Fw: now-action-list Women's Equality Summit Rescheduled for April 8-9

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----- Original Message ----- From: National Organization for Women

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Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 8:01 AM

Subject: now-action-list Women's Equality Summit Rescheduled for April 8-9

Action AlertWomen's Equality Summit Rescheduled for April 8-9 February 11, 2002BUILDING WOMEN’S POLITICAL CLOUTThe 2002 elections are just around the corner. Will more feminists be elected to Congress and state legislatures? Will the gender gap be even more important in determining who wins? What are the messages and themes that are gaining public and press attention?These are just a few of the questions that we’ll address during the Women’s Equality Summit and Congressional Action Day (WESCAD), April 8 - 9, in Washington, D.C., at the National Education Association, 1201 16th St. NW. We hope you’ll join in this national training for feminist activists. Not only will WESCAD provide crucial information and tactics, it will also be a prime place to collaborate, strategize, and network with other activists. MAKING OUR VOICES BE HEARDAs soon as you register for WESCAD, be sure to call your Senators’ and Representative’s offices to let them know you’re coming to Washington, and schedule an appointment to meet with them on the second day of the conference. On the first day, you’ll get full briefings on the major issues facing women today, including judicial nominees and women’s reproductive rights, the threats to your retirement security through privatization of Social Security, women’s rights in Afghanistan and in other countries, pay equity, jobs that pay a living wage, child care and reducing poverty — not just getting poor women off welfare. These are all issues that we care about. It’s never been so important to make sure that women’s voices are heard in Congress.FAMOUS FEMINISTS HEAD UP PROGRAMThe plenary session on Monday afternoon features speeches by former NOW president and Feminist Majority leader Eleanor Smeal, former U.S. Representative and author Pat Schroeder (D-CO), former United States Student Association president and young feminist activist Kendra Fox- and AFL-CIO executive vice president Chavez-. An International Women’s Rights Forum is set for Monday morning to bring activists up to date on global developments affecting women and to review strategies for advancing women’s rights around the world.GETTING WOMEN ELECTEDA highlight of the many exciting events is a Tuesday morning program, moderated by NOW’s president Kim Gandy, on women and the 2002 elections. For that discussion, pollsters, campaign consultants and candidates will speak about how to win on women’s issues. You won’t want to miss that!SIGN UP NOW - HOTEL DEADLINE IS MARCH 4You can register online at http://www.feminist.org/summit where an application and complete details can be found. General admission is a modest $50 or $35 for students; a sliding scale admission fee can also be arranged. For hotel reservations, call the Washington Plaza Hotel at 1-800-424-1140 and mention group #1736 and the Women’s Equality Summit to get a special rate of $130 by March 4.WESCAD is being coordinated by the National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO), of which NOW is a leading member organization, and is sponsored by nearly 70 major national women’s organizations, including the Feminist Majority, National Abortion Federation, Women's Edge, Older Women's League, American Association of University Women, Business and Professional Women of the USA and many others. Underwriters include Lifetime Television, Ms. Foundation for Women, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, Choice USA, Coalition of Labor Union Women, National Congress of Black Women, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and 18 other national groups.The National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) is the oldest and largest umbrella coalition of the nation's 150 major women's groups, representing over six million women. This nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition meets regularly to formulate and advance a common, progressive women's agenda.