What’s Up NOW! February/March 2021

 

National NOW Conference

Save these dates: July 24/25, July 31/August 1, and August 7/8. Planning is underway and the National Action Center is bringing to you virtually everything you expect from our national conference. Engagement, Workshops, PAC plenaries, Issues, Bylaws, and Resolutions!

Chapter Updates

Round Orders:

Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, NOW staff is teleworking to ensure the health of their family and peers. Your order status is still pending and will be shipped once we can safely return to the office.

Please do let National know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your order and we will make sure to work with you.

Chapter Annual Report: 

Thank you so much to those who have submitted their chapter annual reports for 2019. The submission for 2019 chapter annual reports has closed. In the event your chapter has not submitted a 2018 or 2019 chapter annual report, please file the 2020 annual report so the status of your rebates is not affected. Failure to do so before March 1, 2021, will change the rebate eligibility status. The 2020 Chapter Annual Report Form can be found on the Members Only Page.

Campus Action Network (CANs):

The Chapters Department is currently working on contacting all inactive campus action networks. If any chapter leaders are still in contact with a school/university with a former that had a NOW CAN, please email us chapters@now.org their contact information to follow up. We would like to revive as many CANs as possible and convene a new Campus Action Network to motivate our youth to get involved.

Chapter Leader Portal: 

  • If you are a chapter leader and do not have access to the chapter portal, please reach out to us at chapters@now.org The Chapter Portal is a resource for your chapter to track members, update chapter information, and view chapter transactions.
  • If you have held or will hold chapter elections, please update your chapter officer listing via the portal before your last day in office. Please bear in mind that they must be affiliated with the chapter to add an officer to your chapter officer list. If affiliations need to be changed, please reach out to our Member Specialist, at member@now.org.
  • Your chapter’s profile now includes a page that displays the chapter’s rebate eligibility status. The page will also highlight the requirements of receiving rebates and if your chapter meets those requirements.

Officers:

Please be sure to stay up to date with your dues. If an officer’s membership expires, the system automatically removes them from their official position and revokes portal access. To prevent this from happening, please ensure your dues are paid.

Chapter Highlight: 

Upcoming Chapter Events:

Charlottesville NOW – Mapping Cville: Legacy of Racial Covenants: https://www.facebook.com/events/1326377651073478

Central Phoenix • Inez Casiano NOW– Understanding Privilege: https://www.facebook.com/events/167400361813616

Past Event:

Hollywood NOW – Roe @48 Before It’s Too Late

  • Supporters of women’s rights attended this virtual event commemorating the 48th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Speakers included Fabiola Carrión, a public interest attorney, and human rights advocate focused on defending the rights of women and girls in the Global South, and Amelia Bonow, author of “Shout Your Abortion” and founder of the Shout Your Abortion nationwide movement to create places for people to discuss their abortions online, in art and media, and in public events.

If your chapter has events coming up or you have past events that you think chapters would enjoy seeing, please submit your entries here:

Politics and Advocacy

Commission on the Status of Women I UN Women (CSW65)

Registration for all who are interested in virtually attending the 65th meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is open through Tuesday, February 22, 2021. Please click here to register for CSW65. Online registration is mandatory; email registrations are not accepted. The meetings will take place March 15 through 26, 2021. NOW is an NGO in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

PAC Update

Since 1977, the National Organization for Women Political Action Committee (NOW PAC) has worked to elect uncompromising feminists to the White House and Congress. Since then, NOW PAC’s aggressive grassroots organizing and early support for feminist candidates has been changing the faces of those elected to federal office. NOW PAC is excited to report the successes of our 2020 endorsements. This report compiles information about our 2020 endorsed candidates, contributions made to campaigns, and successes of the 2020 elections.

2020 Political Action Committee Report

Core Issues

NOW is a multi-issue, multi-strategy organization that takes a holistic approach to women’s rights. Our priorities include gaining economic equality, a Constitutional guarantee of equal rights for all; championing abortion rights and reproductive freedom, opposing structural racism; fighting bigotry against the LGBTQIA community, and ending violence against women. Read more about our Core Issues here.

Campaigns, Initiatives, and Events

Did you know that 72 percent of American’s already believed the Equal Rights Amendment is part of the constitution? We need to raise awareness that women still don’t have constitutional equality and why that’s so important.

2020 saw two landmark decisions in terms of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. In January, Virginia ratified the ERA, becoming the 38th and final state needed to do so. One month later, the House of Representatives voted in favor of removing the ERA deadline. Despite this, there is still work to be done to ensure that the ERA is added to the constitution and encapsulates equal rights for all women.

NOW has made ratifying the ERA a top priority for decades. We ask that you educate the general public on the ERA, its capabilities, and why it matters.

NOW’s 28th Amendment ERA Committee aims to educate and provide actions that NOW activists can get involved with to finally ratify the ERA. The committee has come up with some actions for you and your chapter members to get involved with – there are many ways to show your support and get involved. We need all hands on deck! Follow this link to see what you can do today.       

NOW in the News

A key component of NOW’s mission is to monitor and elevate the country’s progress and shortcomings regarding women’s issues through social media, press statements, and media outreach.

Recent highlights include our work for racial justice, reproductive health and abortion, and the incoming Biden/Harris administration. Below are our recent press statements and media clips or read more here in our Media Center.

Digital Media:

On Friday, December 4th,  our National NOW posted a graphic and accompanying language to our Facebook and Twitter pages expressing solidarity and support towards our friends in the LGBTQIA+ community, in particular our transgender friends. Regrettably, both members of the public and members of NOW began and continue to respond to our post,  with vitriol and language that is inappropriate, reprehensible, and not at all in line with the principles and mission of our organization.  On December 9th we posted a response to the public posts that explains our stance and that we are not going to yield. You can read that statement, here.

Press Statements:

Media Hits: 

Recent highlights include our work in pushing an intersectional feminist agenda and ensuring all six core issues are brought to the forefront of our work.

Say It Sister – Blogs

Say It, Sister! is a place where a variety of feminist core issue topics are discussed. All posts and comments reflect the individual views of their authors, and should not be construed as positions taken by NOW.

©National Organization for Women  

What’s Up NOW is a bi-monthly publication of the National Organization for Women. If you have suggestions or news items to include, please contact us at press@now.org. The next issue will publish in January 2021.