Mr. Bush's Circus, Featuring Women Juggling Work and Family

Room: Cartier/Tiffany

Only a fraction of non-government workers have access to Family and Medical Leave, and millions have no paid sick days. And with parents and caregivers are in the workforce in overwhelming numbers, laws and policies in this country have not kept up with the economic reality of working families’ lives. Learn how we can get state and federal governments ,as well as the private sector, to start helping working families – from paid sick days and family leave, to fair pay and recognition of caregiving.

Moderator: Maretta Short

Panelists: Rachna Choudry, Melanie Ross Levin

GenderSAFE Campuses

Room: Old Georgetown

LGBT and gender non-conforming students from junior high to college campuses are bullied and discriminated against for not fitting expectations of masculinity or femininity. This workshop will analyze the ground-breaking Gender Equality National Index for Universities and Schools (GENIUS) study from the Gender PAC on the efforts of colleges and universities to combat discrimination and promote awareness; it will also provide the tools activists need to fight for safe campuses, junior and high schools and communities.

Moderator/ Panelist: Gail Garcia McWilliams

Panelist: Dr. Stephanie Barns, Sasha Madway, Nichalos S. Sakurai

Will Your Retirement Plan Leave You in Rags or Riches?

Room: Cabinet

Planning for retirement can be a daunting process, whether you are in your 20s or your 60s.. How much money will I need? Do I need long term care insurance? What help will I get from Social Security and Medicare? Where can I afford to live? Presenters will look at the state and federal retirement programs and politics how these may help or hinder women’s retirement security, and address many of the legal and financial concerns that all women must eventually face.

Moderator: Latifa Lyles

Panelists: Janet E. Witt, Ashley B. Carson, J.D., Liz Gilchrist, Jan Erickson

Escaping the Trap: Women Caught in the Mental Health System

Room: Diplomat/Ambassador

Come join us to explore the biases against girls and women with mental and intellectual disabilities and the challenges they face within the health care system. Parity in mental health care (with physical health care) is still far from reality. Identify the tools needed to fight this kind of discrimination in the health care system, and discuss what can be done immediately and how to work toward longer-term solutions to remedy this "hidden" bias.

Co-Moderator: Stephanie Ortoleva

Co-Moderator/ Panelist: Vanessa Volz

Panelists: Ashley Blake, Lauren Spiro

Got HPV? Education and Prevention are Key to Combating STIs

Room: Diplomat/Ambassador

Rates of sexually-transmitted infections (STI) among adolescents are shockingly high: a national survey by the CDC found one in four female teens were infected with HPV, chlamydia, trichomoniasis or herpes simplex. Young women of color are at even higher risk of contracting STIs. The lack of comprehensive sex education, undoubtedly, plays a role in adolescent risky sexual behavior, but what are the other factors, and how can we empower young women to take control of their health?

Moderator/Panelist: Erin Matson

Panelists: Urooj Arshad, Catherine Morrison

Beyond the Headlines – What's Really Going on with Educational Equity?

Room: Cartier/Tiffany

Girls are gaining ground in education, but not at the expense of boys. Equal opportunity in education is not a zero sum game – as the 36 year history of Title IX shows. But we still face obstacles: discriminatory sex-segregated public schools, a hard glass ceiling for women in STEM careers (science/technology/engineering/ mathematics), continuing discrimination in athletic programs, and harassment on campus. Discuss our achievements and our challenges.

Moderator: April Osajima

Panelists: Dr. Sue Klein, Lisa Maatz, Fatima Goss Graves, Elizabeth Homer

Finding the Key: Unlocking Women from an Unjust Prison System

Room: Judiciary

Often women who are not directly involved end up with longer sentences that the men in their lives who were committing actual crimes. This workshop will provide perspectives on how the criminal justice system affects women and how Families Against Mandatory Minimum (FAMM) campaigns have assisted some of the women facing discriminatory treatment in prison. Discuss recent changes within the federal sentencing guidelines and consider possible legislative and regulatory reforms.

Moderator: Marion Wagner

Panelists: Angelyn Frazer, Jasmine Tyler, Karen Garrison

Mounting a Campaign for Reproductive Justice

Room: Cabinet

The stealth campaign to undermine our rights is coming out into the open, with right wing campaigns like “The Pill Kills.” Women everywhere must demand that: birth control and family planning be accessible and affordable; Emergency Contraception be available for rape survivors at every hospital; Plan B be available to every girl and woman of childbearing age; sex education be based on science and not scare tactics; foreign aid include birth control and condom distribution; and birth control be accessible to low-income women. We have our work cut out for us – make plans now!

Moderator/ Panelist: Loretta Ross

Panelists: Nina Schwartz, Diana Romero

Children and Families at Risk: CPS Gone Bad

Room:Diplomat/ Ambassador

Departments of Child Protection are removing children from families that are poor, of color, or women headed, sometimes equating poverty with parents' – especially mothers' – neglect. Instead of helping with housing, childcare, legal needs, or domestic violence and abuse, child protective services (CPS) are removing children at an alarming rate. Research shows that in most cases children are better off and safer with their families than in foster care. A grassroots movement of groups and individuals are challenging these abuses with facts, pickets, lawsuits, lobbying, and other protests.

Moderators: Marcia Pappas, Phoebe Jones

Panelists: Pat Albright, Nancy Carroll, Lawanda Connelly, Barbara Clayton

Women of New Orleans & the Gulf Coast—Three Years After Katrina

Room:Judiciary

What is happening currently to women and their families in the Hurricane Katrina-affected regions? Workshop panelists include a survivor of the hurricane and New Orleans flooding as well as researchers who have documented continuing patterns of discrimination and neglect of women, children, the elderly and poor. A staff member from the office of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) will examine federal efforts to address the devastation.

Moderator: Terry O'Neill

Panelists: Charlotte Klasson, Avis Jones-DeWeaver, Jane Henrici, Ph.D., Sarada Peri

Inequalities in the Health Care System: Women Suffer the Most

Room: Waterford

Women face healthcare disparities due to their race, economic circumstances, where they live, or simply because they are women. Immigrants and culturally and ethnically diverse communities often have little or no access to health care, and may not be able to communicate with medical professionals in a familiar language. Join us to discuss how we can mount a public education campaign around this issue, and how to help pass H.R. 3014, the Health Equity and Accountability Act sponsored by Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.).

Moderator/ Panelist: Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas

Panelists: Jennifer Ng’andu, Dawn Philip, Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, Maggie Elehwany

Election Analysis for Political Junkies

Room: Haverford

Join these longtime NOW political strategists for a roundtable discussion of the opportunities and challenges we face in the 2008 US congressional races. The panel will present a uniquely feminist overview of the November congressional elections offering a sophisticated analysis of races where we have the opportunity to elect more feminists, as well as an examination of ways having feminists in office positively influences the outcome of critical legislation. Designed for "political junkies" who are committed to electoral politics and believe that electing more feminists is crucial to the success of our movement.

Moderator/Panelist: Melody Drnach

Panelists: Linda Berg, Dr. Janet Canterbury, Amb. Carol Moseley Braun

Mad at Media Bias? What NOW? Feminists Fight Back!

Room: Haverford

You couldn't help noticing the sexism that gripped the media during Hillary Clinton's campaign – but that's not where it started, nor where it will end. They used gender-based insults on Nancy Pelosi, and they’ve already started on Michelle Obama, combining both sexism and racism. But media bias is bigger than politics – it is the way women are portrayed, from talk radio to fashion advertising, and the very real impact it has on the lives of girls and women. Join us for a conversation about how NOW has been taking on the media, and how you can join our campaign by taking action individually or as part of a Talkback Team. Help us create a feminist vision of media justice.

Moderator/ Panelist: Lisa Bennett

Panelists: Jan Strout, Latifa Lyles

The Road to Same-Sex Marriage in the United States

Room: Diplomat/Ambassador

While the federal government and states have enacted "defense of marriage" legislation and some states have enshrined discrimination in their state constitutions, other states have moved toward marriage equality. Through the courts and legislation, domestic partnership, civil unions, and even equal marriage have become the law in several states. This workshop will explore the path towards recognizing the equal marriage rights of gays and lesbians, the efforts of our opponents to enshrine discrimination in state and federal law, and what you can do to end marriage discrimination in your state!

Moderator/Panelist: Olga Vives

Panelists: Ellen J. Zucker, Patricia Ireland, Deborah Tannenbaum

No Excuses: Stop Violence Against Women NOW

Room: Cartier/Tiffany

Every day four women die in this country as a result of “domestic violence,” the euphemism for murders and assaults by husbands, boyfriends, and acquaintances. Come join us as this panel explores the broad issue of sexual and domestic violence against women with a special emphasis on prevention. Our goal will be to craft public education and accountability strategies and policy initiatives to reduce and eventually end violence against women.

Moderator: Judie Fortier

Panelists: Lucy Melvin, Tonya Lovelace, Amy L. Katz

Engaged in Faith…Empowered by Feminism

Room: Cabinet

Come join us in this workshop as presenters discuss the strides that feminists continue to make within the often unfriendly confines of faith. Multiple faiths will be represented, and a wide range of religious institutions and organizations will be discussed. Along with the feminist work being done to confront the patriarchy of religion, there is also room to promote and support the success stories when feminism makes transformations within faith.

Moderator/ Panelist: Della Fahnestock

Panelists: Cynthia Hess, Crystal Lander

Take Control of Your Health – Be Savvy About HIV/AIDS

Room: Judiciary

As many as one-fourth of the one million plus people in the U.S. living with HIV do not know they are infected. HIV infection must be de-stigmatized; early detection can lead to a longer and healthier life. In the U.S., there is an HIV epidemic among women of color, while for all women, heterosexual anal intercourse (and the attitudes of young women about anal sex) poses a special risk. Also discussed will be the politics of federal funding of HIV/AIDS programs.

Moderator/Panelist: Susan Wyche

Panelists: Carol Roye, Jacqueline Brown, Beatrice Krauss, Jamila K. Taylor

Danger Under Fire: Sexual Assault in the Military

Room: Patuxtent/Embassy

Participate in this eye-opening workshop about the sexual violence faced by women in the military. Perpetrators of rapes in the military are generally given reduction in rank and confinement to base, but seldom jailed or placed on the national sex offenders list. When rapes occur in a war zone, women face post-combat trauma AND rape trauma, and there is little counseling or treatment for either. Military women, experts, and the mother of Suzanne Swift speak out on what must be done.

Moderator: Roberta Waddle

Panelists: Col. Ann Wright, Sara Rich, Dr. John Johnson, Linda Johnson, Maricela Guzman, Helen Benedict

The Subprime Foreclosure Crisis: What it means for Women, our Families, and our Communities

Room: Diplomat/Ambassador

Subprime loans have gone disproportionately to women and as a result women are feeling the brunt of the drain of the current subprime foreclosure crisis. As highlighted in the winter edition of Ms. Magazine, the devastation of the subprime crisis is hurting women, their families, and communities. The panel will highlight the implications for all women and discuss the impact on communities that were targeted by abusive lending practices, plus review federal policy solutions and provide points for advocacy.

Moderator: Duchy Trachtenberg

Panelists: Debby Bocian, Julia Gordon

Family Court Watch Documents Discriminatory Treatment

Room: Old Georgetown

As a first effort of its kind, the National Family Court Watch Project took a snapshot of family courts in five states using comprehensive instruments that recorded how litigants were treated. The results of this important survey are truly eye-opening. This initial phase is beginning to demonstrate that a pattern of discrimination against women is common in family courts. We will also consider the growing problem of mothers losing custody of minor children to documented batterers and child abusers.

Moderators: Erin Sullivan

Panelist: Renee Beeker, Laurie Christine Olaniyi, Marcia Pappas

ORGANIZING INSTITUTE

Get (Your Voice) Out There

Room: Cabinet

Do you have something to say? Learn the nuts and bolts of working with the media to get out your message and why an effective media strategy is an essential part of your activist tool belt. Whether you want to talk back, write in, or speak up, join experienced panelists for a hands-on discussion. This session includes real-life faux-pas and success sstories, the top ten Dos and Don’ts when working with the media, and tips on how to reach out to local outlets.

Moderator/Panelist: Lisa Bennett

Panelists: Latifa Lyles, Mai Shiozaki, Sonia Ossorio

Election 2008: What's at Stake for Women?

Room: Susquehanna/Severn/Potomac

It's more than the Supreme Court. The 2008 elections hold both promise and peril for supporters of women’s rights, but accurate information is hard to come by. There was a clear media bias against Hillary Clinton, and now that same media seems biased toward John McCain and against Barack Obama. How will we get the real story? Join us for analysis and discussion of the key issues facing women voters in the presidential race.

Moderator/Panelist: Kim Gandy

Panelists: Jatrice Martel Gaiter, Dolores Huerta, Eleanor Smeal

Fun and Games: Secrets to Successful Lobbying

Room: Diplomat/ Ambassador

Feminists should know that everyone can lobby. As a voter, you have the right to talk with your City Council Members, State

Legislators, Representatives, and Senators, and they need to hear from you. This workshop will focus on how to familiarize yourself with these key people and their staffs, and how to organize your advocacy efforts so that your voice and messages are heard and your bills are passed! Learn the tricks of the trade, so you can start making a difference right NOW, and have fun in the process!

Moderator: Janice Rocco

Panelists: Marcia Pappas, Jessica A. Lowe, Maretta Short, April Carson

Sex Trafficking of Children in the U.S. - A Call to Action

Room: Judiciary

Many victims of domestic sex trafficking are minors who are arrested and incarcerated in detention centers, given a criminal record, and shunned by institutions that are supposed to help them. Panelists will address how domestic sex trafficking works, the magnitude of the problem, the negative outcomes for girls and women who have been trafficked, and why the issue should be at the top of the feminist agenda. There will also be a review of current efforts to reauthorize the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

Moderator/Panelist: Sonia Ossorio

Panelists: Celia Williamson, Lisa Fedina, Jessica Trease, Karen Stauss

Latinas Moving Forward in the U.S.

Room: Patuxtent/Embassy

As we move forward developing directions and strategies for the women’s movement, this panel will address critical issues about how Dominican and Latina women are building the women’s movement and what’s needed to sustain a multicultural movement. What goals do we share? What are our barriers and points of conflict? What does solidarity mean within this movement and with other movements? This workshop hopes to be both a critical reflection and a visionary discussion about what it takes to build solidarity and sustain our multicultural women movement as NOW works to forge a progressive women's agenda.

Moderator/Panelist: Zenaida Mendez

Panelists: Candida Bido, Judith Amaro, Raquel Batista, Marisol Alcantara

Getting to Universal Health Care that is Truly Universal for Women

Room: Cartier/Tiffany

Access to affordable health care is a major election year topic. Explore several different approaches to universal health care, including a single payer system like Canada's. Some proposals for "universal" coverage don’t cover all of women’s health care needs, such as affordable contraception and access to abortion. The panel will assess presidential candidates’ health care reform proposals as well as provide some predictions about Congressional action next term.

Moderator: Jan Erickson

Panelists: Lisa Codispoti, Cindy Pearson, Dr. Diana Zuckerman, Zenei Cortez