Congresswoman Deborah Ross to keynote 2023 NC NOW Conference

Announcing Congresswoman Deborah Ross as the keynote speaker for North Carolina NOW’s 2023 state conference, “What Women Want NOW,” on November 18, 2023. In Congress, Deborah is fighting for equality, justice, and progress. Rep. Ross is a lawyer who has been working for a better North Carolina her whole career, first as a civil rights lawyer, helping to pass the South’s first anti-racial profiling law and reforms to the state’s juvenile justice laws, then as the executive director for the ACLU-NC, and then in public office. NOW has been able to endorse her the whole way, since she ran in 2002. As a woman leader of a statewide organization and in public office at many levels, Rep. Ross really knows “What Women Want NOW!”

What A Difference: Fay NOW Honoree, Kellie Berg

Fayetteville Chapter Of NOW presented their annual Fayetteville NOW Honors event on Thursday, Apr 25, 2024, at 5:30pm. Fayetteville NOW has celebrated at least 25 other men and women. Some of them were present at the event, including Ann Ashford and Deanne Gerdes. The event was held at the Tony Rand Student Center at the Fayetteville Technical Community College. This year’s honoree was Kellie Berg, Fayetteville’s Assistant Police Chief and we were very impressed with her.

Fay NOW President Pam Carver, Rape Crisis Director Deanne Gerdes, Honoree Kellie Berg, Chief Kemberle Braden – photo credit: Gailya Paliga

Sharing Retreat: Inspiring Action In Pursuit Of Birth Equity on 4/20/24

Be aware of a retreat in Pittsboro on Saturday, Apr 20, 2024, from 9-4 on birth equity. This is the second annual retreat put on by Embrace Chatham. Read more and sign up at https://www.embracechatham.org/retreat.

Presentations will be available in English and Spanish. Transportation available. Baby-sitting available. And more!

Heart Disease Is Leading Cause Of Death for Women

Two friends had major heart attacks over a year ago and survived! It’s good reason to look at serious problems with heart attacks and women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the US, responsible for about 1 in 5 female deaths. Shockingly, most of the testing is done on men. And also women’s risk factors are different from men’s. Here are some basics with pointers to more information.

Fay NOW 2024 Annual Honors Award Celebration

Please join Fayetteville NOW for the 2024 Fayetteville Honors Award Celebration. Fayetteville NOW announced the 2024 Recipient of the Fayetteville Honors Award after their March meeting. Nominations were accepted following the February Fayetteville NOW Membership Meeting and members voted at the March Membership Meeting. Members selected Fayetteville Assistant Police Chief Kellie Berg.

“Brazen Belles” – Free Online Screening – 3/26/24 to 3/28/24

Triad NOW president and colleague Audrey Muck is inviting all to a special screening of “Brazen Belles.” “Brazen Belles” is a documentary Audrey made about women’s rights activists in South Carolina. Audrey is also Producer/Director, Muddy Creek Studios.

Wilmington Women’s Rally with Pix – 3/16/24

Congratulations to WOW (Women Organizing for Wilmington) on another successful rally on Saturday March 16th in Wilmington NC. Over 200 people attended the women’s rally, which included a rally at Innes Park in Wilmington, and then Karaoke at The Bodega. The rally was full of passion, people (mostly women), and great information.

One part of WOW Women’s Rally on

It’s time to give women a raise (2024)

Women’s Equal Pay Day is March 6, 2024 this year. That means it takes women until a few months into 2024 to make what men made in 2023. NOW’s Pat Reuss says, “Thanks to the labor movement for supporting equal pay. This list should shame our nation and inspire our politicians to remedy this economic inequity…but many businesses (aka donors) oppose because they fear paying equal wages will decrease their profits. They don’t understand or care that fair wages makes for better workers who have company loyalty and work healthier, happier and harder!!”

The gender wage gap is even worse for women of color and women with disabilities. Here is the full list of upcoming Equal Pay Days (or how long it took for these women to earn the same as what a man earned in 2023) from the American Association of University Women.

Women’s Assemblies on 3/16/24

Women in Central NC and at the NC coast moved their women’s events to Saturday, March 16. You can go to Southern Pines or to Wilmington to hear about women’s issues and march and rally in solidarity with women. Gerrie Richards from NC NOW will speak on Dobbs and ERA in Southern Pines. Marla Barthen from the ERA-NC Alliance will speak in Wilmington. Here is more information on both. These two events were set up as part of Women’s History Month. They were also set up in conjunction with International Women’s Day – March 8, 2024.

Women’s Assemblies on Mar 9, 2024 -> Mar 16

We know of two women’s assembly events on Saturday, March 9 – one in Moore County and one in New Hanover County. Join NC NOW in Moore County in Southern Pines at 11am for Moore Than Just Roe.

Update: Both events were postponed to Saturday, March 16, due to inclement weather on March 9.

Join NC NOW in Wilmington at 10am for a Wilmington Women’s Rally.

Hellish for Pregnant Women and Girls Since Dobbs (1/24)

It’s been a hellish period for too many girls and women who became pregnant since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022 (and since #SB8 in Texas). In Dobbs, the US Supreme Court took away a fundamental right to safe and legal abortion, that had been a constitutional right for almost 50 years. Soon after Dobbs, a 10 year old rape victim was forbidden to get an abortion in her home state of Ohio. The child got an abortion in Indiana. Then the Attorney General of Indiana pursued inappropriate charges against the doctor who performed the abortion for months because she talked about it (generally). An Ohio woman was criminally charged after having a miscarriage at her home in September. And Kate Cox in Texas showed everyone that exceptions for abortions are false. These are examples of outrageous criminalization of pregnant people and abortion since the loss of Roe.