National NOW Times >> Summer 2006  >> Article

N.Y. to Host Young Feminist Summit & 40th Anniversary Conference

by Bonnie Rice, Conference Manager

The Girls as Grantmakers (pictured), who will receive an award at the Young Feminist Summit at the NOW National Conference on July 21, were heralded last fall for their "girlcott" of demeaning shirts sold by clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch.

NOW activists will have a full schedule of enticing workshops, plenary sessions with amazing speakers and a special birthday celebration when we meet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Albany, New York from July 21-23. Once again NOW activists will take on the issues—connecting the dots, taking bold positions, and renewing our commitment to equality for all! Are you ready to change the world?

The program on Friday, July 21, will feature workshops on topics that NOW's Young Feminist Task Force has suggested such as emergency contraception, feminism in music, sex trafficking, women's health, equal marriage and an Intergenerational Fishbowl. Also, there will be issue roundtables and skill-building workshops for activists—like effective blogging and how to run a great meeting.

We will continue with more hot topics and core issues on Saturday, with workshops on the current immigration debate and its effect on women, feminism and faith, ending violence against women, deciphering state and local legislation, economic equality and, of course, skill-building sessions. Keep checking the conference pages on the NOW website for additional information as we continue to add speakers and workshops.

The popular NOW Political Institute will return this year with four sessions, and the Hon. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Amb. Carol Moseley Braun will join other political women and candidates at the Political Institute's brown bag lunch on Saturday, July 20.

Confirmed speakers include Cecelia Fire Thunder, president of the Oglala Sioux nation, who vowed to defend women's reproductive rights against the right-wing attack on abortion in South Dakota by putting a clinic on her Pine Ridge reservation; and Taina Bien Aimé, the Executive Director of Equality Now, which is an international organization that works for the rights of girls and women. Equality Now is a leader in the global struggle against sex trafficking.

Our Women of Action award will be presented to a group of Pennsylvania girls who took on a merchandising giant. Abercrombie & Fitch wasn't prepared for these outspoken young women from the Allegheny County Wome and Girls Foundation's Girls as Grantmakers Program when A&F launched their objectionable "attitude T-shirts" for young women. These young women took action! They organized a press conference and rally urging girls and women to email their objections to A&F. Their actions garnered national media attention, and in less than a week, the shirts were pulled from the market. For their outstanding activism they will receive the Women of Action Award.

Dr. Susan Wood was Director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Women's Health when she resigned in protest of the agency's refusal to approve over-the-counter use of Plan B emergency contraception. Since then she has been speaking out across the country about the danger of the FDA putting politics ahead of the public health. Dr. Wood will be receiving our Woman of Courage award in recognition of her personal sacrifice and outspoken advocacy on behalf of reproductive justice for women.

On Friday night the Young Feminist Summit will end with a pajama party and DJ dancing. Saturday afternoon's plenary will feature NOW's 40th birthday with an exciting birthday celebration and tribute to our founders and leaders—and Saturday night we will dance the night away to Cany, a singer/DJ from New York City. You can find more information about speakers and awardees online at http://www.now.org/conference

Take Action! Go to the conference pages and register for the 2006 National NOW Conference and Young Feminist Summit—Change the World!