NC NOW Statement on Political Upheaval Caused By Rep. Tricia Cotham Party Defection – 4/7/23
More at https://wp.me/p22b2e-4e8. See full PDF version here.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Living In Post-Dobbs North Carolina Panel on 1/26/23
North Carolina NOW, Temple Beth Or Tikkun Olam Committee, and Temple Beth Or Sisterhood invite you to a panel discussing potentially adverse consequences in Post-Roe, Post-Dobbs North Carolina from multiple perspectives. The panel discussion will be followed by a Question & Answer period. The panel is available in person and over Zoom.
More at https://wp.me/p22b2e-47O
Media Advisory for NC NOW State Conference on 10/21/22
NC NOW to Hold Virtual State Conference This Weekend
“Voting For Womxn’s Lives NOW!”
More at https://wp.me/p22b2e-3YB
Media Advisory: A New Era For ERA Press Conference – 1/27/22
Press conference on Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) at the Legislative building in Raleigh on 1/27/22, at 10am, featuring ERA -NC Alliance and Legislators.
More at https://wp.me/p22b2e-3Iy
Media Advisory: NC NOW to Hold Virtual State Conference on 10/15/21-10/16/21
The North Carolina National Organization for Women (NC NOW) is holding its state conference via Zoom on Friday evening, Oct. 15, and Saturday morning, Oct. 16. Rep. Julie von Haefen is the keynote speaker on Saturday morning. Serving her second term in the legislature, Rep. von Haefen has emerged as a strong advocate for women, education, and health care coverage.
“Standing Strong NOW” is the theme of the state conference. According to NC NOW President Gailya Paliga, “women and allies need to stand strong in the face of continued attacks on abortion access, continued bad decisions of The Supreme Court, and continued refusal by North Carolina’s legislative majority to support women and families in the state budget.”
More at https://wp.me/p22b2e-3Aw
Press Release: Women’s INEquality Day at NCGA on 8/26/21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
***Press Release***
North Carolina lawmakers, officials to demand
NCGA ratify the Equal Rights Amendment at Aug. 26 rally
Press Release: Women’s INEquality Day at NCGA on 8/26/21
Name: Women’s INEquality Day Event at NCGA
Date: Thursday, August 26, 2021
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Place: NC Legislative Building, 16 W. Jones St., Lawn at corner of Jones and Wilmington
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/263280028491719
See press release post at https://wp.me/p22b2e-3rZ.
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Press Release: #MMIW Virtual Event 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NORTH CAROLINA MISSING, MURDERED AND INDIGENOUS ONLINE RALLY:
April 24, 2021
On Saturday, April 25th families along with state-wide agencies will host an online gathering that focuses on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women ahead of the National Day of Awareness on May 5th. A host of speakers and performers previously scheduled to attend the march will participate in an online rally. This is a call to action for activists, supporters and families to raise awareness, attention and bring justice to the many women and girls who have disappeared or have been murdered in NC.
Participants can register on EventBrite for a livestream event on the MMIWNC.com and https://www.facebook.com/MMIWNC.
A disturbing number of Indigenous women and girls disappear and/or are murdered each year. Due to the absence of consistent, standardized reporting on the issue, researchers have been prevented from gaining a true understanding of this epidemic. This rally will highlight how poor data collection, lack of prosecution, and institutional/systemic racism have become ingrained and contributing factors in the neglect of Native American Communities in NC.
See whole press release at
Media Advisory: Military #MeToo Reaches Ft. Bragg Panel #2 on 1/7/21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
- Pamela Carver, President, Fayetteville Chapter of National Organization for Women (NOW), pcarver57@icloud.com
- Gailya Paliga, President, NC National Organization for Women, nownorthcarolina@gmail.com
***Media Advisory***
Military #MeToo Reaches Ft. Bragg Panel on 1/7/21
Fayetteville, NC, December 31, 2020 – Problems in handling of sex crimes in the military are well documented – from rarely punishing those accused of sexual assault, to harassing and retaliating against victims, to firing those hired to protect the victims. Sexual assaults happen on base, and on deployment, and have been documented through time.
But still the military didn’t address them for years and years. However, the disappearance and murder of Vanessa Guillen in Fort Hood Army base in Texas sparked a military #MeToo movement that is forcing military-wide change. The Secretary of the Army went public with the Ft. Hood report results and promised that the changes are reaching everywhere. Ft Bragg is the largest Army base in the US and in the world, by population.
More at Media Advisory: Military #MeToo Reaches Ft. Bragg Panel #2 on 1/7/21
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Media Advisory: Voting Our Future NOW Conference on Oct 9-10, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
- Nancy Cook, Administrative Officer, NC National Organization for Women
- Gailya Paliga, President, NC National Organization for Women, nownorthcarolina@gmail.com
***Media Advisory***
NC NOW to Hold Virtual State Conference This Weekend
Raleigh, NC, October 5, 2020 – The North Carolina National Organization for Women (NC NOW) is holding its first annual state conference via Zoom this Friday evening and Saturday morning. “We are honored to have Dr. Valerie Johnson of Shaw University as Guest Speaker on Friday and our new National NOW President Christian Nunes as our Keynote Speaker on Saturday,” says NC NOW President Gailya Paliga.
The conference will include a panel discussion on “How the #MeToo Movement Can Help Fayetteville/Fort Bragg,” Dr. Johnson speaking about “Racial Injustice in the Justice System – For Women,” a choice of workshops, as well as its annual business meeting and updates on the ERA and legislative affairs. Anyone interested can register online at https://bit.ly/3hzy81p.
NC NOW chose as its theme “Voting Our Future NOW” in continuation of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and in concert with the 2020 elections. The theme will be the focus of NOW President Nunes’ keynote address. The panelists for the #Military MeToo panel include Deanne Gerdes, Executive Director of Rape Crisis of Cumberland County and Captain Erin Scanlon (U.S. Army, Retired), a rape survivor and victim advocate. Both speeches and the panel discussion will include time for question and answer.
The conference will offer a choice of five workshops. “These workshops are geared to teach participants what they can do now and in the future,” says Paliga.
See the full Media Advisory at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2Xk
Press Release: When Women Gather: Uniting for Positive Change on 7/25/20
Press release at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2Ii and PDF version is at WWG Press Release FINAL
Jump to speaker biographies here.
Press Release: Online Rally to Focus on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and People on 4/25/20
See full press release at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2Bs
======================
Press Release: Push to Properly Classify and Solve #MMIWG Murders in Lumberton, NC
Raleigh, NC – May 4, 2020 – May 5 is National Day of Action for MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls) and we have some big problems in Lumberton, NC.
The murders of the 3 women in 2017 are still not classified as homicides by the Lumberton Police Department. This was confirmed again in April 2020. All 3 women were found naked within a 4 block radius. Rhonda Price and Christina Bennett were found on the same day, Apr 18, 2017. The 3rd woman, Megan Oxendine, knew the first 2 women and had been interviewed about their murders in April 2017. Oxendine was murdered on Jun 3, 2017. In 2019, another shocking fact was revealed – the rape kits sat untested for over a year and a half!
See full press release at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2CI
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Press Release: Online Rally on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women on 4/25/20
CONTACTS:
- Crystal Cavalier, saponistickball@gmail.com, MMIWNC.com
- Antionette Kerr, akerr@womenadvancenc.org
Mebane, NC – April 23, 2020 – On Saturday, April 25th, families of victims along with state-wide women’s organizations will host a Facebook live gathering that focuses on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and People (MMIWGP). This online event will go from 10am to 1pm EST. Speakers/performers will include family members of victims, experts, advocates, and Native American performers. This is the online event to replace the MMIWGP march that was canceled due to the coronavirus in March. This is a call to action for activists, supporters and families to raise awareness, attention and bring justice to the many indigenous women and girls who have disappeared or have been murdered in NC.
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2020
Time: 10am-1pm
Access: Facebook live, find link at https://www.facebook.com/events/455552131732954/
See full press release at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2Bs
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Press Release: “She Changed the World” Exhibit Honoring Local Women, Opening Reception on 2/29/20
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Media Advisory: The Time For Justice Is NOW on 11/9/19 (NC NOW State Conference)
A few media advisories were sent on the NC NOW State Conference in Charlotte with Rep. Deb Butler as keynote speaker.
The first on 11/4/19 by NC NOW President Gailya Paliga and another on 11/7/19 by Chapel Hill NOW President Gerrie Richards. See the first one at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2nW
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Media Advisory: Women’s organizations join forces to protest Trump Administration policies that endanger women’s lives, 9/10/19
CONTACTS:
Gailya Paliga, NC National Organization for Women, president@raleighnow.org
Karen Ziegler, Tuesdays With Tillis, ziegl001@gmail.com
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Women’s organizations join forces to protest Trump Administration policies that endanger women’s lives
Raleigh, NC – September 9, 2019 – On Tuesday, September 10, advocates from NC National Organization of Women, NARAL Pro-Choice NC, Action NC, Tuesdays with Tillis, and others will rally outside of Senator Thom Tillis’s Raleigh office to demand an end to policies which restrict women’s access to reproductive and other health care.
“Threats range from various bills banning abortions, to giving away taxpayer money to religious anti-abortion clinics, to cutting off a trusted and proven provider of real medical care to the women most impacted by attacks on reproductive health access. The impacts on women will be devastating,” said President of NC NOW, Gailya Paliga.
The rally comes as a response to the Trump Administration’s domestic “gag rule” which forced Planned Parenthood out of the Title X national program for birth control. This change essentially removes access to health care, especially birth control, for many low-income and rural women.
See full media advisory at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2gJ
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Media Advisory:Voices From The Coverage Gap, 8/27/19
PRESS RELEASE:BILLbOARD UNVEILING TO LAUNCH WOMEN’S EQUAL RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ON 8/22/19
pRESS rELEASE:wOMEN’S eQUALITY dAY oBSERVANCE WITH fAYETTEVILLE now ON 8/25/19
MEDIA ADVISORY: Stand up for immigrants and the right to asylum – 7/30/19
Found at https://wp.me/p22b2e-2bQ and https://northcarolinanow.wordpress.com/2019/07/30/media-advisory-stand-up-for-immigrants-and-the-right-to-asylum-7-30-19/
MEDIA ADVISORY: Close The Camps, Stop The ICE Raids – 7/16/19
Media Advisory: Abortion Is Healthcare Event on 6/11/19
Media Advisory: Chapel Hill #StopTheBans Event on 5/21/19 at Noon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Geraldine Richards, President of Chapel Hill NOW, nowchapelhill@gmail.com
Gailya Paliga, President of NC National Organization for Women (NC NOW), http://www.northcarolinanow.org, nownorthcarolina@gmail.com
Raleigh, NC, 5/20/19 Women and allies have quickly set up events across North Carolina and the country to fight back against these unconstitutional attempts to gut Roe, control women, and punish doctors. Conservative and sometimes frighteningly clueless lawmakers file and pass these bans in a country where rapists too often go free and domestic violence is rampant. Together we say: stop the abortion bans. And get to work addressing real problems!
See the full media advisory here.
Press Release: 3/12/19 Event: Domestic Gag Rule Brings the Trump/Pence War On Women Stateside
Domestic Gag Rule Brings the Trump/Pence War On Women Stateside
See Domestic Gag Rule Press Release here.
Press Release: Domestic Violence Awareness Town Hall in Brevard – More Speakers, 2/18/19, 6:30pm
February 18, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Gailya Paliga, President of NC NOW (National Organization for Women), www.northcarolinanow.org
After a State Lawmaker from Transylvania Co. is served a Domestic Violence Protective Order, Advocacy Groups to Hold Domestic Violence Awareness Town Hall Meeting in Brevard
Local groups to discuss need for education, enforcement, and support.
BREVARD, NC – After NC House Rep. Cody Henson (R-Brevard) was served domestic violence protective order, and after reports that the alleged victim had trouble getting a local judge to respond quickly to her complaints, advocacy groups on Monday evening will host a domestic violence awareness town hall meeting at Brevard College to underscore the need for education, enforcement, and support for victims of domestic violence.
More on Domestic Violence Awareness Town Hall with Speakers here.
Press Release: Domestic Violence Awareness Town Hall in Brevard, 2/18/19
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Gailya Paliga, President of NC NOW
February 15, 2019
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS TOWN HALL EVENT IN BREVARD
NC NOW (National Organization for Women), SAFE Transylvania, and Progress NC have come together to bring community awareness to this very real problem.
WHAT: Domestic Violence Awareness Town Hall
WHEN: Monday, February 18, 2019 from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
WHERE: Scott Commons, Brevard College at 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard, NC 28712
More on Domestic Violence Awareness Town Hall in Brevard here.
Press Advisory: Women United For Justice Raleigh Women’s March and Rally On January 26, 2019
Date: Saturday, January 26, 2019
Time: 12:30pm-4pm
Gather: 12:30pm at Legislative Building, 16 W. Jones St
Step Off: 1pm from Legislative Building
Rally Begins: 2pm at Halifax Mall
We’ll have great speakers and performers as always! Women’s and progressive organizations will have tables around for you to visit at Halifax Mall. More information at https://www.raleighwomensmarch.org/. Read about some of the speakers at Raleigh Women’s March Speakers.
See actual press advisory, which included Raleigh Women’s March on 1/26/19 and a press conference on 1/23/19 at https://wp.me/p22b2e-213.
Media Advisory: Women Rising Up NOW: NC NOW State Conference October 20, 2018
October 10, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Gailya Paliga, President, NC National Organization for Women, president@raleighnow.org, www.northcarolinanow.org
Lori Bunton, NC NOW VP of Membership, lbunton53@gmail.com
WOMEN RISING UP NOW: NC NOW STATE CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 20, 2018
Raleigh, NC, 10/10/18 – North Carolina National Organization for Women (NOW) will hold its annual conference on October 20 from 9 am to 4 pm at NC Advocates for Justice building in Raleigh. We are proud to announce our keynote speaker is civil rights attorney Anita Earls. This year’s conference theme is ‘Women Rising Up NOW!’
Never has the need been greater than in 2018 for women to push back and move forward. Decades of progress towards women’s equality is being turned back by the current administrations in Washington, D.C., and in North Carolina.
What: NC NOW State Conference, “Women Rising Up NOW!”
Where: NC Advocates for Justice, 1312 Annapolis Dr , Raleigh, NC 27608
When: Saturday, October 20, from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM; Registration begins at 8:30 AM.
See the rest of the press release here.
Rally to Stop Kavanaugh, Urge Senator Tillis to Vote NO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: NC National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, Action-NC
CONTACTS:
Gailya Paliga, http://www.northcarolinanow.org, president at raleighnow.org
Lynne Walter, https://prochoicenc.org/, lynne at prochoicenc.org
Kevin Rogers, http://www.actionnc.org/, kevin at actionnc.org
Raleigh, NC, 9/26/18 – Local leaders and advocates will gather outside Senator Tillis’ office on Thursday, September 27th at 9:30 am to protest the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Following the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford about Kavanaugh’s past sexual misconduct and claims by two additional women who have stepped forward with similar stories, local constituents will urge Senator Tillis to immediately signal opposition to the Supreme Court nominee and reject his confirmation to the Supreme Court.
See the rest of the press release here.
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Durham, First Human and Women’s Rights City in North Carolina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: NC Coalition For CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women)
CONTACTS:
Melissa Peters, www.womennc.org, melissa.peters at womennc.org
Gailya Paliga, http://www.northcarolinanow.org, president at raleighnow.org
Durham, First Human and Women’s Rights City in North Carolina
Raleigh, NC, 8/5/18 – The Durham City Council passed a resolution endorsing the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) unanimously on August 6, 2018 in their general meeting. ”Passage of this resolution reflects a strong commitment to improving women’s human rights in Durham,” said Beth Dehghan, President of WomenNC.
WHAT: Press Conference celebrating announcement of passage of a CEDAW resolution in Durham
WHEN: Monday, Aug 6, at 6:00pm
WHERE:Durham City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701
WHO: Durham City Council members, Durham County Women’s Commission members, representatives of women’s organizations involved in sharing CEDAW
See the rest of the press release, including more information about CEDAW here.
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TELL THE NCGA TO STOP THEIR DIRTY TRICKS! #NixALLSIX. 8/4/18
Find the MediaAdvisory in pdf form for “NCGA Stop The Dirty Tricks. NixAllSix.” here.
====================
Real Money for Fake Women’s Clinics 5/22/18
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on May 21, 2018
CONTACTS:
Karen Ziegler, ziegl001 at gmail.com (Emcee)
Gailya Paliga, president at raleighnow.org (speaker)
Tara Romano, tara at prochoicenc.org (speaker)
WHAT: Rally to protest federal and North Carolina policies regarding women’s health care: “Real Money for Fake Women’s Clinics”
WHEN: Tuesday, May 22, at 11:30 am
WHERE: Federal Building, 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh NC 27601
WHO: NC NOW (National Organization of Women), NARAL-Pro Choice North Carolina, and Tuesdays with Tillis Indivisible
VISUALS: Diverse crowd, interesting and creative signs, costumes to draw attention to the war on women
Federal and North Carolina policies regarding women’s health are having a devastating effect on women’s lives. North Carolina currently has 112 Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs), 94% of which do not employ any medical professionals. These clinics are operated by religious groups whose aim is not to provide health care but to discourage abortion, and they have been found to give false and misleading information which delays or complicates women’s lives and health. NC is funneling $2.6 million in taxpayer money over two fiscal years to Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, a nonprofit network for eight CPCs in the state. They exist to prevent abortion, as you can see from their website.
Compare the 112 CPCs to the 13 actual abortion clinics in NC, and those are in urban areas. About 5 of these clinics are Planned Parenthood clinics.
President Trump plans to announce on Tuesday May 22 that his administration will withhold federal funding for family planning clinics that provide abortions or refer patients to places that perform them. By doing this he is taking direct aim at Planned Parenthood, which serves 41 percent of the 4 million women receiving Title X care and would stand to lose as much as $60 million dollars a year. Poor women and women of color will be disproportionately hurt.
Dr. Hal Lawrence, the executive vice president and chief executive of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said, “We don’t need the government interfering in the exam room, and the government should not be interfering in what women can know and what kind of options should be given.”
Abortion rights advocates also argue that the new rules could result in women not receiving reproductive health care at all, leading to more unintended pregnancies and higher mortality rates. They note that Planned Parenthood and other groups that perform abortions are often the only federally funded health care providers in certain areas of the country, meaning that some women in those places will not receive medical care at all under the new policy.
Texas cuts to its family planning budget in 2011 by two-thirds, for example, had a devastating effect on women. Its maternal death rate is now higher than anyplace else in the developed world, having more than doubled in the years following these cuts.
Karen Ziegler, a Durham Family Nurse Practitioner who has been leading weekly protests at the federal building in Raleigh since the inauguration of President Trump 71 weeks ago, said, “These policies serve no one except the political interests of the far right. They take away from women the basic right to our own bodies. They force health care workers to lie and withhold care. They are actually against the interests of anti-abortion activists. How exactly does less access to birth control decrease abortions? Honest competent health care is the right of every human being.”
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Protect Food Assistance (SNAP) for North Carolinians 5/8/18
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on May 7, 2018
CONTACTS:
Gailya Paliga, president at raleighnow.org
Beth Messersmith, beth at momsrising.org
Brian Kennedy II, briank at ncjustice.org
What: Rally to protest the Farm Bill, in particular proposed cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
When: Tuesday, May 8, 11:30 am – 12:30 am
Where: Federal Building, 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh NC 27601
Who: NC National Organization of Women, the Budget and Tax Center of NC Justice Center, Moms Rising, and Indivisible
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2011389202444175/
Visuals: Diverse crowd, interesting signs and some costumes
The Republicans on the House Agricultural Committee have come up with their version of the Farm Bill, and it is due for a vote in the House this week. This bill traditionally is a bipartisan effort every 5 years, but in this case not a single Democrat on the committee voted for it, and it is widely seen as a cruel and extremist attack on the poorest people among us. It includes wide cuts and a reorganization of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps) that provides food to 2 million Americans.
Coming only 4 months after a tax cut of 1.9 trillion dollars over ten years which will overwhelmingly benefit profitable large corporations and the wealthiest 1% and simultaneous with Secretary Ben Carson’s proposal to increase rent in public housing by up to 300%, this can only be seen as part of a massive transfer of wealth from the poorest to the wealthiest Americans.
Brian Kennedy II, Public Policy Fellow with the Budget and Tax Center of the NC Justice Center writes, “Rather than helping those in need by providing job training opportunities or ensuring workers earn a living wage, this proposal seeks to take away their food. The effects of these harsh changes will be felt by everyone, including parents raising children, people with disabilities, older workers, low-wage workers, and those unable to find jobs.”
The Emcee of this rally is Gailya Paliga, President of NC National Organization for Women (NC NOW). The Triangle Raging Grannies will sing some original music. Speakers include Brian Kennedy II of the Budget and Tax Center and Beth Messersmith, NC Senior Campaign Director for MomsRising.
An excerpt from Ms. Messersmith’s remarks follow. “The farm bill the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider next week is ill-considered and terribly harmful,” said Beth Messersmith, MomsRising Senior Campaign Director for North Carolina. “It would make it harder for hungry families to access the food they need because it imposes unnecessary, harmful and overly restrictive work requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps families afford groceries when they’re going through hard times. This devastating plan would lead to millions of people losing access to the program, forcing them to make impossible decisions between paying their rent and feeding their kids. Work requirements won’t strengthen families or boost our economy – they will only leave hungry children and families to get hungrier. We urge every member of Congress to vote ‘no’ on the House Republican farm bill!”
CONTACTS:
Gailya Paliga, president@raleighnow.org
Beth Messersmith, beth@momsrising.org
Brian Kennedy II, briank@ncjustice.org
More information on Farm Bill and SNAP:
1. BTC Campaign: Take action at https://ncjustice.salsalabs.org/farmbill2018/index.html
Statement from BTC on Farm Bill: Farm Bill would increase hunger, further burden for struggling North Carolinians by cutting food assistance at
http://www.ncjustice.org/?q=budget-and-tax/statement-alexandra-sirota-farm-bill-would-increase-hunger-further-burden-struggling
2. Moms Rising campaign: Take action at https://action.momsrising.org/sign/FarmBill_2018/?source=takeaction
3. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (national organization):
“[T]he plan includes sweeping, aggressive new work requirements that would likely prove unworkable and do substantially more harm than good, fueling increases in hunger and poverty. These provisions would force states to develop large new bureaucracies, but research suggests that these requirements would do little to increase employment.This expensive and risky approach runs counter to evidence-based policy making”.
“Moreover, experience suggests that the bill’s proposed work requirements would leave substantial numbers of low-income people who have various barriers to employment — such as very limited skills or mental health issues like depression — with neither earnings nor food assistance.”
Protect Reproductive Healthcare! Save Lives! 4/10/18
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on April 9, 2018
CONTACTS:
Gailya Paliga, President, NC National Organization for Women, president at raleighnow.org, www.northcarolinanow.org
Karen Ziegler, Tuesdays With Tillis Indivisible, ziegl001 at gmail.com
PROTECT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE! SAVE LIVES! 4/10/18
Raleigh, NC – 4/9/18 – President Trump’s policies and Congress have had a disastrous affect on women and families in North Carolina, the United States and the world. On Tuesday April 10 at 11:30 am, members and supporters of NC NOW (National Organization of Women), NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, El Pueblo, and Population Connection join Tuesdays with Tillis Indivisible to demand that Senator Tillis respond with legislative support to remedy the repressive policies which cost women their lives.
Join us as we concentrate on reproductive care and reproductive justice policies at the federal level. Do you know there is a US policy which cuts off all US health funding for other countries as America tries to control other countries’ reproductive care (via the Global Gag Rule, which President Trump instated and expanded in January 2017). And Congress renews the heinous Hyde Amendment every year! The Hyde Amendment prohibits low income women, federal employees and their dependents and others from using their own insurance or Medicaid to cover abortions. This means Congress targets a range of women from getting a specific medical procedure via the Hyde Amendment – and has done so every year since 1976.
“The Hyde Amendment is nothing more than playing politics with the lives of those who traditionally have lacked access to quality, affordable care, such as poor women, rural communities and young people,” said Tara Romano, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina.
What: Rally to Save Women’s Lives and protest policies at home and abroad which target women’s access to reproductive health care.
Date: Tuesday, April 10
Time: 11:30 am -12:30pm
Place: In front of Terry Sanford Federal Office Building, 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh 27601
The Global Gag rule, the Hyde Amendment, and cuts to state and local funding as well as the erosion of the reproductive rights of women all have legislative remedies.
Past versions of the Gag Rule have been devastating to family planning programs around the world impacting $600 million in US foreign aid. The expansion of the policy to other global health programs will be catastrophic—potentially affecting $9.5 billion or more in US aid, according to Suzanne Ehlers, president and CEO of the global reproductive health organization PAI.
“Every year, 300,000 women die of maternity related complications – 47,000 as a result of unsafe abortion. That’s why we’re calling on Senator Tillis to support the Global HER Act which would repeal Trump’s deadly Global Gag Rule,” said Amanda Murray of Population Connection said.
We call on Senator Tillis to support legislation which would end the Hyde Amendment and repeal Trump’s devastating and deadly Global Gag Rule.
Additional Information:
“Playing political games with women’s lives,” NC Policy Watch, 11/7/17, at http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2017/11/06/playing-political-games-womens-lives/
“The Impact of President Trump’s ‘Global Gag Rule’ on Women’s Health is Becoming Clear,” Time.com, 2/4/18, at http://time.com/5115887/donald-trump-global-gag-rule-women/
“Trump’s global gag rule goes far beyond abortion, groups say,” apnews.com, 1/23/18, at https://www.apnews.com/868c8211b4f948d8b7f7ce58ab08a78b
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Mobilizing Women NOW: NC NOW State Conference October 21, 2017
October 5, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Gailya Paliga, President, NC National Organization for Women, president at raleighnow.org, www.northcarolinanow.org
Mobilizing Women NOW: NC NOW State Conference October 21, 2017
North Carolina National Organization for Women (NOW) will hold its annual conference on October 21 from 9 am to 4 pm at Haymount United Methodist Church in Fayetteville. Secretary Of State Elaine Marshall is the keynote speaker, and Sarah Preston from Lillian’s List will get women ready to run for office. The conference theme is ‘Mobilizing Women NOW!’
Never has the need been greater than in 2017 for women to push back and move forward. Decades of progress towards women’s equality is being turned back by the current administrations in Washington, D.C. and in North Carolina. “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty,” Thomas Jefferson said so long ago. Join us in Fayetteville to find out about the situation in NC and to get some tools for the resistance.
Conference Attendees will learn more about the national action plans that the national board has created to help all chapters. Workshops will cover gerrymandering and related lawsuits, ‘Equality Denied: ERA Mobilization Reignites’ and ‘powerful programs that pop!’ and more.
“Women are pushing back and moving forward, demanding our human rights and freedom from unwanted intrusions in our privacy and pursuit of happiness,” says Gailya Paliga, president of NC NOW. “Women are mobilizing NOW!”
Fayetteville NOW President Sharon Johnson explains that part of the state conference is educational, and part motivational. “It’s a time to network and get organized to focus women’s power to make changes that our state desperately needs to help women and our state move forward.”
Where: Haymount United Methodist Church, 1700 Ft. Bragg Road, in Fayetteville NC 28303
When: Saturday, October 21, from 9:00 AM-4 PM, registration begins at 8:30 AM.
NC NOW President, Gailya Paliga, is available for interviews. For more information about NC NOW, visit www.northcarolinanow.org; or for the National Organization for Women, visit www.now.org.
Members of the media are welcome to attend. Advance and on-site interviews can be arranged. For more information about the conference or to attend, contact Gailya Paliga, NC National Organization for Women, president@raleighnow.org, 919-539-7702.
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ABOUT NOW: NOW’s purpose is to achieve social, economic and political equality for women. As the grassroots arm of the women’s movement, the National Organization for Women is dedicated to its multi-issue and multi-strategy approach to women’s rights. NOW is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of contributing members and more than 500 local and campus affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. North Carolina has seven active NOW chapters serving Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Raleigh and the Triad (Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point).
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Durham County, First Women Human Rights County in South!
September 12, 17
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Beth Dehghan, beth.dehghan at womennc.org
Durham County, First Women Human Rights County in South!
Durham County Board of Commissioners passed a CEDAW resolution unanimously at their general meeting on September 11, 2017.
What is CEDAW?
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW, is an international mechanism that outlines women’s fundamental human rights treaty. The Counties and Cities for CEDAW campaign is a national grassroots effort that provides tools and leadership to empower local women’s organizations and municipalities to effectively protect women’s human rights within their city, county, or state.
Why CEDAW in Durham?
Durham County, the average man earns more than $14,000 more each year than the average woman while women, ages 25-34, are the largest population of people in poverty. At least 13% of teenagers in the county have experienced sexual assault. For more statistics on these issues, check out https://datausa.io/profile/geo/durham-county-nc/ and http://www.womennc.org/ Durham continues to face gender inequity issues related to a lack of affordable housing, rates of unemployment, intimate partner violence, wage inequalities, healthcare and more. While Durham County is one of the most progressive counties in North Carolina, it has the potential to make enormous strides for women and girls!
How CEDAW Works
While the federal government may not be willing to codify this convention into law, cities and counties across the country are playing an important role in implementing CEDAW, directly impacting the everyday lives of countless people in the United States. The North Carolina Cities and Counties for CEDAW Coalition brings together advocates, the Durham Women’s Commission, university students, and government officials in North Carolina to implement the principles of CEDAW in our towns, cities, and counties through the following.
- Research conducted by university students and led by WomenNC and the North Carolina Coalition for CEDAW member organizations on women’s health, economic disparities, childcare, violence against women, employment, education, and leadership. These research reports will emphasize the lives of African-American and immigrant women.
- Reviews of these research reports by the Durham County Women’s Commission to present an annual plan to the Durham County Commissioners with recommendations on policy changes and allocation of the budget for women-related programs.
Since 1998, several counties and cities across the nation have adopted such an ordinance reflecting CEDAW principles such as Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Pale County, Miami, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Sarasota, New Orleans, Dale City, Eugene, Los Angeles, Berkley, and San Francisco. These cities and counties have used the CEDAW human rights framework to guide policymaking, developing a number of innovative programs and tools to advance women’s human rights.
This coalition welcomes multiple stakeholders including elected officials, commissions, the media, business, youth, NGOs, faith communities and women leaders. The campaign will focus on engaging advocates and government officials in communities of all sizes and regions. The coalition includes ActionNC, NC National Organization for Women (NC NOW), NC Women United, AAUW-NC, League of Women Voters, United Nations Association of Wake County, UN WomenNC chapter, the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice, Durham NOW, Durham Crisis Response, and the Durham Women’s Commission.
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NOW: Voters Will Remember Who Took Their Health Care Away
Statement by NOW President Terry O’Neill
05.04.2017
Today’s narrow vote for a disastrous health care bill will come back to haunt House Republicans. The members of Congress who voted for this bill have sealed their fate with the electorate. Billionaires and conservative superPACs may have bought their vote today, but they can’t buy a blindfold big enough to keep voters from seeing the truth.
The truth is that this bill will take health insurance away from tens of millions of people, many of whom are already living at the margins. The bill encourages mean-spirited Republican governors to opt out of the essential health benefits that are a lifeline to so many, and to allow insurance companies to deny benefits to tens of thousands of people with pre-existing conditions.
Under the AHCA, surviving sexual assault or domestic violence, battling postpartum depression, or having a cesarean section would all be considered pre-existing conditions–at a staggering cost to women. Black women are at a disproportionate risk for breast cancer than other racial and ethnic groups, and breast cancer survivors would see their premiums shoot up by over $28,000.
Now, it’s up to voters to deny their bought-and-paid for members of Congress another term in office. We will make it our top priority to unseat everyone who voted for this extremist attack on our health care rights today.
Contact
M.E. Ficarra , press@now.org , 951-547-1241
From http://now.org/media-center/press-release/voters-will-remember-who-took-their-health-care-away/
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NOW: Protect Immigrant Workers–on May Day, and Every Day
Statement by NOW President Terry O’Neill
05.01.2017
On May 1, as people around the country rise up to take action for immigrant rights, I am thrilled to announce the launch of NOW’s targeted campaign to protect immigrant restaurant workers.
Right now, immigrants across the country are facing extreme xenophobia. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are breaking apart families–deporting individuals whose documents may not be in order, but who nonetheless help to sustain the U.S labor force and create vibrant communities.
The restaurant industry employs 1.1 million undocumented immigrants, and 52% of all restaurant workers are women. Individual restaurants are uniquely poised to make a difference in the lives of immigrant workers, and activists can help make this happen.
In partnership with Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, NOW is calling for restaurants around the nation to become Sanctuary Restaurants. Sanctuary Restaurants designate themselves as establishments where xenophobia, sexism, and racism will not be tolerated–and actively work to protect their employees from discrimination. Immigrant rights supporters around the country can participate in the campaign by asking their favorite restaurant to consider becoming a Sanctuary Restaurant.
No human being is illegal, and all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect at work. This May Day, and as we continue to grow this Sanctuary Restaurants movement, we need to take our activism hyper local to protect the rights of undocumented people. Activists: look to your communities, and fight for your neighbors.
Contact
M.E. Ficarra , press@now.org , 951-547-1241
From http://now.org/media-center/press-release/protect-immigrant-workers-on-may-day-and-every-day/
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NOW: The Verdict on Trump’s First 100 Days Is In—He’s Guilty of Turning Back The Clock On Women
Statement by NOW President Terry O’Neill
04.29.2017
Donald Trump’s first 100 days have taken a terrible toll on women.
Perhaps his most dangerous move was the illegitimate installation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, a jurist who has a record of hostility to reproductive rights and prioritizing corporate interests over access to basic health care. And Donald Trump, who campaigned on the promise to appoint Supreme Court Justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, would surely not have made this choice if Gorsuch’s views on Roe were in any doubt.
The Trump Cabinet is a who’s who of sexism and disregard for women. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin made millions on the fraudulent reverse mortgage scheme known as “widow foreclosures,” which capitalized on a loophole that forced the elderly out of their homes upon the death of a spouse.
Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, the ethically challenged Tom Price, has launched a crusade to eviscerate Obamacare and remove essential health benefits such as prenatal and maternity care. Trump’s Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos lacks even the most basic understanding of Title IX, the landmark legislation that outlaws sex discrimination in educational institutions and programs that receive federal aid, and addresses sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, and sexual violence.
See the rest of the press release at http://now.org/media-center/press-release/the-verdict-on-trumps-first-100-days-is-in-hes-guilty-of-turning-back-the-clock-on-women/
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Roe Event: The Elections Results Impact on Reproductive Rights, in Fayetteville on 1/25/17
Fayetteville NOW
PO Box 53816, Fayetteville, NC 28305
January 12, 2017
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sharon Johnson 910-489-0100 – heq57@aol.com
Roberta Waddle 910-624-6516 – rwaddle@nc.rr.com
Fayetteville National Organization for Women (NOW) will hold a community forum on January 25, 2017 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the North Regional Library at 855 McArthur Road in Fayetteville.
The speakers will discuss “The Elections Results Impact on Reproductive Rights”.
Panelists will be Naveed Aziz, MD, Heather Williams, Health Educator for Planned Parenthood and The Honorable Rick Glazier, Director of the North Carolina Justice Center.
Dr. Aziz practices medicine in Spring Lake. She serves on the Board of Better Health and provides free diabetes education seminars for the public that are attended by around 150 people and conducted every three months. Heather Williams provides health education programs for young people and will talk about those programs. Rick Glazier is a former legislator and is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Justice Center that provides policy analysis on many issues.
According to Sharon Johnson, Fayetteville NOW President: “Reproductive justice is one of NOW’s core issues and with the present political climate we are very concerned about women’s health. We want to offer the community some information and discuss possible future actions.”
Questions from the audience will be entertained.
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Women’s March On Raleigh: Women Mobilize NC Press Release – 1/6/17
Raleigh, N.C. – A multiracial, multi-religious, and multi-generational grassroots group of women are planning a Women’s March on Raleigh (WMOR). It is a solidarity event with the Women’s March on Washington, also taking place January 21st, 2017.
Dozens of women and allies have been planning the march from the basement of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church for the past several weeks. Reverend Michelle Laws of the NAACP is a confirmed speaker, as well as MaryBe McMillan of the NC AFL-CIO and Sarah Preston of Lillian’s List.
Read the entire press release, including quotes from organizers Salma Mirza, Carly Jones, Anna Grant, and NC NOW’s President, Gailya Paliga at WMOR Press Release.
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Women Making History NOW Conference Press Release – 9/5/16
See Women Making History NOW Conference Press Release
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NC NOW: HB 2 Disastrous for Women
Press release about how the new law resulting from House Bill 2 (HB 2) goes way beyond the LGBT community. The extensive changes to protections in this bill hurt women in shocking ways. Published 4/7/16.
See NC NOW Press Release: HB 2 Disastrous for Women
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She Wins, We Win Press Conference and Rally, 3/3/16
National Women’s Rights Leaders Join NC Leaders in Support of Hillary Clinton, March 3, 2016
This press release was emailed on 3/2/16. It was posted on the NC NOW website on 3/2/16. See it at PRESS ADVISORY SWWW Final.
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Congresswoman Alma Adams to deliver keynote address at NC NOW Annual Conference, October 10, 2015
Contact: Gailya Paliga, President of NC National Organization for Women and NC NOW PAC
This press release was emailed on 9/15/15. It was posted on the NC NOW website on 9/21/15. See it at https://northcarolinanow.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/congresswoman-alma-adams-to-deliver-keynote-address-at-nc-now-conference-101015/
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NC National Organization for Women Announces General Election Endorsements, October 15, 2014
Contact: Gailya Paliga, President of NC National Organization for Women and NC NOW PAC
This press release was emailed on 10/15/14. It was posted on the NC NOW website on 10/24/14. See it at northcarolinanow.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/nc-national-organization-for-women-announces-general-election-endorsements/
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