHEREAS, the brutality continues to escalate while freedom of information, speech and assembly have been suppressed; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement in the District of Columbia has already started the tactics of suppression by notifying businesses of block closures, limited access to offices, setting up checkpoints and the closure of a major private university, forcing students out of their dorm facilities preceding and during the World Bank/IMF meeting September 28-29, 2001,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the National Organization for Women (NOW) support NOW members who engage in non-violent protests of the policies of the World Bank/IMF by:

Calling upon District of Columbia law enforcement to uphold the founding principles of our democracy by respecting the rights of free speech, press and assembly;
Making available NOW’s non-violent civil disobedience guidelines to NOW members;
Investigating signing onto the lawsuit already filed by World Bank/IMF protest organizers;
Informing NOW’s membership that courageous NOW protestors risked arrest and bodily harm while engaged in non-violent protest;
Making efforts to request or secure pro bono legal assistance to those NOW activists protesting on behalf of NOW and NOW issues within the parameters of the NOW civil disobedience guidelines;
Calling for state and local NOW mobilizations in support of any NOW members who engaged in non-violent protest at the September 29-30 World Bank/IMF protest and who were detained against their wills.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT PAY EQUITY NOW! PETITION

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of supporting pay equity and comparable worth; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania NOW, Inc. worked with the International Wages for Housework Campaign and the Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) to issue the Pay Equity Now! petition, which the National NOW Board supported; and

WHEREAS, the petition complements and updates current NOW policy by exposing and opposing US opposition to pay equity in all international agreements, thus extending NOW support to show international solidarity; and

WHEREAS, the Pay Equity Now! petition (also translated into Spanish) suggests:

WHEREAS the US government opposes pay equity – equal pay for work of equal value – in national policy and international agreements (i.e. the ILO Convention, CEDAW, and the Beijing Platform for Action); and

WHEREAS in the US, the richest, most powerful nation on earth, women’s average pay has dropped from 76% in 1992 to 73% of men’s wages, 62.6% for Black women, 53.1% for Latina women; and

WHEREAS women are often segregated in caring and service work for low pay, much like the housework they are expected to do for no pay at home; and

WHEREAS closing the wage gap between women and men cannot be achieved without revaluing the responsibilities and skills women use in their work compared to what men use in theirs;

WHEREAS underpaying women is a massive subsidy to employers that is both sexist and racist;

WHEREAS by opposing pay equity in international forums, the US government encourages multinational corporations to underpay women everywhere in the global economy; and

WHEREAS the US – the only wealthy country where women get no paid maternity benefits or leave – also opposes international agreements which call for other financial benefits for women, including paid breastfeeding breaks; and

WHEREAS all women, particularly mothers, who do the vital but unpaid job of caring for children and/or other dependents, are penalized by getting the lowest pay when they go out to work and are discriminated against in such areas as pensions, health care, and social security credits, among others; and

WHEREAS pay equity is a major step toward revaluing all women’s work, raising all women’s wages and status, and establishing all women’s entitlements;

THEREFORE we the undersigned demand that all branches of the US government stand with women, the vast majority of whom are overworked and underpaid, and 1) withdraw all objections to – and actively endorse – pay equity and maternity care provisions for all women; 2) Sign, ratify and implement provisions in international conventions entitling women to the pay and benefits they have earned many times over. ; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2001 NOW Conference meeting in Philadelphia endorse the Pay Equity Now! petition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that National NOW 1) distribute to all its branches the petition with its accompanying fact sheet and a cover note to be submitted by the petition coordinator; and 2) include an article about the petition in the National NOW Times; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that local/state NOW branches are recommended to circulate the petition to their members to sign; they can also sign online at www.payequity.net; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that local, state, and national NOW and their members seek in other ways to distribute and promote the petition and press the US for pay equity now!

UNIVERSAL LIVING WAGE

2001

WHEREAS, according to the last two Conference of Mayors reports, the federal minimum wage is insufficient to afford anyone housing in any major city in America; and

WHEREAS, two-thirds of the 11.8 million minimum-wage workers in the United States are women; and

WHEREAS, women make up three-fifths of all adults living in poverty, and 35 percent of all female-headed households are below poverty in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the 2000 Conference of Mayors Report described the minimum wage as the most significant contributing factor to homelessness today; and

WHEREAS, there are 2 million homeless citizens in this country; and

WHEREAS, in its 1998 survey of 30 American cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness; and

WHEREAS, homeless minimum-wage workers have, for no other reason than because they are homeless, become the specific target of hate crimes; and

WHEREAS, their ability to work themselves off the streets of America would remove them as targets of these hate crimes; and

WHEREAS, a universal living wage formula which is indexed to the local cost of housing throughout the United States would ensure that any 40-hour-per-week minimum-wage worker can afford housing; and

WHEREAS, a universal living wage formula can end homelessness for fully one third of America’s homeless citizens and prevent homelessness for all minimum wage workers;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women endorses and fully supports the replacement of the federal minimum wage with a universal living wage formula which ensures that a 40 hour a week, minimum wage worker can afford at least an efficiency apartment anywhere in the United States.

RAPE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE NOT “WORK-RELATED INJURIES”

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) launched the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign in 1999 to provide women workplaces free of sexual harassment and violence; and

WHEREAS, the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign is an ongoing priority of NOW; and

WHEREAS, the workplace is the scene of one million violent crimes per year where an average of 13,000 rapes per year have occurred between 1987 and 1992; and

WHEREAS, homicide is the most frequent cause of fatal injury of women at work and of those killed, 17% were killed by people known to them, including intimate partners or relatives; and

WHEREAS, three-fourths of employed battered women report being harassed by their batterers in person or by phone while on the job; and

WHEREAS, employers often fail to provide adequate security and protection from attacks by strangers, intimate partners, or coworkers; sixty-five percent of workers say their companies offer no training on workplace violence and employers often fail to respond to concerns raised by employees about workplace security; and

WHEREAS, some employers are using state Workers’ Compensation laws to avoid liability for their negligence when it results in sexual assault or domestic violence being perpetrated in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, Workers’ Compensation laws were intended to protect employees from work-related injuries or conditions of employment, and rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence are neither work-related injuries nor conditions of employment; and

WHEREAS, many state Workers’ Compensation systems are inadequate because the systems may only compensates victims for medical expenses and lost wages and cannot address the full range of damages suffered by victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; and

WHEREAS, being forced to go through the Workers’ Compensation system can bar employees from filing civil lawsuits until their cases are adjudicated by a Workers’ Compensation board, which can take up to seven years in some states; and

WHEREAS, state courts have upheld the misuse of Workers’ Compensation as a shield for employer liability in such circumstances; and

WHEREAS, this is part of a nationwide trend to deny us access to courts through such mechanisms as mandatory arbitration of employment disputes and mandatory mediation in divorce;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW oppose the abuse of Workers’ Compensation law to deny victims of violence in the workplace access to the courts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW educate chapters and encourage them to work with local labor unions, employers’ groups, and anti-violence organizations to end this misuse of Workers’ Compensation law; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW develop and make available to chapters resource materials on this issue, including model legislation such as that proposed in New York State, clarifying that Workers’ Compensation was not intended to act as a shield to employers whose negligence results in workplace violence.

MARCH FOR ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE 2002 WINTER OLYMPICS 2002

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is committed to fighting for the right to economic human rights for all; and

WHEREAS, the United States is the richest country in the world; and

WHEREAS, the United States has the highest rate of poverty of any industrial country; and

WHEREAS, this year is the five-year lifetime limit on federal funding for welfare benefits; and

WHEREAS, women are disproportionately affected by welfare reform;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW support, and through press releases and statements describe our reasons for supporting, the actions of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW endorse and support the March for Economic Human Rights at the 2002 Winter Olympics on February 8, 2002, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW send members of its leadership to march along with poor and homeless families from across the country.

RECOGNITION OF NOW’S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC JUSTICE 2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has repeatedly taken clear stands on the wide range of economic justice issues affecting women, from the cement floor to glass ceiling; and

WHEREAS, NOW has passed resolutions on welfare reform, livable wage, comparable worth, pay equity, and other economic justice issues in the past; and

WHEREAS, NOW has steadfastly and repeatedly taken action on economic justice issues; and

WHEREAS, NOW has already created a poverty and welfare CIC [Conference Implementation Committee]; and

WHEREAS, NOW has begun important work studying how economic issues affect women globally through our participation in and sponsorship of the World March of Women;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW make economic justice a core priority issue.

12/00

Moved that NOW name the U.S. Post Office a “Merchant of Shame.”

MOVING MINIMUM WAGE TO A LIVABLE WAGE

2000

WHEREAS, the current minimum wage of $5.15 per hour is woefully inadequate as a livable wage; and

WHEREAS, raising the minimum wage by $1.00 an hour spread over a three-year period, as currently proposed by the Republican majority in Congress, will not help this situation; and

WHEREAS, studies of minimum adequate living standards point to a wage of $9.00 an hour or more as a minimum livable wage; and

WHEREAS, the indexing of social security benefits has been a big factor in raising elderly women out of poverty; and

WHEREAS, a majority of people earning the minimum wage are women who are in need of increased earnings;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW reconfirm the importance of increasing the minimum wage and communicate that to our legislators; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW object to the inadequacy of the proposed $1 increase spread over three years and push for a more substantial increase to achieve a livable wage; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW work in coalition with other groups to establish a livable indexed wage.

RESOLUTION TO ENDORSE THE MARCH FOR ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS

2000

WHEREAS, increasing numbers of poor people in the United States are being denied their basic human rights to housing, food, education, health care, jobs at living wages, and economic security; and

WHEREAS, the majority of people who live in poverty are women and their children; and

WHEREAS, these conditions will worsen as millions more are cut off from receiving public assistance this year and experience the tragic effects of welfare “reform”; and

WHEREAS, in response to these conditions, the poor in the United States are organizing and fighting for the human right to a full and dignified life and to create a world without poverty; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women is determined to take bold steps to eradicate the poverty and violence that plagues women; and

WHEREAS, both the Republican and Democratic elected officials and parties are responsible for the economic misery experienced by women and children in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign are holding the March for Economic Human Rights to protest these conditions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW endorse the March for Economic Human Rights on July 31 in Philadelphia, the opening day of the Republican National Convention, as a step toward making poverty at home visible; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW also support anti-poverty protest activities around the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles in August 2000 as we build toward the World March of Women 2000 to end violence and poverty to be held on October 15, 2000.

RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT9/99

WHEREAS, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO (FLOC), is organizing the migrant farm workers who harvest the crop for the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. of Mt. Olive, North Carolina, and over 2,000 of these workers have signed union authorization cards; and

WHEREAS, the only way these workers can improve their lives and achieve the dignity they deserve is to win union representation and negotiate a fair contract; and

WHEREAS, FLOC’s organizing drive is supported by over 60 organizations such as the national AFL-CIO, the National Council of Churches, the National Farm Worker Ministry, the North Carolina AFL-CIO, the North Carolina Council of Churches, and local organizations and churches across the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, Mt. Olive Co. CEO, William Bryan, as a leader in this industry has the ability to recognize FLOC and bargain a contract to improve the lives (for decent wages and healthier working conditions) of the workers who harvest his crops, but to date he has steadfastly refused to do so; and

WHEREAS, the only recourse left these workers is to appeal to the American peoples’ spirit of fairness and justice,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Organization for Women supports FLOC in its efforts to organize a union among North Carolina farm workers and farm workers across the U.S., in order to bring a greater measure of justice and dignity to those women, men and children who work in the agricultural industry.

COMPARABLE WORTH/PAY EQUITY

7/99

WHEREAS, many of the jobs traditionally held by women are paid less than jobs traditionally held by men; and

WHEREAS, many of the jobs traditionally held by women require skills and training equivalent to the skills and training for jobs traditionally held by men; for example, bookkeeping compared with truck driving, or data entry compared with welding; and

WHEREAS, the AFL-CIO is launching a major campaign to pass federal and state pay equity bills; and

WHEREAS, there have been some attempts in state legislatures to equalize pay with no success;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) undertake a campaign to bring comparable worth/pay equity to the forefront as an economic issue; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center review pending legislation and enter into educational and lobbying efforts to bring an end to this economically unfair situation

WOMEN-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE AND CAMPUS CAMPAIGN DETROIT EDISON MERCHANT OF SHAME

1999

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) abhors and refuses to tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination of any kind; and

WHEREAS, NOW has created a Women-Friendly Workplace and Campus Campaign to identify corporations who do not have policies and procedures in place to protect and eliminate workplace abuses; and

WHEREAS, a class action suit against Detroit Edison, Michigan, has been pending since December, 1998; and

WHEREAS, NOW has attempted to address workplace abuses with Detroit Edison to no avail;

WHEREAS, with the deregulation of the industry, the people of Detroit and across the nation now have the opportunity to raise their voices against discrimination.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in keeping with the Women-Friendly Workplace and Campus Campaign, NOW immediately adds Detroit Edison to the Merchants of Shame list; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the designation of Detroit Edison as a MERCHANT OF SHAME be strategically announced to take full advantage of media coverage and publicity and that this announcement be used to continue to build the overall Women-Friendly Workplace and Campus Campaign.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourages the National Action Center and all chapters to take direct action in addressing workplace abuses to resolve this pending class action suit, and to further develop and implement women-friendly workplace policies that will protect all employees at Detroit Edison and all other corporations; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW monitor Detroit Edison to insure there is no retaliation against those who act on pending complaints or bring forward actions.

THE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE PRISON-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

1999

WHEREAS, the ongoing “war on drugs and crime” legacy of the Reagan/Bush era has severely and adversely impacted the lives of women and children; and

WHEREAS, the continuing expansion of law enforcement, correctional, and prison systems has proliferated into exploitative employment and capital ventures, hence, creating a viable “industrial complex” similar to the military-industrial complex; and

WHEREAS, the increase of public resources allocated to the expansion of this complex in the name of public safety, estimated at a cost of over $40 billion annually by the year 2000, occurs at the expense of other vital social priorities, including education, health care, and violence prevention; and

WHEREAS, current statistics indicate: 1) over 70% of those in prison are non-violent offenders; 2) people of color, in particular African-Americans, are nearly 10 times as likely to live under some form of criminal justice system control and authority; 3) in the last decade, the female prison population has increased 276%; 4) 78% of women in prison are mothers; 5) the rate of African-American women under criminal justice control is over twice as much as the increase of white women under criminal justice control or authority; and

WHEREAS, “tough on crime” public debate concerning the issues of safety, law and order, and crime and punishment continues to be largely dominated by patriarchal and capitalist interests invested in expensive, draconian, and divisive policies versus “smart on crime” policies that are humane, cost-effective and demonstrated measures that account for the larger social, economic, and racial factors which exist in society; and

WHEREAS, it is crucial that NOW act to prevent the broader victims’ rights movement from being co-opted by similar right-wing based interests that perpetuate a focus on increased sanctions for offenders at the expense of needed support for the victims of crime, safe alternatives to incarceration, and viable rehabilitative programs;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) recognizes that the expansion and privatization of this “prison industrial complex” disproportionately consumes public resources that could be allocated to other social, education, and health needs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW include partners in the prison industrial complex as candidates for the Merchants of Shame initiative; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW identify interested NOW members to compile relevant research and findings related to the impact of prison privatization, “tough on crime” policies, and the budgetary impact of the expanding prison-industrial complex on women and children which identifies opportunities for building coalitions, and promotes “smart on crime” debate and solutions.

EXPANSION OF THE WOMEN-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN

7/98

WHEREAS, on March 8, 1997, the National Organization for Women (NOW) launched the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign, a major effort to end sexual harassment and other workplaces abuses and to pressure designated “Merchants of Shame” to change their policies.

WHEREAS, the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign has since succeeded in strengthening the rights of women in the workplace and achieved major victories for workers facing race and sex discrimination at large corporations such as Mitsubishi and Smith Barney/Solomon Brothers, and further more has succeeded in persuading the NASD to eliminate its requirements of mandatory arbitration in employment discrimination complaints;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW expand the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign to include:

Letter-writing campaigns by every chapter in the country to garner support for and achieve passage of the bill introduced by Congress member Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), and re-introduced by her co-sponsor Congress member Edward J. Markey (D-MA), called the Civil Rights Procedures Protection Act (H.R. 983), which amends seven federal laws to make it clear that employers cannot restrict access to the courts or anti-discrimination agencies through the use of mandatory arbitration as a condition of hire;
A call by NOW for all State NOW organizations to review the performance of their state anti-discrimination agencies to see if untenable backlogs exist or cases are dismissed without due process;
A call for actions to be held by NOW chapters to protest inappropriately low EEOC staffing levels;
And National NOW work with Illinois NOW and Chicago NOW to add Ford Motor Company to the Merchant of Shame list.

CALL FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT

4/98

WHEREAS, sexual harassment is a far reaching and pervasive problem in our country; and

WHEREAS, laws are on the books to protect women from sexual harassment in the workplace and educationalinstitutions; and

WHEREAS, the Jones vs. Clinton case and subsequent dismissal has raised this issue to front page news, kitchen table conversations and in every workplace in the nation; and

WHEREAS, NOW has been and continues to work on the elimination of sexual harassment and the strong support for the enactment and implementation of sexual harassment law;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED hat as part of NOW’s Women Friendly Workplace Campaign we call on President Clinton and the Executive Branch, and all members of the Legislative Branch to take the Women Friendly Workplace Elimination of Sexual Harassment Campaign Pledge as well as the following:

– Emergency increase in EEOC funding

– President Clinton immediately issue a Executive Order and, if necessary, change EEOC regulations to strengthen protections for women in the workplace.

– More diverse and representative judicial appointments, and training and education

– Clarification of workers comp law and stopping the use of this legislation to treat rape and sexual assault as a workplace injury

– Call on the corporate community to adopt a pledge to eliminate sexual harassment

– Strengthening state laws

11/97

Moved that the NOW Action Center:

a) launch an investigation into the employment practices of United Airlines,
b) write a letter for Ireland’s signature putting the company on notice that we are investigating their company and requesting a meeting with their officials regarding the practices, and
c) for the Executive Committee to report the results to the February 98 board meeting and make arecommendation for further action.

WOMEN-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN RESOLUTION UPDATE

11/97WHEREAS the National Organization for Women’s Women-Friendly Workplace campaign successfully continues to expose the barriers faced by women in the paid workforce; and

WHEREAS the National Association of Securities Dealers’ (NASD) decision to amend its policy to eliminate the mandatory arbitration of employment discrimination complaints was — at least in part — the result of NOW’s public pressure campaign; and

WHEREAS the NASD’s new policy cannot take effect unless and until the Securities and Exchange Commission approves the policy change; and

WHEREAS NOW activists are anxious to continue to build and expand this campaign.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that chapter and state activists be encouraged to continue their efforts on this campaign in 1998 by organizing Women-Friendly Workplace actions to celebrate International Women’s Day (March), Mothers’ Day (May) and Women’s Equality Day (August); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW target the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a public pressure campaign — including demonstrations at regional SEC offices — to encourage immediate action to end the mandatory arbitration of employment discrimination claims in the securities industry; and

BE IT URTHER RESOLVED that the NOW Action Center work in coordination with the Young Feminist CIC to develop an action organizing kit for a Women-Friendly Campus component to expand the campaign and raise awareness of — and activism around — workplace and other feminist issues on campuses across the country; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the NOW Action Center will provide organizing materials to chapter and state activists to facilitate their ongoing work on this campaign.

SINGLE PARENT/DISPLACED HOMEMAKER/SEX EQUITY FUNDING

1997

WHEREAS, the way out of poverty for many women is gainful employment; and

WHEREAS, one of the ways many women access employment training is through Carl Perkins Vocational Education Single Parent/Displaced Homemaker/Sex Equity Funding; and

WHEREAS, that funding is in jeopardy as part of a continuing attack on affirmative action and poor women;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) both nationally and locally conduct a membership and media blitz to inform members of this funding issue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each chapter be supplied with a fact sheet, sample letters, talking points, and resource telephone numbers concerning this issue; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NOW Action Center take immediate action to monitor the committee hearings and political action regarding this issue.

CREATION OF POVERTY/WELFARE CIC

1997

WHEREAS, Congress and President Clinton repealed the safety net, forcing many women and children into deeper poverty in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has been working in coalition with local and national groups to fight back against this backlash; and

WHEREAS, the underlying causes and many net effects of poverty are related to all the issues NOW works on;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW create a Poverty/Welfare Conference Implementation Committee (CIC) and appoint its members at the next National Board meeting; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CIC develop working relationships with other organizations similarly committed to advocating for full employment and universal living incomes as a permanent solution to ending poverty; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the CIC develop an educational campaign including the creation and distribution of relevant materials and activist trainings and because poverty and welfare issues are of immediate and pressing concern to all women, NOW continue to hold these issues at the forefront of all National NOW events and conferences.

WOMEN FRIENDLY WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

4/97

WHEREAS NOW is committed to continuing to build the momentum of the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign, and

WHEREAS the struggle faced by women at Smith Barney and women at Mitsubishi is emblematic of the difficulties faced by too many women whether in executive offices or on shop floors; and

WHEREAS these plaintiffs need NOW’s support and visibility brought to their struggle.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NOW chapters and states hold actions in conjunction with Mother’s Day to rekindle attention on the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign specifically focusing on Mitsubishi and Smith Barney.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these actions include but are not limited to informational pickets, letter writing campaigns and the declaration of Mitsubishi as a Merchant of Shame.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW subunits continue to distribute the employer’s and consumer’s pledges in the communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW explore the usefulness of purchasing Mitsubishi and Smith Barney stock and examine the idea of creating a “Take Stock in Women Campaign” with the idea of activists buying one share of these stocks in order to raise the level of pressure on these publicly traded companies by becoming vocal and active stockholders.

BE IT RESOLVED that NOW turn up the heat on Mitsubishi and Smith Barney through actions on or around Mother’s Day and we investigate other creative ways to maintain the visibility and pressure on the Merchants of Shame.

WOMEN-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN

2/97

WHEREAS the National Organization for Women (NOW) hears from women across the country who face sexual and racial harassment, sex and race discrimination and sexual assault in their workplaces; and

WHEREAS NOW is committed to ending all oppression including but not limited to discrimination based on gender, race, age, size, marital and family status, disability, pregnancy and sexual orientation; and

WHEREAS NOW also is committed to liveable wages and pay equity for all people; and

WHEREAS homicide is the number one cause of death for women in the workplace; and

WHEREAS recent cases highlighted by the media demonstrate that the problems of harassment, discrimination and violence affect women in all fields — from assembly lines to boardrooms to classrooms; and

WHEREAS NOW projects aimed at addressing workplace issues — such as the national Mitsubishi campaign and New York City NOW’s Saks Fifth Avenue campaign — have had or continue to have a significant, positive impact; and

WHEREAS despite some progress, an overwhelming number of women continue to face some form of

harassment or discrimination in the marketplace, workforce and government as consumers or clients.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NOW will kick-off the Women-Friendly Workplace Campaign on March 8, 1997 — International Women’s Day — with media events to be organized by NOW chapter activists across the country to announce the campaign and to introduce the consumers’ pledge and the employers’ pledge; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of the Women-Friendly Workplace Campaign is to encourage employers — through education, public pressure and consumer education — to take action to provide safe workplaces free of sexual and racial harassment, sexual assault and sex and race discrimination; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW chapter activists be encouraged to organize May Day Actions on May 1-4, 1997 to speak-out against harassment, assault and discrimination in their communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW chapter activists be encouraged to organize Women-Friendly Workplace actions as part of their Women’s Equality Day celebrations on August 23-26, 1997; an

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NOW Action Center establish a Speak-Out Line for women who want to report their experiences with harassment, discrimination and assault in the workplace, marketplace and government to be heard and counted, so that we can document the severity of the problem; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Action Center will develop and distribute Women-Friendly Workplace organizing kits to NOW chapter and state organizations and will publicize the campaign in the next issue of the National NOW Times and on the NOW Web Page.

NOW OPPOSES STEREOTYPING TOYS

2013

WHEREAS, the inquiry from fast food restaurants employees of “boy toy or girl toy” or, “is (child’s meal)for a boy or for a girl?” not only sets the stage for sexism but furnishes it with stereotypical, gender-specific toys; and

WHEREAS, impressionable youth are exposed to sexism at a very young age; and

WHEREAS, this is counter to the National Organization for Women’s (NOW’s) stance of eliminating gender discrimination; and

WHEREAS, the inquiry about gender-specific toys can negatively impact our youth by isolating those who do not fall into the category of fast food restaurants’ gender stereotype

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW will support an action campaign to eliminate the request of gender-specific toys at fast food restaurants’ by petition to fast food restaurants and a social media campaign; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW opposes the stereotyping of gender- specific toys for our youth.

USING TITLE IX ACTION NETWORKS TO HELP END SEX DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION

2011

WHEREAS, the 1972 Title IX law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance has helped advance educational equality, but overt and subtle sexbased inequalities persist and must be eliminated by systematic and vigorous implementation of Title IX and related laws; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of support for full implementation of Title IX and related governmental actions to advance gender equality in and through education to build a feminist future and to end sex discrimination and related sex segregation and sex stereotyping; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has been reducing its efforts to end sex discrimination by proposing to eliminate the 1974 Women’s Educational Equity Act and the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program; and

WHEREAS, despite our requests, the Obama administration has not rescinded the 2006 Bush administration Department of Education Title IX regulation that allows public K-12 nonvocational schools to establish single-sex schools and classes without the adequate protections against sex discrimination included in the 1975 Title IX regulations used by other federal agencies; and

WHEREAS, educators and students are often not aware of Title IX protections against sex discrimination, such as: 1) the Office for Civil Rights guidance on how Title IX can be used to protect students from sexual harassment and bullying related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (real and perceived) and 2) the Title IX regulations requiring each recipient organization to designate “at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with and carry out Title IX responsibilities”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) reassert its 2002 position for the government “to enhance rather than weaken the Title IX regulations and the enforcement of Title IX’s promise of education equality,” which includes maintaining, expanding, and updating support for federal programs and activities, such as the Women’s Educational Equity Act, the Civil Rights Act Title IV, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Gender Equity programs, and programs to increase gender equality in career and technical education in the Departments of Education and Labor; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW support the establishment of Title IX Action Networks at the national, state and local levels, which use Title IX activists to work with the Title IX coordinators in order to continue the enhancement of Title IX implementation; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW demand that the Obama administration rescind the 2006 Department of Education Title IX regulation that weakens prohibitions against discriminatory sex segregation in publicly-supported non-vocational K-12 schools.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN U.S. SCHOOLS 2005

WHEREAS, over 340,000 students in grades K through 12 in the public schools of 22 states are paddled annually, and of this number, it is estimated that 75,000 are females; and

WHEREAS, women in high school may be subject to school paddlings even after having attained the age of legal adulthood; and

WHEREAS, the great majority of school corporal punishment is designated and administered by male administrators and teachers; and

WHEREAS, school paddling has an ample history of inflicting severe bruising, intense and/or long-lasting pain and, in some cases, debilitating injury; and

WHEREAS, the availability of civil action over injurious school corporal punishment is increasingly impeded by states’ passage of specialized “teacher protection” immunity laws; and

WHEREAS, the modern-day prospect of unwanted, widespread, prurient attention to victims via corporal punishment-themed adult websites may inhibit parents from seeking redress for their injured child for fear of the publicity such complaints could generate; and

WHEREAS, corporal punishment legitimizes violence and aggression as a method of problem solving by precisely those adults the student is expected to emulate, thus encouraging his/her own use of or submission to violence and aggression; and

WHEREAS, in the overwhelming majority of cases, battering husbands and battered wives were routinely exposed to corporal punishment when they were children, either receiving it, witnessing it or both; and

WHEREAS, the legitimacy of principals spanking students is at odds with prevailing sexual harassment codes, which bar employers from spanking employees; and

WHEREAS, school paddling violates Title IX insofar as girls and boys are impacted differently, because, unlike boys, girls would have to reveal intimate personal information in order to avoid the chance of this punishment being unfairly compounded by menstrual discomfort; and

WHEREAS, corporal punishment carries unique psychological hazards since it makes the body a direct transmitter of condemnation; and

WHEREAS, the physical assault of persons incapable of protecting themselves is antithetical to feminist and democratic values;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) oppose the use of corporal punishment in U.S. schools and all other institutions, public and private, where children are cared for and educated

TITLE IX: THE PLAYING FIELD ISN’T LEVEL YET 2002

WHEREAS, June 23, 2002, marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibiting sex discrimination in education; and

WHEREAS, girls and women have made great strides in achieving educational equality since the enactment of Title IX; and

WHEREAS, despite these gains, girls and women continue to face inequality at all levels of education as detailed in the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education’s report, “Title IX at 30: Report Card on Gender Equity;” and

WHEREAS, women’s and girls’ athletics programs continue to receive fewer resources than men’s and boys’; vocational and technical programs continue to be highly sex-segregated and to steer students into sex-stereotyped occupations (e.g., girls to cosmetology, boys to computer science); sexual harassment continues at colleges, high schools, middle schools and even elementary schools; and women and girls of color as well as women and girls with disabilities continue to face multiple barriers to equality in their schools, colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, because private enforcement of Title IX is prohibitively expensive, targets of discrimination must, as a practical matter, rely on the federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to investigate and take legal action against schools that discriminate; and

WHEREAS, the 10 OCR regions around the country have shown significant disparity in their levels of Title IX enforcement; and

WHEREAS, the Bush administration has already indicated its hostility to Title IX by pushing for a return to sex-segregated schools with the justification that boys can’t concentrate if girls are in the room and girls can’t become leaders in coeducational settings, and has emboldened right-wing opponents of Title IX to intensify their pressure to dismantle the gains we have made for educational equality;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) calls on the Bush administration, in particular the Department of Education, to stop its assault on Title IX, and to enhance rather than weaken the Title IX regulations and the enforcement of Title IX’s promise of educational equality; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW call on OCR to step up enforcement of Title IX in each of its regional offices; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW chapter and state activists are encouraged to call their local school boards asking for the name of the school board’s chief Title IX enforcement officer as well as copies of Title IX compliance reports, and to file complaints with OCR if the reports show violations of Title IX; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center devote a prominent section on its web site to Title IX, including information such as how to file a Title IX complaint with OCR, Title IX fact sheets, links to research and other resources, and action ideas for chapters and states.

TITLE IX – STANDING UP TO THE BACKLASH 1999

WHEREAS, Title IX was passed by Congress in 1972 prohibiting sex discrimination in any educational program or activity at any educational institution that is a recipient of federal funds; and

WHEREAS, Title IX prohibits all forms of sex discrimination including sexual harassment, discrimination in admissions and counseling, discrimination against married or pregnant students, etc.; and

WHEREAS, in 1971, only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports and, as a result of Title IX in 1998, 1 in 3 girls participated in high school sports (boys’ participation has remained constant at 1 in 2); and

WHEREAS, there is a direct connection between Title IX and the gold medal success of the USA women’s teams at the most recent Olympic games, the success of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Women’s World Cup Soccer; and

WHEREAS, California NOW filed suit against the 19-campus California State University system in 1993, resulting in a five year consent decree increasing athletic opportunities for women, and filed Title IX complaints against the University of Southern California and the University of California at Los Angeles in December 1998: and

WHEREAS, a few schools have decided to drop a small number of men’s teams instead of examining the inflated budgets of the men’s basketball and football teams (including such expenses as hotel rooms the night before home games); and

WHEREAS, there is now an organized effort to challenge the implementation of Title IX, including the Stephen Neal, et al. v California State University lawsuit brought because the university put a cap on the men’s wrestling team, eliminating the opportunity of seven male participants. This lawsuit seeks to remove prong one, “proportionality”, from the three-prong test used by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to measure effective accommodation of interests and abilities, the “exclusion of revenue-generating sports from a calculus of comparative gender opportunities,” and the allowing of private donations earmarked for a particular sport;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) sign on to an amicus brief prepared by the National Women’s Law Center opposing the preliminary injunction granted on February 22, 1999; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW challenges this backlash against Title IX with:

1) INFORMATION: such as an article in the National NOW Times and briefing materials in a chapter mailing; and

2) ACTION: such as the Title IX project approved by the NOW Board in February 1999; and

3) ACTION: such as Title IX projects by local chapters and state reviewing Title IX compliance at the high school and community college level; and

4) ACTION: such as commending Allstate Insurance for its ads run before and during Women’s World Cup Soccer showing a multi-cultural group of girls joyfully competing in the sport – affirming that girls’ sports’ participation is important; and

5) ACTION: such as challenging the unequal pay that will be received by the U.S. women’s soccer team. If the U.S. wins, each woman will get a $12,500 bonus from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) – as compared to $380,000 that would have gone to the men, had they won last summer. USSF Secretary General Hank Steinbrecher blames the FIFA – soccer’s world governing body – for passing through bonus money for men but not for women.

SINGLE PARENT/DISPLACED HOMEMAKER/SEX EQUITY FUNDING 1997

WHEREAS, the way out of poverty for many women is gainful employment; and

WHEREAS, one of the ways many women access employment training is through Carl Perkins Vocational Education Single Parent/Displaced Homemaker/Sex Equity Funding; and

WHEREAS, that funding is in jeopardy as part of a continuing attack on affirmative action and poor women;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) both nationally and locally conduct a membership and media blitz to inform members of this funding issue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each chapter be supplied with a fact sheet, sample letters, talking points, and resource telephone numbers concerning this issue; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NOW Action Center take immediate action to monitor the committee hearings and political action regarding this issue.

WOMEN FRIENDLY CAMPUSES 1997

WHEREAS, harassment and discrimination are pervasive at educational institutions; and

WHEREAS, students’ workplaces are on educational campuses; and

WHEREAS, these students will later enter the workforce;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women initiate a nationwide Women Friendly Campuses Campaign complementary to the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that National Organization for Women (NOW) chapters be encouraged to facilitate consciousness raising to support, mentor, and help students take action to create women friendly schools and campuses for all students.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT PASSAGE OF THE CONGRESSIONAL JOINT RESOLUTIONS TO REPEAL THE ARBITRARY RATIFICATION DEADLINES FOR THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

07/2018

WHEREAS, Congress first passed a ratification deadline of 1979 for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and later extended that deadline to 1982; and

WHEREAS, 37 states of the required 38 states have already ratified the ERA; and

WHEREAS, the current 115th Congress has before it, Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SJ Res 5) and House Joint Resolution 53 (HJ Res 53) to repeal the arbitrary ratification deadlines for the ERA; and

WHEREAS, elimination of the ratification deadlines will reduce legal arguments against the ERA once it is ratified by all 38 states; and

WHEREAS, Congress accepted, after 203 years, the 27th amendment (Madison Amendment) on Congressional pay raises;

THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) work for the passage of HJ Res 53 and SJ Res 5 or their subsequent versions in future Congresses; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW recommit our support of the ERA; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW accomplish this by:

targeting and helping the last state to ratify the ERA,
working to elect those supportive of the ERA in Congress,
opposing any Supreme Court nominee not supportive of rescinding the ratification deadline of the ERA; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW, its state and local chapters, and their members, will commit to prioritizing and working to ratify the ERA for ourselves, and future generations.

Submitted by Committee: Constitutional Equality and Emerging Issues

Co-chair: Terry Sanders

RATIFY THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT: 2017-2018 NATIONAL ACTION PROGRAM RESOLUTION 2017

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) National Action Program (NA Program) includes a campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (ERA); and

WHEREAS, the text of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment states: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex;” and

WHEREAS, this campaign has mobilized activists online and on the ground to support both the three-state and start-over strategies as well as state-level ERAs; and

WHEREAS, Nevada became the 36th State to ratify the ERA, underscoring growing momentum to be capitalized on along the road to constitutional gender equity; and

WHEREAS, ratification efforts continue in ERA target states such as Virginia, Illinois, North Carolina, and Florida, and state-level ERA legislation is moving forward in Maine, Louisiana, and Delaware; and

WHEREAS, 72% of individuals think that the ERA is already an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and many feminist activists are not aware of efforts to ratify the ERA; and

WHEREAS, the continuation of ERA advocacy relies on the unification of feminist activists of diverse social and cultural identities: sex, age, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, ability, nationality, gender, and other axes of identity;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW will include in its 2017-18 NA Program the continuation of its campaign to “Ratify the ERA;” and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this campaign will include working with state NOW organizations and other allied organizations in their efforts to ratify the national ERA and/or to pass a state-level ERA; mobilizing for passage of legislation in Congress supportive of the three-state and start-over strategies; and the use of digital advocacy such as NOW’s “Visions for Equality” awareness-raising microsite to uplift storytelling and increase the number of younger online activists who know the status of the national ERA and support its ratification; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NOW will promote diverse and intersectional interpretations of constitutional equality that reflect the many lived experiences of those of diverse social and cultural identities: age, race, class, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and expression, immigration status, religion, ability, nationality, gender, and other axes of identity in the United States; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW urges the NOW PAC and state and local NOW PACs to recruit, endorse, and work to elect progressive feminist candidates, especially women of color, who will make it a top priority to address the ratification of the ERA.

RESOLUTION TO ENDORSE CITIES FOR CEDAW CAMPAIGN 2017

WHEREAS, because Women’s Rights are Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (“CEDAW”) is a landmark international agreement that affirms principles of fundamental human rights and equality for women around the world which obligates those countries that have ratified or acceded to it to take “all appropriate measures” to ensure the full development and advancement of women in all spheres—political participation, education, employment, health care, housing, economic, personal and community safety, social, legal, marriage and family relations; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has passed numerous Resolutions of support calling for the U.S. government to Ratify CEDAW, outlined NOW member campaigns and calls to action in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, but the United States (U.S.) has neither ratified nor acceded to CEDAW – one of only 4 nations out of 193 – and appears very unlikely to do so; and

WHEREAS, diverse feminist leadership in the United States led by the nearly 200 organizational-member CEDAW Task Force of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Cities for CEDAW Campaign have determined that a U.S. Cities strategy to pass Ordinances at local levels with grassroots campaigns results in the implementation of comprehensive women’s human rights contained in CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, more than 25 communities across the U.S. have passed Ordinances or Resolutions as Cities for CEDAW, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, Louisville, Honolulu, Miami-Dade County, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati; plus more than 40 cities located in such diverse states such as North Carolina, Maine, New York, Illinois and Montana are in the process of exploring becoming a City for CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, becoming a City for CEDAW requires 1) a gender analysis of city departments and operations (such as policies, programs and budgets) that address barriers to the full equality for women and girls, 2) an oversight body to monitor the implementation of a local CEDAW Ordinance and 3) funding to support the implementation of the principles of CEDAW – assuring that our RIGHTS are REAL; and

WHEREAS, support of the Cities for CEDAW Campaign fully incorporates a women’s human rights framework and gender equality will complement and strengthen the campaigns for U.S. Constitutional Equality with the Ratification of an Equal Rights Amendment; and

WHEREAS, because NOW maintains Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) consultative status with the United Nations, supports a NOW Global Feminist Issues and Strategies Task Force, ensuring exchanges of local and global strategies and best practices will strengthen Cities for CEDAW implementation;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that NOW endorse the Cities for CEDAW Campaign which is a grassroots movement joined by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women/New York, the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, the Women’s InterCultural Network, along with the U.S. Conference of Mayors whose 2014 Resolution calls for support of 100 Cities to adopt Ordinances for CEDAW; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage NOW chapters to explore Cities for CEDAW campaigns in their communities or support existing Cities for CEDAW Ordinances/Resolutions using the existing toolkit and other resources developed by the Cities for CEDAW Campaign (www.citiesforcedaw.org); and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Global Feminist Issues and Strategies Task Force work in collaboration with the Action Center and state and chapter NOW leadership to implement this Resolution.

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT: VISIONS FOR EQUALITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

2016

WHEREAS, ninety-three years after the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced in Congress, women and gender minorities are still not granted equal rights in the United States constitution. Although existing laws attempt to protect all people from discrimination, there is no substitute to the comprehensive rights that would be guaranteed by the ERA; and

WHEREAS, Until we achieve ERA ratification, women and gender minorities across all social and cultural backgrounds will be forced to continue fighting long, burdensome political and legal battles to ensure that their rights are legally equal to the rights automatically held by cis-gender men, especially those who are white, heterosexual and abled; and

WHEREAS, reviving the fight for the ERA relies on the unification of feminist activists of diverse social and cultural identities: age, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, ability, nationality, gender, and other axes of identity; and

WHEREAS, the fight for constitutional equality is not one size-fits-all, and community focused activism is critical to unifying activists in the push for ratification in state legislatures; and

WHEREAS, because the U.S. Senate has passed the military draft for women, we should use that as leverage to demand the ERA;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) will include in its 2016-17 Strategic Action Program the creation of an awareness campaign to expand the national conversation about constitutional equality and increase the number of people–particularly young people– who know the status of the national ERA and support its ratification; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that through this awareness campaign, NOW will promote diverse and intersectional interpretations of constitutional equality that reflect the many lived experiences of gender minorities in the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 2016-2017 Strategic Action Program will pursue ERA ratification through activism at the national level and in the states, with both congressional resolution approaches and with both a start-over strategy and with a three-state strategy focus; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a key goal of NOW’s awareness campaign will be to inspire feminist activists to ultimately push for ratification in state legislatures of the federal ERA and promote the development of state-level ERAs.

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT RESOLUTION 2014

3/14

WHEREAS, Code Pink and San Francisco NOW are participating in the ERA Walk Across the United States by Katrina’s Dream activist Helene de Boissiere, whopledges to walk from the Golden Gate Bridge across the span of the United States on foot, with the goal of calling an ERA protest, and personally occupying the White House fence by March 8, 2015, until the ERA becomes part of the United States Constitution,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NOW hereby endorses the Equal Rights Amendment related public awareness efforts of Katrina’s Dream activist Helene de Boissiere in her ERA walk, and the ERA protests at the White House in Washington, DC on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2015.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we recommend that the NOW membership and the state and local chapters consider participating in some portion of either the walk or ERA protest at the White House on International Women’s Day, March 2, 2015.

ERA RESOLUTION 2013

WHEREAS, constitutional equality for women is a core issue for the National Organization for Women (NOW) and discrimination based on sex is a violation of human rights; and

WHERE AS, NOW is supporting both the 3-state strategy and a Congressional strategy to begin anew on an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA); and

WHEREAS, Congressional leaders for women’s equality believe it is necessary to support both strategies; and

WHEREAS, both methods provide unique advantages; and

WHEREAS, NOW continues to support ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, The Women’s Treaty) by the U.S. Senate;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW reaffirms that we continue to work on several strategies that educate the public about the need to win constitutional equality for women; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW create an “ERA Educate to Advocate Campaign” and actively pursue opportunities to obtain media attention to bring the movement to ratify the ERA and CEDAW (The Women’s Treaty) into the national conversation; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that we recommend to the NOW/PAC and the state and local PACs that they score candidates on their support for an ERA on the 3-state strategy, a Congressional strategy to begin anew on an Equal Rights Amendment, and CEDAW (The Women’s Treaty), in considering whether or not to endorse a political candidate.

REMOVING THE TIME LIMIT FROM THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT 2012

WHEREAS, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ensures that women will have equal rights under the U.S. Constitution, and the National Organization for Women (NOW) supports the advancement of women’s rights; and

WHEREAS, the ERA would need only three more states for ratification, and strong ERA advocacy organizations have arisen in the 15 states yet to ratify; and

WHEREAS, legal opinions support the conclusion that “the Constitution imposes no time limit for ratification of amendments,” and passage of the Madison Amendment 203 years after it was first proposed supports the determination that Congress can choose any time frame for deciding amendments; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ben Cardin and Representative Tammy Baldwin have introduced resolutions in Congress — SJ Res. 39 and HJ Res. 47 — to remove the time limit for the ratification of the ERA; and

WHEREAS, NOW has repeatedly called for the ratification of the ERA;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW call upon all members of the U.S. House and Senate to co-sponsor, support, and pass into law SJ Res. 39 and HJ Res. 47 so the ratification of the ERA shall be achieved upon the affirmative vote of three states; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW mobilize all of its chapters and provide non-monetary resources to support these efforts, including grassroots and legislative strategies in support of SJ Res. 39 and HJ Res. 47 and rapid ratification of the ERA.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that nothing in this resolution rescinds the final resolved clause of the resolutiontitled “Equal

Rights Amendment” adopted at the 2009 National NOW Conference, which states “BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW pursue grassroots and legislative strategies in support of both the three-state and the 38-state strategies.”

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT 2009

WHEREAS, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ensures that women will have equal rights under the Constitution, and the National Organization for Women (NOW) supports the advancement of women’s rights; and

WHEREAS, the 2008 election resulted in the historic victory of a president who represents the advancement of all Americans; and

WHEREAS, the only permanent right women explicitly have in the Constitution is the right to vote, and rights not supported by the Constitution can be undermined in legislatures and courts, where women are nderrepresented; and

WHEREAS, women still have far to go to achieve equality under the law and have not achieved equal pay for equal work, which would be guaranteed by the ERA; and

WHEREAS, the ERA, introduced in 1972, needs only three more states for passage, and strong ERA advocacy organizations have arisen in the 15 states yet to ratify; and

WHEREAS, a strong campaign to pass the ERA by either strategy can reinvigorate NOW and its state chapters, positively impacting other efforts for women’s rights;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW take advantage of this moment in history to support strategies to ratify the ERA; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW mobilize all of its chapters and provide non-monetary resources to support these efforts, such as inclusion in newsletters, press releases, chapter education projects, and the like; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW pursue grassroots and legislative strategies in support of both the three-state and the 38-state strategies.

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AND NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO RATIFY CEDAW 2009

WHEREAS, as of April 26, 2009, 186 countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the international treaty calling for basic human rights for women; and

WHEREAS, Qatar ratified CEDAW in April 2009 without any reservations to the treaty, leaving only seven nations (including the United States, Iran, Sudan and Somalia) that have failed to ratify it; and

WHEREAS, nations that ratify this treaty commit themselves to take concrete action to improve the status of women and end discrimination against them; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW was favorably voted out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice-once in 1994 and once in 2002-with 96 cities, counties, and states in the U.S. passing resolutions calling on the Senate to ratify CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, the NOW Global Feminist Issues and Strategies Ad Hoc Committee has identified CEDAW as long overdue for ratification by the U.S. Senate; and

WHEREAS, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) introduced a resolution in January 2009 with 121 co-sponsors, urging immediate Senate action on the treaty; and

WHEREAS, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chair of the Foreign Relations subcommittee overseeing global women’s issues, has announced that she will lead an effort seeking ratification of CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have long been advocates for ratifying CEDAW, and President Obama supports ratification of CEDAW;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW vigorously advocate for ratification of CEDAW without the addition of harmful reservations, understandings and declarations (RUDs); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW call on the Justice Department to reject the RUDs previously under consideration; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW launch a national campaign with chapters and activists throughout the country taking action to urge their U.S. Senators to ratify a “clean” version of CEDAW and urge the Obama Administration to play a leadership role in getting the Senate to do so; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this campaign include use of newer forms of technology to expand the reach of our message through the media and the blogosphere; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW declare March 8, 2010, a national day of action and work with the Global Feminist Issues and Strategies Ad Hoc Committee to organize rallies in various cities across the country to put pressure on the U.S. Senate to ratify CEDAW, and activists will be called on to lobby their U.S. Senators urging them to push for immediate ratification of CEDAW.

REVISION TO CONSTITUTIONAL EQUALITY AMENDMENT

9/04

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) proposed “working draft” language for a Constitutional Equality Amendment (CEA) in 1995; and

WHEREAS, we want to protect women’s rights to make a full range of reproductive choices,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the wording of the working draft language of CEA, Section 3 be amended to include the words “continuation or” so that Section 3 reads, “This article prohibits pregnancy discrimination and guarantees the absolute right of a woman to make her own reproductive decisions including the continuation or termination of pregnancy.”

REVISION TO CONSTITUTIONAL EQUALITY AMENDMENT

1/03

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) proposed the Constitutional Equality Amendment (CEA) in 1995; and

WHEREAS, we want to protect women’s rights to have or not have children,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we revise the wording of CEA, Section 3 to include the words “continuation or” so that Section 3 reads, “This article prohibits pregnancy discrimination and guarantees the absolute right of a woman to make her own reproductive decisions including the continuation or termination of pregnancy.”

RATIFICATION OF CEDAW TREATY AND PROMOTION OF LOCAL CEDAWS

2002

WHEREAS, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the only international agreement that comprehensively addresses the full equality of women in all areas; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW was signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 but still has not been ratified by the United States because the Senate has failed to act, leaving this country alone in this position among industrialized countries and in the company of Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia; and

WHEREAS, ratification of CEDAW and full implementation of its principles without any limiting “reservations, declarations and understandings” will improve the economic status of women, make progress toward the elimination of violence against women, and advance the equal treatment of women in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the city of San Francisco has adopted an ordinance patterned after CEDAW that commits the city to “work toward integrating gender equity and human rights principles into all of its operations, including policy, program and budgetary decision-making,” and similar efforts are underway in other cities; and

WHEREAS, the composition of the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations committee has changed;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) continue to urge the United States Senate to immediately act to ratify CEDAW and implement its principles without limiting reservations, declarations, and understandings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW chapters be urged to renew efforts to schedule meetings with their senators while they are in their home states to encourage those senators to support ratification of CEDAW; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW take additional steps to encourage chapter efforts to promote the enactment of local CEDAW-type ordinances and that the National Action Center make information about local CEDAWs available to interested chapters.

12/00

Moved “that NOW focus globally on the immediate passage of CEDAW and meet immediately with Department of State officials to ensure a future administration cannot reverse a recommendation to approve CEDAW; that NOW implement an all-out attempt to pass CEDAW in the Senate during the period January 4, 2001 – January 20, 2001 or, if not possible, during the 2001-2003 session; and further that NOW get the word out to all of its chapters to target their Senators and Democratic leadership (Senator Daschle, Senator Reid of Nevada and Senator Biden).”

TOWARD CONSTITUTIONAL EQUALITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS 2000

WHEREAS, NOW has as its major purpose the commitment to equality for women; and

WHEREAS, we have an increasing awareness of the globalization and interconnection of women world-wide and their struggles for equality; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women) establishes a worldwide commitment to combat discrimination against women and girls; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW obligates those countries that ratify it to take all appropriate measures to ensure the full development and advancement of women and girls in the wide-ranging spheres of politics, education, employment, and economics; social, legal, marital, and family relations; and health care, specifically reproductive health care; and

WHEREAS, 165 countries of the world have ratified CEDAW and the U.S. is the only remaining industrial nation that has not ratified it along with a small minority of countries including Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Helms, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has single-handily blocked consideration and action on CEDAW in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and

WHEREAS, the ratification of a treaty requires only a 2/3 vote of the U.S. Senate and the President’s signature; and

WHEREAS, under the U.S. system of government, a treaty is stronger legally in federal court than an act of Congress and a level just under the U.S. Constitution itself; and

WHEREAS, U.S. ratification would not only help women and girls in this country, but also cause other countries to take CEDAW and its implementation more seriously; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW is currently burdened with reservations, declarations and understandings (RDUs) which substantially weaken its effectiveness.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW commit to a strategy toward ratification of CEDAW without any reservations, declarations or understandings (RDUs) as a vehicle to improve the status of women and girls legally in the U.S.; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this project be built as a massive public education campaign on the ongoing need for constitutional equality; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW launch this effort by adding the ratification of CEDAW, with no reservations, declarations and understandings (RDUs) as a major goal of the World March of Women to be held in Washington, DC on October 15, 2000; thus showing the need for equality for women in the United States and globally.

ACHIEVE THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT FOR ALL UNITED STATES WOMEN

2000

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution still fails to guarantee equal rights and equal justice to female citizens, to their continuing serious detriment, just because they are women, not men: and

WHEREAS, the “classic” Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) (“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex”), because it has already overcome the arduous difficulties of being passed by both houses of Congress and achieving ratification by 35 of the required 38 states, provides the best, and perhaps only, opportunity to correct that wrong and achieve that vital guarantee soon; and

WHEREAS, work for and achievement of that bedrock constitutional guarantee for women will neither conflict with, nor handicap, efforts toward other feminist goals such as reproductive rights and rights based on sexual orientation and race/color/ethnicity, and the ERA will in fact protect female members of every group from any laws and/or court decisions that discriminate against them relative to male members of the same group;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW support efforts to achieve ratification of a constitutional equal rights amendment.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S EQUALITY ACT

7/98

WHEREAS, the 1848 Declaration of Human Sentiments included “we insist that women have all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States;” and

WHEREAS, women of today still have not gained full political, legal, economic, social and educational equality; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women is on record as supporting a Constitutional Equality Amendment; and

WHEREAS, the principle of equality for women is an integral component of the NOW Vision Summit,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NOW participate in the exploration, discussion and possible drafting of a federal statute guaranteeing women full equality under the law, such as the National Women’s Equality Act of the 21st Century.

RATIFICATION OF CEDAW TREATY 1997

WHEREAS, the people and the government of the U.S. support the promotion and protection of human rights, and women’s rights should not be separated or different from men’s; and

WHEREAS, President Clinton has made ratification of the United Nations (U.N.) “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women” (CEDAW) a top priority; and

WHEREAS, upon ratification by the U.S. Senate, the U.S. would gain a seat on this U.N. committee;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women undertake a campaign through state and local Chapters to press for this treaty to be ratified by the U.S. Senate.

2/97

Moved that the language of the priority issue “Equal Rights Amendment” be replaced with the terms “Constitutional Equality.”

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE GULF COAST DISASTER

2010

WHEREAS, the Gulf Coast oil spill has already had cataclysmic economic, environmental and public health impacts; and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum (BP), by acknowledgement of responsibility for this cataclysm, has pledged to create a fund of $20 billion to be used to mitigate this disaster; and

WHEREAS, insufficient information has beemade public detailing the terms and conditions for disbursement of these funds, leaving those affected by the disaster unsure which, if any, public health impacts, economic impacts, or environmental impacts will qualify for financial remuneration or by what criteria eligibility will be determined; and

WHEREAS, many small and woman-owned businesses in the Gulf Coast region may need professional assistance in preparing and presenting claims for compensation from the BP oil spill fund; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW demand that all appropriate agencies of the federal government and BP undertake active surveillance of the effects of the oil spill; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that in order to ameliorate the harm caused by the oil spill, NOW demand that these agencies and BP make this information available to the public

10/14

HONOR OUR FOREMOTHERS MEMORIAL

WHEREAS, constitutional equality for women is a core issue for the National Organization for Women (NOW) and discrimination based on sex is a violation of human rights; and

WHEREAS, the suffrage movement was the largest nonviolent social revolution in the United States, creating the greatest expansion of voting rights in our nation’s history; and

WHEREAS, the suffragists of the National Woman’s Party led by Alice Paul pioneered the activist tactics used by the civil rights movement, tactics that are as effective today as they were then; and

WHEREAS, in 1917 until 1919 over two hundred women from twenty-six states were arrested for standing up for the right to vote and were imprisoned in the District of Columbia Jail and its prison in Lorton, Virginia, where they were deliberately subjected to violence by prison guards, forcibly handled, pushed and thrown into cold, unsanitary and rat-infested cells, and brutally force-fed rotting food; and

WHEREAS, the news of their mistreatment aroused the public’s awareness and support for the women’s cause and proved to be a “turning point” in the struggle for the right to vote through the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, won in 1920 after a 72-year struggle; and

WHEREAS, there is no national memorial to mark this important struggle and achievement, which is largely untold and untaught, and

WHEREAS, the suffragists are role models of leadership in the continuing quest for equality, and their story can provide much needed inspiration to our young activists today to make us more effective in the quest for women’s equality; and

WHEREAS, this struggle must not be lost to memory because it is needed for today’s women’s fight to retain and gain rights; and

WHEREAS, The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association (TPSMA) – a nonprofit group dedicated to honoring the lives of the suffragists who put their lives on the lines so American women could vote – is creating a memorial to the strength of the suffragists and the significance of their struggle located at Occoquan Regional Park in Lorton, Va., near the site where most of the women were imprisoned. The purpose of the memorial is to educate, inspire and empower future generations; and

WHEREAS, Virginia NOW is a partner of the TPSMA and supports its effort through raising awareness, supporting membership and fundraising, and other ways;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW support the creation of this national memorial through publicity in all its various media, including website and blog posts and other appropriate means at its disposal; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW inform its members and chapters about the efforts to create this national memorial to women’s rights and suffrage and encourage its members and chapters to be become knowledgeable about the history and effort and become involved as appropriate.

HONORING ELOUISE PEPION COBELL (BLACKFEET), A LEADER FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL

9/11

WHEREAS Elouise Pepion Cobell, Blackfeet Nation leader, banker, rancher and the lead plaintiff in Cobell v Salazar, led the courageous and successful class action lawsuit initiated in 1996 against the U.S. government about individual Indian land held in trust by the federal government. This landmark lawsuit held the federal government accountable for (a) mismanaging trust funds/assets, (b) improperly accounting for these funds, and (c) mismanaging trust land/assets including money collected from farming and grazing leases, timber sales, mining, and oil and gas production from land owned by American Indians/Alaska Natives (www.IndianTrust.org); and

WHEREAS Elouise Pepion Cobell’s leadership and strength over these long 15 years provided – along with organized support from Indian country and other allies – the vision and perseverance for victory in the $3.4 billion Indian Trust Settlement benefitting an estimated 500,000 American Indians; and

WHEREAS U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester of Montana have recently introduced legislation calling for a Congressional Gold Medal honoring Elouise Pepion Cobell “for her outstanding and enduring contributions to American Indians, Alaskan Natives and the American people for her tireless pursuit of justice” achieved through the results of Cobell v Salazar Settlement; and

WHEREAS the historic legal victory has both a direct positive economic impact for indigenous women in particular and Indian Country in general, and advances economic justice since U.S. federal Indian policies prevent American Indians from using their lands held in trust as collateral; and

WHEREAS the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) Global Feminist Strategies and Issues Committee has begun an initiative to increase the participation of indigenous women in the 2012 UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting and within NOW through creation of a Native American Women’s Task Force;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NOW congratulate and honor Elouise Pepion Cobell for her visionary and dedicated leadership for the Indian Trust Lawsuit and Settlement as well as for her extensive community development work for the Blackfeet Nation and Indian Country which serve as a model of social justice and sustainable community development everywhere; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW endorse the U.S. Senators Baucus & Tester’s call for a Congressional Gold Medal, its highest honor, for Elouise Pepion Cobell and urge its immediate passage by communicating this call to action to NOW members, allied organizations and networks through the use of all of our communications tools; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that NOW prioritize the Native American’s Women’s Project of the Global Feminist Strategies & Issues Committee which will significantly involve diverse American Indian and Alaska Native women at the 2012 UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings, programs and deliberations as well as within NOW.

6/09

Moved that “the Board thank Kim Gandy for her many years of service to NOW and the women of this country and the world.

RESOLUTION HONORING LINDA BERG

10/07

WHEREAS, Linda Berg, NOW’s Political Director, has served the NOW PACs with energy and grace for 15 years, tirelessly providing NOW leaders advice and encouragement about all things political; and

WHEREAS, under Linda’s leadership, the Political Institute offered each year at National NOW conferences has trained activists from all over the country on such issues as:

PAC rules;
What NOW chapters may and may not do around federal and state elections;
Encouraging feminists to run for office;
Campaign management;
Candidate questionnaire development; and
The art of interviewing candidates and making endorsements; and

WHEREAS, under Linda’s leadership, targeted electoral campaigns have led to gains for women around the country, the most recent examples being the 2006 elections which led to Nancy Pelosi becoming the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National NOW Board hereby expresses its deep gratitude to Linda for her dedication to the National Organization for Women and the NOW PACs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board wishes Linda well as she moves on to new challenges and opportunities; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Board looks forward to continuing to work with Linda, albeit in a different capacity, to advance the women’s movement in the years to come.

RESOLUTION HONORING BARBARA HAYS

10/07

WHEREAS, Barbara Hays served on the NOW staff for more than twenty years, serving most recently as Directorof State and Chapter Development and as Director of Organizational Development; and

WHEREAS, in her work on the NOW staff, Barbara cheerfully provided assistance to our state and chapter leaders, encouraging their work to bring NOW’s message to local communities throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, Barbara worked tirelessly to develop and provide leadership training programs and materials that have proved useful to thousands of our state and chapter leaders; and

WHEREAS, as a part of NOW’s field team, Barbara worked hard on the mobilization of numerous marches and actions that turned out millions of people to pressure the U.S. government and policymakers on many of NOW’s issues;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National NOW Board hereby expresses its deep gratitude to Barbara Hays for her dedication to the National Organization for Women and all its state and chapter organizations; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Board wishes Barbara well as she takes on new challenges and opportunities.

2/02

RESOLUTION IN HONOR OF PATRICIA IRELAND

6/01

WHEREAS, Patricia Ireland has selflessly served NOW as an activist for more than twenty years; and

WHEREAS, Patricia will retire this summer after 14 years as a national officer – more than 10 of those as NOW’s President; and

WHEREAS, during Patricia’s tenure NOW has been on the cutting edge of feminist issues and politics, from the fight to re-open the Thomas hearings in the wake of Anita Hill’s allegations to the fight to stop Ashcroft’s confirmation as Attorney General; and

WHEREAS, Patricia has worked tirelessly to expand NOW’s coalition partners, strengthening NOW’s ties with diverse communities; and

WHEREAS, Patricia has been an eloquent spokesperson for NOW, putting an intelligent and likeable face on the too-oft-maligned feminist movement;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women hereby acknowledges and thanks Patricia Ireland for her exemplary service.

JUNETEENTH DAY 2000

WHEREAS, on January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation; and

WHEREAS, June 19, 1865, is traditionally observed as the day the message of freedom reached descendants of enslaved Africans in Texas; and

WHEREAS, U.S. Representative William Jefferson from Louisiana is sponsoring legislation to pass a bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women educate its membership on the importance of this holiday for the people of the United States; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women call upon its officers, staff, membership, and allies to support the passage of Juneteenth as a national holiday.

RESOLUTION HONORING JUDITH KNEE

11/98

WHEREAS the esteemed Judith Knee, for the better part of seventeen years, has selflessly devoted her time and resources to serving as Bylaws Chair, also known as Bylaws Queen, of the National Organization for Women; and

WHEREAS throughout these years Judith Knee has successfully led and guided us in the understanding and interpretation of both the NOW grievance policy and Robert’s Rule of Order Newly Revised, a feat worthy of the Nobel peace prize; and

WHEREAS Judith Knee has executed these daunting tasks with alacrity and good humor; and

WHEREAS Judith Knee is a woman of great acumen, integrity, and needlepoint, and can bat down red cards faster than a speeding bullet; and

WHEREAS Judith Knee, is admired and beloved by everyone who knows her, as evidenced by the great devotion of even those friends and colleagues who know of her soap opera addiction;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Organization for Women honors and salutes the distinguished Judith Knee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on this 20th day of November, 1999, the National Organization for Women hereby confers upon Judith Knee with our deep gratitude the status of Lifetime Member of NOW.

ROSA PARKS RESOLUTION 11/98

WHEREAS, Rosa Parks in 1955 refused to yield her bus seat to a white man and was Arrested, therebyinitiating the Montgomery bus boycott, a leading event in the civil rights movement, and

WHEREAS, she has continued to serve as a civil rights activist, and

WHEREAS, Troy State University in Montgomery, Alabama is building a library and civil rights museum in her honor at the very corner where this arrest happened, and

WHEREAS, in front of this Rosa Parks Building will be placed a bronze statue of Rosa Parks seated on a bench,and

WHEREAS, supporting this activity is a unique opportunity to honor a major woman leader of our time, now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women express its joyful support of these ventures.

RESOLUTION IN HONOR OF BELLA ABZUG

4/98

WHEREAS, Bella Abzug devoted her life to the fight for women’s rights as a feminist leader in her community in Congress and globally; and

WHEREAS, Bella’s fiery passion, unyielding dedication and uncompromising commitment will be missed by all of us;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women honor Bella Abzug’s life and achievements at the 1998 National NOW Conference in Rochester, NY.

RESOLUTION IN HONOR OF TONI CARABILLO

11/97

Moved the following resolution in honor of Toni Carabillo, who died in October 1997 in Los Angeles:

The NOW National Board of Directors, meeting on November 15, 1997, wishes to memorialize one of the foremost NOW activists who in her life brought her considerable talents to the table she helped set for feminism.

Toni Carabillo of Los Angeles, California, was a founding member of NOW and served NOW in a wide variety of capacities including LA chapter president, National Board member, National Officer, national newsletter editor and historian of both our organization and the feminist movement as a whole.

We mourn her passing and grieve our collective loss.

RECOGNITION OF THE PASSING OF DR. BETTY SHABAZZ

1997

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has, over the years, acknowledged women of courage with special recognition at national conferences; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Betty Shabazz, educator, mother of six daughters, and widow of slain civil rights leader, Malik al-Shabazz (Malcolm X) , demonstrated extraordinary courage and integrity in the face of unimaginable tragedy and hardship; and

WHEREAS, on June 23, 1997, Dr. Betty Shabazz died after a valiant fight to survive burns she received on over 80 percent of her body;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Betty Shabazz and show its appreciation for her life’s work; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW should express such appreciations and condolences to the daughters of Dr. Betty Shabazz and her surviving family.

SUFFRAGIST STATUES IN THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA

1997

WHEREAS, the women’s suffrage movement took many decades to win the elective franchise for women; and

WHEREAS, black suffragists’ efforts were important to the victory achieved with the passage of the 19th amendment; and

WHEREAS, some white suffragists historically exhibited racial bias against the black suffragists; and

WHEREAS, current efforts to recognize the struggle for women’s suffrage included the June 26, 1997, rededication of a statue of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott, for a temporary display in the Capitol Rotunda; and

WHEREAS, concerns have been raised that the contributions of black suffragists, such as Sojourner Truth, should be recognized; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Organization for Women (NOW) Executive Team, Board of Directors and the Racial and Ethnic Diversity CIC remain in communication with and inform the membership regarding current efforts to recognize Sojourner Truth’s contributions which are being led by C. Dolores Tucker of the National Political Congress of Black Women.

10/14

IN SUPPORT OF U.S. NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH CUBA

WHEREAS, a vast majority (76%) of people in the United States (US) are in support of ending the US government’s travel and trade embargo of Cuba, including nearly 70% or more of Cuban Americans in south Florida who favor ending the embargo, ending travel restrictions and establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba (www.cri.fiu.edu/research/cuba); and

WHEREAS, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated in her new book Hard Choices and on her speaking tours that the US government should establish diplomatic relations with the Cuban government and people because the “embargo wasn’t achieving its goals and was getting in the way of our broader efforts with Latin America”; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) co-sponsored the 2013 US Women’s Delegation to Cuba, co-led by NOW Leaders Zenaida Mendez and Jan Strout, which furthered ties of sisterhood and solidarity with the Federation of Cuban Women and other women leaders at the grassroots and national levels and helped to exchange strategies to advance the delegation’s theme, Gender Equality, Racial Justice and Sustainable Development; and

WHEREAS, feminists in Cuba have achieved the rights to education and health care for all; a reproductive justice agenda including abortion without restrictions; the creation of a national Center for Sex Education informing the country with its Campaign to End Homophobia; a Cuban Constitution that seeks to eliminate discrimination based on gender, race and sexual orientation as well as to increase economic equality through equal pay for equal work and one year’s paid family leave; and

WHEREAS, fostering opportunities for NOW’s feminist activists to learn from, share and further women’s human rights worldwide is part of the goals of NOW’s Global Feminist Issues and Strategies Committee;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW join Hillary Clinton to call for the normalization of U.S. government relations with Cuba; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW urges President Obama to end all restrictions for both US citizens to visit Cuba as well as Cubans to visit the United States; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW advocates for the US Congress to pass legislation that will end the trade embargo of Cuba and foster just and peaceful relations worthy of its neighbors.

NOW JOINS THE “ONE BILLION RISING” CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 2012

WHEREAS, ending violence against women and girls is one of the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) six core issues; and

WHEREAS, Eve Ensler, world-renowned author of The Vagina Monologues, which has been performed in 44 languages in 140 countries and raises awareness of the urgent need to end violence against women, was an honored speaker at NOW’s 2012 National Convention; and

WHEREAS, Eve Ensler has called upon one billion women and those who love them to walk out, dance, rise up, and demand an end to violence against women on February 14, 2013; and

WHEREAS, this campaign is known as “One Billion Rising”; and

WHEREAS, multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination contribute to and exacerbate violence against women, and factors such as ability, age, access to resources, indigenity, race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and class can exacerbate the violence that women and girls experience; and

WHEREAS, violence against women and girls is at epidemic proportions in the United States and worldwide, and this violence has unique forms, causes and consequences;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NOW Action Center, with the support of the NOW Global Strategies and Issues Committee and other interested NOW committees and task forces, will provide materials and action ideas to its activists and chapters to help them join “One Billion Rising”, and that NOW’s campaign will include images and experiences of a diverse community of women and girls.

HONORING ELOUISE PEPION COBELL (BLACKFEET), A LEADER FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL

9/11

WHEREAS Elouise Pepion Cobell, Blackfeet Nation leader, banker, rancher and the lead plaintiff in Cobell v Salazar, led the courageous and successful class-action lawsuit initiated in 1996 against the U.S. government about individual Indian land held in trust by the federal government. This landmark lawsuit held the federal government accountable for (a) mismanaging trust funds/assets, (b) improperly accounting for these funds, and (c) mismanaging trust land/assets including money collected from farming and grazing leases, timber sales, mining, and oil and gas production from land owned by American Indians/Alaska Natives (www.IndianTrust.org); and

WHEREAS the historic legal victory has both a direct positive economic impact for indigenous women in particular and Indian Country in general and advances economic justice since U.S. federal Indian policies prevent American Indians from using their lands held in trust as collateral; and

WHEREAS the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) Global Feminist Strategies and Issues Committee has begun an initiative to increase the participation of indigenous women in the 2012 UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting and within NOW through the creation of a Native American Women’s Task Force;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW endorse the US Senators Baucus & Tester’s call for a Congressional Gold Medal, its highest honor, for Elouise Pepion Cobell and urge its immediate passage by communicating this call to action to NOW members, allied organizations and networks through the use of all of our communications tools; and

ENSURING INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES IN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE WOMEN’S PROGRAMMING 2011

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are rarely included in such efforts and, if included, their participation is rarely part of the media coverage of such efforts; and

WHEREAS, women and girls with disabilities are more often subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, and the numbers of women with disabilities increases as a result of conflict necessitating their inclusion in programs addressing sexual and gender-based violence and anti-trafficking programs, especially in regions of conflict;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) advocate that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) do the following:

Address concerns of women and girls with disabilities in migrant and refugee policy and programming; and
Include women and girls with disabilities in anti-trafficking programs, making it understood that women and girls with disabilities are often victims and that disabilities often result from trafficking; and
Include women and girls with disabilities in programs addressing economic empowerment of women, such as micro-finance, leadership skill development, mentoring programs, and economic skills workshops; and
Include images of women and girls with disabilities in the DOS multimedia activities; and
Include women and girls with disabilities and their organizations in meetings with women’s groups held during country visits by the Secretary of State and the Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues; and
Ensure that issues of concern to women and girls with disabilities be included in DOS’ multilateral diplomacy at the United Nations Security Council, General Assembly, Commission on the Status of Women, Human Rights Council, and at other international and regional multilateral organizations; and

ENHANCING GLOBAL FEMINIST STRATEGIES IN NOW’S ORGANIZING AND ACTIVISM 2011

WHEREAS, the mission of National Organization for Women’s (NOW’s) Global Feminist Strategies and Issues Committee (GFC) is to work transnationally with women’s non-governmental organizations, the United Nations (U.N.), and international human rights organizations to advance the status of women and gender equity worldwide as well as at home, linking our struggles, resistance and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, GFC, since its founding in 2006, has been organizing and activating NOW members and allies on a range of issues to advance women’s human rights globally and locally, with actions such as the Ratify Women! CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) Campaign, participating at the United Nations and international conferences and co-organizing international feminist delegations; and

WHEREAS, NOW is committed, through our Ratify Women! Campaign, to achieving the U.S. ratification of CEDAW, the most comprehensive international agreement on the basic human rights of women and girls, which would lend weight to the treaty and the principle that human rights of women are universal across all cultures, nations, and religions and are worthy of being guaranteed through international human rights standards; and

WHEREAS, the “war on women” is global in scope, resulting from numerous social, political and economic forms of oppression and increasing fundamentalisms, whose backlash regularly and most negatively impact women, especially in the Global South; and

WHEREAS, the need to expand our understanding of the disparate impacts of United States (U.S.) policies on women globally and nationally is required to achieve the feminist goals of peace, equality, justice and sustainable development; and

WHEREAS, the women of the U.S. have much to learn from and share with women of the world who have developed responses to poverty, militarism, sexual and other violence, gender discrimination, racism, homophobia, disability discrimination, environmental degradation and other intersecting realities of oppression; and

WHEREAS, access to the highest standard of reproductive health, including family planning, is defined by the United Nations as a human right, but access to legal and safe abortion is left up to the various nation states and is not considered to be a universal human right; and

WHEREAS, transnational feminist solutions at both the grassroots and international law levels offer the broadest prospects to achieve our deserved and basic human rights;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the GFC work with NOW’s board, committees, task forces, chapter and state leaders and members to bring global, multicultural gender perspectives and educational resources to the recognition that sisterhood is indeed global; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW formally thank U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her inspired leadership to prioritize the needs of women and children globally in our U.S. diplomatic and development work and urge her to further advocate at the top levels of U.S. government for U.S. ratification of CEDAW and for more inclusive women’s programming; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW recommends to the National NOW PAC that the endorsement process ensure that criteria for international aspects of NOW’s core priority issues are included; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW add a Global Feminist Issue Hearing to National NOW conferences in odd-numbered years to enhance NOW’s commitment to increase global feminist organizing and activism.

10/10

Moved that NOW Foundation undertake an action as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. This would be done through the Global Issues National Ad Hoc Committee.

HELP NEEDED FOR OBSTETRIC FISTULA SURGERY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

2010

WHEREAS, two million women throughout developing nations are facing an obstructed labor injury complex known as obstetric fistula; and

WHEREAS, obstetric fistula is a medical condition predominantly caused by prolonged labor in which the mother is left with chronic incontinence; and

WHEREAS, obstetric fistula is nearly obsolete in developed nations, which proves the effectiveness of available preventive measures that could stop 50,000 new cases from happening this year alone; and

WHEREAS, the underlying causes of obstetric fistula are rooted in the marginalization of women worldwide through poor economic conditions and limited health care availability, as well as the unjust practice of child marriage, which forces young girls into marriages with older men; they are then forced to have sex and deliver children, even though their bodies are not physically developed to do so; and

WHEREAS, child marriage is closely related to obstetric fistula, as many of the young girls experience prolonged labor after their families marry them in order to receive a bride price; and

WHEREAS, obstetric fistula occurs in regions of armed conflict where women cannot access health care or health care facilities; and

WHEREAS, girls and women with obstetric fistula are ostracized by their community and family, left with even less economic support to continue living or social support to seek medical care and instead these victims are further marginalized and blamed; and
WHEREAS, many times, doctors will avoid corrective surgery due to the stigma surrounding this condition, which results in women waiting even longer for medical attention; and

WHEREAS, according to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, there are many prevention plans for obstetric fistula and other conditions caused by pregnancy, yet the maternal mortality rate only declined by 5.4% between 1990 and 2005 because these plans are not being properly funded or implemented; and

WHEREAS, cases are easily treated with a success rate over 90% and a cost of $300 U.S. dollars, if women are educated about and able to receive the corrective surgery;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) recognize this degenerative condition as preventable and treatable; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that members recognize the numerous human rights violations and disparities that occur for many of these women; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, NOW encourage members and activists to advocate for speedy passage of HR 5441, The Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope, and Dignity Restoration Act of 2010, which will authorize funding to prevent and treat obstetric fistula.