Equal Means Equal Screening and Discussion – 9/17/19

Equal Means Equal is a groundbreaking film on women’s rights.

Learn about the true status of women and girls in the United States. This documentary follows Kamala Lopez as she journeys across the country to learn what women think about their lives, and how or if they want them to change. The interviews tell the stories of four generations of American women grappling with the status of their rights, the issues they face and how these have impacted our society. Lopez talks with women from the well-known, such as actress Patricia Arquette, and legendary feminist Gloria Steinem, to the unknown, including gang girls and hotel maids, to find out how being female impacts daily life, whether economically, politically or socially.

The film runs 90 minutes. Afterward, there will be time for discussion. You will want to discuss!

Press Advisory for 2019 Raleigh Women’s March, 1/26/19

PRESS ADVISORY For Immediate Release

Raleigh, NC, 1/21/19

2019 Raleigh Women’s March

A Women’s March Anniversary Event More than 1,000 Women and Allies Expected

Raleigh Women’s March Is 1/26/19!

Join us at the Raleigh Women’s March and Rally! Our event is at Halifax Mall in Raleigh NC – Jan. 26, 2019, 12:30pm-4pm. Break out as follows:

• 12:30pm Gather to march (or skip marching and go directly to Halifax Mall)
• 1:00 pm Step off
• 1:45 – 3:45 pm Rally 

The theme is Women United for Justice.

We’ll have great speakers and performers as always! Women’s and progressive organizations will have tables around for you to visit. More information at https://www.raleighwomensmarch.org/.  See some of the speakers at Raleigh Women’s March Speakers.

Progressive organizations who want to table and/or sign up as community partners, can sign up here. Find the event on facebook at – https://www.facebook.com/events/1977975525601394/

Trump Administration Attacks Women via ACA and Title X Changes

How Trump Administration changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to Title X will hurt women, by NC NOW President Gailya Paliga.

Here are 3 things people may not realize about women and health insurance.

• The ACA stopped insurance companies from cheating women (and seniors). It also forced coverage of people with preexisting conditions (like pregnancy)!! 
• The repeal of the individual mandate Trump did in December of 2017 will cause premiums to go up beyond the reach of many women, taking away their ability to afford good insurance. Trump allowing junk insurance plans only makes more healthy people leave ACA, further causing prices to rise.
• Trump’s new gag rule undercuts the purpose of Title X, the federal family planning program, and will cause women’s clinics to close all over the country, taking away the only medical options left for many young, rural and low income women.

Photo Credit: Michael Eisenberg

How the ACA Stopped Insurance Companies from Cheating Women

Action to Protect Food Assistance (#HandsOffSNAP)

A Congressional Committee has twisted the Farm Bill, H.R. 2, into a cruel and punitive bill that would take food assistance away from children, families, people with disabilities, older workers, low-wage workers, and those unable to find jobs.

The Farm Bill traditionally is a bipartisan effort every 5 years, but in this case not a single Democrat on the committee voted for it. This version pushed by Republicans on the House Agricultural Committee includes wide cuts and a reorganization of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps). The Farm Bill is up for a vote in the House on May 14, 2018 – so please take the easy actions to write your Congressperson NOW! Act now with the Budget and Tax Center action, or with MomsRising action.  See more on actions at the end of the article.

Photo Credit: Michael Eisenberg

If Republicans in Congress have their way, millions of people who get food aid through SNAP will have to find a job or attend job training classes for about 20 hours each week, or lose their benefits. There are so many good reasons why people on the SNAP program can’t work, but another problem is we just don’t have the jobs or training programs in too many parts of NC.

Blue Stocking Salon on Women in Poverty Summary – 1/27/18

Fayetteville NOW’s Young Feminist Committee hosted their 3rd Blue Stocking Salon on January 27th, 2018. The topic of women in poverty drew the largest group yet! We discussed various studies and their results, personal experiences with social safety nets and anti-poverty activism as well as what we could do after the salon to act on what we learned.

The first point discussed was an analysis that estimated that if the wage gap was resolved, the number of women in poverty would decrease by half, what an astounding possibility asserted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research! We wondered if they studied the wage gap by comparing men and women in the exact same job or if they compared across similar job responsibilities, and concluded that while comparing the exact same job would yield more exact results, using the undervaluing of ‘women’s work’ instead of individual discrimination as a comparison tool is still effective.

Women In Poverty In America Data from National Women’s Law Center, Picture from Equal Means Equal

Equal Means Equal Showing in Chapel Hill on 2/17/18

Women are guaranteed equal rights under the law, right? No?!!

If you have not seen this important documentary, Equal Means Equal, now is your chance! If you’ve only seen it once, you may want to see it again. It shows us the real situation of women in the United States. Very intense. We will discuss afterward.

Date: Sat. Feb. 17th, 2018
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Place: Chapel Hill Public Library
Reservations: Appreciated, Thru Eventbrite.
Cost: Free

Organized by Durham NOW 

Equal Means Equal Showing in Smithfield, 12/4/17

The Equal Means Equal documentary is being shown in Smithfield, NC on December 4, 2017.

NC NOW President Gailya Paliga is speaking about the documentary and running a question and answer session after the screening of the film.

Date: Monday, Dec. 4, 2017
Time: 5:30pm-8pm
Place: Smithfield Library, 305 E. Market St., Smithfield NC
Room: Multipurpose Meeting Room, 2nd Floor

National Actions To Take NOW!

We have 3 actions to take on national issues. Oppose the House Budget which slashes trillions of dollars from healthcare, food and income assistance, education and more. Oppose HR 38 – giving domestic violence offenders the right to stalk and kill their intimate partners across state lines! Oppose HR 36 – another abortion ban.

Thank you to National Task Force to End Sexual & Domestic Violence and to National Women’s Law Center for the information.

Action Alert 1: Tell your Rep. to vote “NO” on the US House budget: it slashes trillions from Medicaid, Medicare, food and income assistance, education, housing and more. It takes the money to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, and for corporations!

Monday-Wednesday, Oct 2-4: Call Your Rep and Say NO!

Articles on Harm Trumpcare Would Do to Women’s Health

Read more about Medicaid and the damage that Trumpcare will do in the following articles, among other places. People need to realize the devastation the Senate Trumpcare Bill has on women.  In addition, North Carolina would fare the worst of any states in the country under Trumpcare.

Leaders from Feminist Majority, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Women’s March on Washington came together today in Washington, D.C. to discuss the dangers posed by Trumpcare to women across race, class and age—and to devise a plan to stop it. These leaders are

• National NOW President Terry O’Neill
• Feminist Majority’s Eleanor Smeal
• Janel George, Director of Federal Reproductive Rights and Health at National Women’s Law Center
• Michelle Batchelor, Deputy Director of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda

Photo Credit: Feminist Majority

The devastation of Senate health care plan on North Carolina needs to be understood.

“If the Senate health care plan becomes law, no state’s residents would fare worse than North Carolina, according to a new study on the proposed bill. That includes 1.3 million people in North Carolina, according to a new study – the fourth-most in the nation, and the highest percentage of people losing coverage in any state.”

According to “1.3 million in NC could lose health insurance under Senate health plan,” 6/28/17, http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article158456069.html.

These articles are on Medicaid and the damage that Trumpcare will do.