[News-releases] National NOW Conference July 18-20

	For Immediate Release Contact: Mai Shiozaki, 202-628-8669, ext. 116; cell 202-641-1906
2008 National NOW Conference, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, July 18-20 "No Capes, No Masks, No Boundaries: Super-Women Unite!" Borrowing inspiration from the rise of powerful women in politics, this year the National Organization for Women's national conference is honoring the super woman in all of us. Our theme this year - "No Capes, No Masks, No Boundaries: Feminist Super-Women Unite!" - celebrates the breakthroughs that women are making: our power, our progress, and the strength that women exhibit every day in the face of adversity. We need not be superhuman heroes who fly or dodge bullets -- our pride, passion and resilience make us extraordinary. Feminist superheroes include both famous and not so famous women. Hillary Clinton, for running the most successful presidential campaign ever for a U.S. woman, while under attack from the sexist media, is definitely a superhero. But so are all the mothers and caregivers who juggle multiple responsibilities every day, and the millions of women around the globe who survive under brutally oppressive circumstances. "This year, we came closer than ever before to breaking the highest glass ceiling in the U.S.," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "In addition, feminists made a difference in a million different ways, large and small. This conference is a time to celebrate our accomplishments, and to plan a strategy to advance equality for women in the coming year." The 2008 National NOW conference will take place just outside Washington, D.C., at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Maryland, July 18-20. It will feature the NOW Organizing Institute, a global feminism track, workshops and roundtables on a broad range of issues, and an impressive line-up of inspirational speakers. "Just months before the election, it is an exciting time to be in the nation's capital, and we will focus on new initiatives and bold approaches to reach and inspire more women to vote and get active," said NOW President Kim Gandy. What: 2008 National NOW Conference When: Friday, July 18 through Sunday, July 20 Where: Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Maryland Who: Conference Speakers include (alphabetical): Monica Alemán, coordinator of the International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI/IIWF) and program director of MADRE, an international women's human rights organization Marie Cocco, columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group Hon. Donna Edwards, member of the House of Representatives; the first black woman from the state of the Maryland to serve Congress Dr. Erika Falk, associate program chair for the master's degree in communication at Johns Hopkins University Jehmu Greene, former president of Rock the Vote; currently a political and pop culture commentator and recognized expert on voter engagement, issue advocacy, young voters and celebrity politics Barbara Hillary, the first African-American woman to reach the North Pole Patricia Ireland, longest serving NOW president (1991 to 2001); NOW's 2008 Woman of Vision Honoree Carol Jenkins, president of the Women's Media Center Lilly Ledbetter, plaintiff in the landmark US Supreme court case on pay disparity Hon. Carolyn Maloney, member of the House of Representatives Irshad Manji, director of the Moral Courage Project at New York University; best selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in her Faith; and political activist Nancy Redd, author of Body Drama, a New York Times Best-Seller and a 2008 NAACP Image Award nominee Media Credentialing: If you are a member of the media and would like to attend, and/or set up advance interviews, please use this link to register. Find the agenda and the full list of speakers and workshops on NOW's web site.

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