Chapter Updates
NEW CHAPTERS: NOW would like to recognize the new chapters that have convened this year.
- Cape Cod NOW – Massachusetts
- Oahu NOW – Hawaii
- Nassau NOW – New York
- Black Hawk County NOW – Iowa
- Collier NOW – Florida
- Polk County NOW – Florida
- Orange County NOW – Florida
- Citrus County NOW – Florida
- Marion County NOW – Florida
- East Volusia – Florida
- Loudoun County – Florida
Campus Action Networks: Our chapters have been doing such a fantastic job of connecting with high schools and colleges in their area. Convening CANs is a great way to get our youth involved in taking action and joining the organization. We would like to recognize our newest CANs.
- Spring Hill College – Alabama
- Mars Hill University – North Carolina
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – North Carolina
- University of Miami – Florida
- Baruch College Campus High School – New York
- University of Minnesota – Minnesota
- University of Florida – Florida
- Florida Atlantic University – Florida
Chapter Annual Report: Please be aware that the Chapter Annual report will be on the Members Only page until December 31, 2019. If you have not filed your Chapter Annual report for 2018, please do so before the year has ended.
Chapter Leader Portal: If you are a chapter leader and you do not have access to the chapter portal, please reach out to Supria at chapters@now.org. The chapter portal is a resource for your chapter to track members, update chapter information and view chapter transactions.
Politics and Governance
- Trump administration pushes UN to drop mentions of reproductive health from official documents – The Hill
- ‘A gendered trap’: When mothers allege child abuse by fathers, the mothers often lose custody, study shows – The Washington Post
- For First Time in Nearly 20 Years, Senate Committee Passes Bill Failing to Repeal the Global Gag Rule – Planned Parenthood
- “Public Charge” Rule: A Blatant Attack on Immigrants’ Rights with Severe Reproductive Health Consequences – Guttmacher Institute
- ISSUE ADVISORY: Risks of Pregnancy Should Not be Minimized – Guttmacher Institute
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Save the Date and book your hotel room early for the 2020 NOW National Conference “Fired Up and Ready to Vote” on June 5 through June 7, 2020, in Washington, DC.
Join with NOW to Unlock The Future for Women and Girls
The Unlock the Future for Women and Girls campaign demands the humane treatment of women and girls held in immigration detention jails. NOW demands that immigration detention centers around the country provide women with reproductive health care, feminine hygiene products, and mental health care among other provisions.
Since launching the campaign in September we have collected more than 400 signatures on the Bill of Rights and have been joined by coalition partners from across the county including Raices, Catholics for Choice and The Dolores Huerta Foundation.
On Sunday October 6th NOW kicked off the Unlock the Future campaign with the first of three planned rallies in San Diego. We were joined by feminist icon Dolores Huerta, International activist Tio Oso, NOW President Toni Van Pelt, Vice President Christian F. Nunes and representatives from San Diego Area NOW, Hollywood NOW and California NOW.
The rally enjoyed significant media coverage with television crews from ABC 10, CBS 8, Fox 5, NBC San Diego and Ruptly TV attending. Print and web coverage included the San Diego Tribune, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/san-diego/story/2019-10-06/san-ysidro-rally-focuses-on-treatment-of-immigrant-women-girls-at-border and Telemundo 20.
Members from around the country are encouraged to join the conversation on NOW’s social media and through our feminist book club. We look forward to the next rally in Houston, Texas in November.
Here’s how you can be a part of this vital new campaign:
- Rally for Immigrant Rights:. NOW needs you on the ground to strengthen our movement. Attend one of our rallies to be held in: Houston, TX (Nov. 17), and Phoenix, AZ (Dec. 8). RSVP today!
- Take Action: NOW has drafted a Bill of Rightsthat demands detained women and girls have access to vital human needs such as hygiene products, whole women’s health care and mental health care, among other provisions. Sign it today!
- Read NOW’s formal letter of complaint to the Department of Homeland Security, [INSERT LINK TO LETTER] demanding that special medical concerns of LGBTQIA+ persons in immigration detention custody be addressed in light of two deaths of HIV positive transgender women. The failure of agencies and their contractors to assure prompt access to medical and mental-health care for persons in detention must be rectified.
- Spread the Word: Even if you aren’t in a rally city, you can share the Bill of Rightsand use #UnlockTheFuture on your social media. Follow @NationalNOW on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay connected.
NOW’s Feminist Book Club Launch
After such positive feedback, we decided to bring back NOW’s Book Club, but this time we will be operating online! Every 6 weeks we will read a different book that focuses on a feminist topic that is current to what is happening in the United States right now.
Our first book and the subsequent discussions coincide with our current campaign, “Unlock the Future for our Women and Girls,” “In the Country We Love: A Family Divided” by Diane Guerrero.
We hope we can use this book club to unite NOW members and feminists from across the country in conversation.
This is a space for discussion so that we may learn from one another and build a movement together. All are welcome to join and contribute to the conversation!
We start reading on October 28th, so get ready and join our group on GoodReads under “NOW’s Feminist Book Club” CLICK HERE TO JOIN
2020 National NOW Conference
The 2020 National NOW Conference will be held at the Capital Hilton, located at 1001 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Click here to book your 2020 conference hotel room online, using NOW’s special group rate of $179 per night before taxes (applicable for a single or a double room for the nights of June 3rd through June 7th, 2020). Or you may call the Capital Hilton directly at 202-393-1000 and request the National Organization for Women group rate.
NOW in the News
A key component of NOW’s mission is to monitor and elevate the country’s progress and shortcomings in regard to women’s rights through press statements and earned media. Recent highlights include our condemnation of Antonio Brown and the New England Patriots, our celebration of Women’s Equality Day, and the announcement of Unlock the Future for Women and Girls campaign.
Here is a sample of our recent press statements or read more here: Media Center
- Honoring the Past, Securing the Future on Women’s Equality Day
- Unlock the Future for Women and Girls in Immigration Prisons
- Stop Mitch McConnell’s Sneak Attack on Justice and Women’s Rights
- America’s Game is America’s Shame
- Child Abuser Mark Fugler Must Stay in Jail
ISSUE ADVISORY: Risks of Pregnancy Should Not be Minimized
Media Hits
Many of our statements and other media outreach efforts are picked up in diverse outlets across the U.S. Below is a brief recap of recent National NOW media coverage. A full list of earned media is available here and some highlights are below:
- Dayton shooter had history of ‘violence towards women,’ an ex-girlfriend says – NBC News
- Feminists plan rally to support women held in immigration detention centers – San Diego Tribune
- Native women are paid only 57 percent of what White men make – Indianz.com
- We’re Doing the Work; Why Aren’t We Seeing the Equity? For Women’s Equality Day, Experts Weigh In – The Root
- Diversity advocates hope Spurs’ Hammon will make history this season – San Antonio Express
- Abortion bans and restrictions laws have nothing to do with low abortion rates, finds major new study- MEAWW
- The ERA: How It Will Equalize Access to Healthcare – Women’s E-News
- The #MeToo impact: FBI’s crime report shows a spike in rape offenses, and experts say it may be a good thing – MEAWW