After more than a dozen years of campaigning, lobbying and fundraising, a bust of Sojourner Truth was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol, and NOW President Kim Gandy writes about the moving ceremony.

NOW President Kim Gandy writes in her biweekly Below the Belt column: "With Justice Souter's departure we will lose a reliable vote for equality, but we also have something to gain. An open seat provides our new president with the opportunity to begin correcting a great imbalance on the high court."

The triumphant ending of one legal battle for gender equity in athletics was followed closely by a new challenge in the continuing struggle for equal athletic opportunities for women and girls.

There have been some recent updates to the 2009 National NOW Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 19-21. A draft of the conference agenda is now available on the website, an election FAQ, and three newly announced speakers: Hon. Mary Jo Kilroy, Maria Luisa "Lulu" Flores, and Rev. Dr. Katherine Ragsdale. Check it out, and remember, the deadline for the hotel discount is May 25!

President Obama will soon nominate a new Supreme Court justice, now that Justice David Souter has announced his retirement from the Court. Please sign our petition urging him to name a woman like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is a proven advocate for equality and fair treatment under the Constitution.

Ginsburg said she can't help but wonder what people think when they visit the Court and see only one woman out of the nine justices."There I am all alone, and it doesn't look right," said Ginsburg, noting that women bring a life experience to the court that men can't.

NOW President Kim Gandy said, "It goes without saying that the combination of war, economic collapse, piracy and a potential pandemic may have removed many important items from the top of the president's legislative agenda, including the Freedom of Choice Act. But I urge President Obama to maintain his public support for this critical legislation, which he enthusiastically endorsed during the campaign."

Women and families will have another advocate in President Barack Obama's cabinet with the confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary on Tuesday. The confirmation of Sebelius brings the number of women heading Cabinet departments to four out of 15. An additional three out of seven cabinet or cabinet-rank positions are filled by women.

"Governor Sebelius is an excellent choice to head HHS," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "We are pleased to see her take on this key role at the time when health care and human needs programs are so critical to the women of this nation."

"In just 100 days President Obama has begun reversing the extensive damage done to women's rights these last eight years, giving us an idea of what is possible with enlightened leadership," said NOW President Kim Gandy.

"The jury is in, the studies are done, and the conclusions are consistent: the gender pay gap is alive and well," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "The disparity between what women and men are paid stubbornly persists, even after controlling for years of education, work experience and type of occupation."

This June, NOW will elect four national officers to lead the organization for the next four years. Here's everything you need to know to about voting at the 2009 National NOW Conference.

Should overnight media sensation Susan Boyle be made over? Surrounded by images of glamorous celebrities and airbrushed models, most of us can't help but imagine reshaping her into a cookie cutter idea of femininity.

View the 2009 winning poster entries, send an e-card with the designs, and learn more about entering your own submission.

The National NOW Times and National NOW Foundation Times, NOW's membership publication, is fresh off the press with stories ranging the full spectrum of feminist issues.

Find gifts for Mother's Day at the NOW Store! Or give a NOW membership!
You can also try our amazon.com store for NOW staff picks and all amazon.com items.

NOW President Kim Gandy writes in her biweekly Below the Belt column: "This recession has been coined as the 'he-cession' by some media pundits due to the rise of unemployment among men ... so this means we can ignore unemployed women, right?" Wrong.