• Preserving Openness, Diversity and Democracy in Broadband Media
  
• Campaign to Stop Anti-LGBT Efforts by Right Wing
  
• Combating Anti-Feminist Propaganda and Building Young Feminist Leadership
  
• Women and Disability Allies Forum
  
• Support Clean Money Legislation to Benefit All U.S. Women
  
• Collection of Evidence
  
• Resolution on Behalf of Dr. Gao Zhan, Feminist Scholar Captive in China
  
• Recognition of NOW's Committment to Economic Justice
  
• Action on Family Law
  
• Freedom of Choice for Intersex Girls-A Girl's Right to Choose
  
• March for Economic Human Rights at the 2002 Winter Olympics
  
• Resolution to Support Pay Equity NOW! Petition
  
• Current Attention on Postpartum Depression
  
• Action to Protect and Advance Roe
  
• Rededicating Ourselves to Eliminating Racism
  
• Save the Courts
  
• Scent Free Conferences
  
• Thief-in-Chief Declaration
  
• Universal Living Wage
  
• Voting Representation for the District of Columbia
  
• Rape and Domestic Violence Are Not "Work-Related Injuries"
  

2001

WHEREAS, the Internet has been hailed as the most democratic and participatory medium in history, based on principals of openness and diversity; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) recognizes the importance of the Internet and other communications media in its work, as well as its function as a vital organizing and communications tool for feminists; and

WHEREAS, these communications technologies are rapidly changing and converging as we advance in the digital age; and

WHEREAS, the very openness and diversity of the Internet as we know it is under threat by those who own and control other forms of mass media; and

WHEREAS, as digital platforms (Internet, television, cable, telephone) converge into a single delivery platform know as broadband, ownership of those platforms and content also converges, serving to reinforce the power of already enormous companies; and

WHEREAS, it is largely speculated that digital cable will become the dominant means of broadband delivery of these services and content; and

WHEREAS, cable companies operate in municipal franchises that are virtual monopolies, and cable rates have risen at a rate 3 times that of inflation since being recently deregulated, casting doubt on the notion that "competition" can successfully regulate the market; and

WHEREAS, these corporations have developed enormous influence over all levels of government and have successfully eroded regulatory standards and limits placed on their power while the public pays little attention; and

WHEREAS, most people still rely on dial-up Internet access and are able to select any Internet Service Provider (ISP) or email program or web browser, broadband operators have opposed "open access" provisions and would force customers to access the Internet through the operator's portal; and

WHEREAS, in what has been referred to as "walled gardens" these portals will direct traffic on the Internet to benefit their operators and their corporate partners, maximizing profits and substituting endless consumer choices for real information and consumer freedom; and

WHEREAS, the battle for the future freedom of the Internet and broadband is currently being fought in Congress and in the courts;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW will stand in support of openness, diversity, and democracy on the Internet and other forms of digital media; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW will take the following actions to be a meaningful and vocal advocate for broadband democracy:

• Empowering the Feminist Communications Task Force and a NOW Action Center staff member to address these issues;
• Applying this information to any future organizational plans for media/technology;
• Educating all members about the critical nature of these issues;
• Initiating or participating in relevant coalitions or campaigns.

2001

WHEREAS, the right wing has increased its crusade to roll back lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and block future initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels; and

WHEREAS, the battle to defeat LGBT anti-discrimination laws, reverse approved voter initiatives and referenda, and block introduction of new protective measures has shifted to the states; and

WHEREAS, the Christian right has targeted states with LGBT anti-discrimination laws to organize for their repeal with initiative, referenda, and well-funded campaigns; and

WHEREAS, evidence also exists that many conservative gay organizations are joining forces with the Christian right, the anti-gay lobby, and other conservative political entities to defeat anti-discrimination measures; and

WHEREAS, there are at least 13 anti-gay initiatives and referenda before voters in the states and over 150 gay-hostile bills in state legislatures; and

WHEREAS, this shift in strategy from federal protection to the state legislatures requires immediate action to combat these attempts at dismantling the few gains achieved in LGBT anti-discrimination legislation and voter initiatives in the states;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) take immediate steps to combat this continued and intensified assault on gay and lesbian rights as follows:

1) Work with NOW states and chapters to identify areas where hostile LGBT initiatives have been introduced; and

2) Assist NOW chapters and state organizations in developing strategies to combat these initiatives; and

3) Work in conjunction with the Lesbian Rights Conference Implementation Committee (CIC), to create an action kit to include organizing tips, educational materials, and model legislation to stop these hostile measures, the Christian right attacks, and target legislators in an effort to swing or obtain their votes; and

4) Increase the visibility of the issue by publishing an article in the National NOW Times as well as helping chapters with Op-Ed pieces for publication in their newsletters, letters to the editors, local newspaper articles, press releases, etc.; and

5) Expose the hostile environment created by the right wing, supported and emboldened by the Bush administration, which has contributed to the anti-gay attitude promoted by the religious right by communicating such information to conservative gay organizations supporting anti-gay measures; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW activists at all levels and, in coalition with other LGBT groups and allies, rededicate themselves to the legal protection of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people, in the movement to bring freedom, justice, and equality for all.

2001

WHEREAS, George W. Bush and his supporters in Congress continue their war on women's rights, including abortion rights, reproductive freedom, and education about reproductive health, contraception and sexuality; and

WHEREAS, in this political climate anti-feminist and anti-woman agendas are gaining power nationally, locally, and in our college classrooms and campuses; and

WHEREAS, the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), a conservative organization, has initiated a college campus campaign, “Take Back the Campus: the Ten Most Common Feminist Myths” which denies the existence and importance of serious feminist issues, including the frequency of date rape, current pay inequity between the sexes, the widespread existence of domestic violence, the continuing need for the funding of medical aid for women, gender-based discrimination in schools, and the worth of academic institutions such as Women’s Studies and Gender Studies departments; and

WHEREAS, the truth is that women and children are still disproportionately the victims of abuse and rape, employed in low paying jobs, poorly educated, homeless, and without healthcare; and women, even with a college degree, still earn less than men who have a high school diploma; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is committed to ending violence against women, including the elimination of domestic violence, rape, pay inequity, and medical and academic gender discrimination, and to educating and empowering young feminists to be proactive leaders who further the various causes of feminism; and

WHEREAS, NOW is committed to building bridges and networks among its local chapters, their communities, young feminists, college campuses, and student groups committed to feminist goals; and

WHEREAS, a significant part of the state of emergency declared by NOW includes the need to expose the public to pro-feminist and pro-woman agendas through the media;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW craft a national advertisement campaign focused on using college campus media to dispel myths and lies propagated and circulated by anti-feminist individuals and groups such as the IWF; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that National NOW create an activist kit to aid local chapters in this action, including sample advertisements, letters to editors announcing and explaining the campaign, proposed methods of identifying contacts and placing campus advertisements, and materials for a wider educational campaign regarding the IWF myths; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that activists, especially young feminists, be encouraged to contact local college campuses, identify and work with students, professors, women’s studies departments, and existing feminist student groups to place advertisements furthering NOW’s pro-feminist and pro-woman agenda; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that because violence against women, pay inequity, and gender discrimination remain tragic truths of women’s lives, NOW will be the leader in dispelling the rhetoric of anti-feminist organizations and sending a strong message that women and girls deserve equality, respect, and the chance to be heard.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has an uncompromising investment in working to protect the rights of people with disabilities and to dismantle ableism; and WHEREAS, NOW must remain on the cutting edge of the disability rights movement; and

WHEREAS, NOW's long standing opposition to all forms of discrimination and NOW’s historic purpose includes full participation, independence, and diversity for all, including people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1978 "Provision for Disabled Persons" supports equal opportunity for all; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1985 "Elimination of Work Disincentives for Women with Disabilities" (who face double discrimination) committed NOW to work for legislation to achieve economic equality and psychological independence; and

WHEREAS, NOW’s 1987 "Campaign to Free Sharon Kowalski" mandated that NOW develop actions to confront "-isms" such as handicapism (now known as able-ism); and

WHEREAS, NOW passed a "Disability Rights Education" resolution in 1995 calling for the education of our membership on disability rights issues; and

WHEREAS, NOW recognizes the essential need for continued dialog on issues of sex, disability, ableism, and feminism in order to work together on issues of mutual concern and to successfully move forward in the new century; and

WHEREAS, both feminists with disabilities and feminists without current disabilities share concerns on issues, such as reproductive rights, about which they may disagree when it comes to strategy; and

WHEREAS, there is recognition of the need and desire for discussion which crosses boundaries of disability and ableism;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) and/or the NOW Foundation embark on a formal discussion among feminists with disabilities, disability rights activists and others; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW and/or the NOW Foundation jointly or independently sponsor a "Women with Disabilities and Allies Forum" to foster the discussion among and to bring together women living with disabilities, disability rights activists, abortion rights activists, other feminists, and supportive allies from across the country to discuss ableism, feminism, abortion rights issues, reproductive rights including the right to have sex and have and raise children, and other issues of mutual concern to the feminist and disability rights movements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this forum will celebrate our commonality, share our ideas, and create a framework to ensure the value, vision, and inclusion of women with disabilities in NOW; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Disability Rights Conference Implementation Committee (CIC) work closely with the National Officers to organize this forum; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this forum be held preferably preceding, but no later than December 2002, the date and location to be determined by the Disability Rights CIC and the National Officers.

2001

WHEREAS, the existing campaign finance system is fundamentally unfair and anti-democratic especially for women, as the presence of women in elected office does not reflect that women represent 53 percent of the voting population and over 50 percent of the total population; and

WHEREAS, only 20 percent of state legislators are women and only 59 out of a total 535 members serve in the US Congress, despite the hugely successful efforts of the National Organization for Women Political Action Committee (NOW PAC), Emily's List, the National Women's Political Caucus, and WISH List; and

WHEREAS, the issues that women most care about and those that are part of the NOW agenda are not given a fair voice due to the overwhelming influence of special interests and their campaign donations; and

WHEREAS, Clean Money legislation, which provides public campaign financing, enables women with community support but ordinary means to run for office and mount serious campaigns, despite the disproportionate number of male incumbent elected officials; and

WHEREAS, by encouraging electoral competition, Clean Money legislation widens policy debate and provides political equality, reflecting the fact that 60 percent of Americans want true campaign finance reform to be a high national priority, and understand that the American people should be the source of all political power; and

WHEREAS, Clean Money legislation has already been implemented in Maine, Arizona and Vermont where it has enabled more women candidates to run for office and win;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW form a Clean Money Task Force and take other necessary action to support the efforts to achieve passage of Clean Money legislation in both the US Congress and all remaining 47 states.

2001

WHEREAS, women are disproportionately the victims of sexual assault; and

WHEREAS, the collection of evidence of sexual assault is invasive, expensive and often traumatic; and

WHEREAS, in some areas "rape kits" are not being analyzed, in many cases until after the statute of limitations has expired; and

WHEREAS, in many jurisdictions the victim is required to pay for the "rape kit" and/or the medical costs of its use for evidence collection; and

WHEREAS, that in cases of sexual assault, collection and analysis of evidence and the medical costs associated with the collection of evidence should be the responsibility of the state, regardless of whether the victim agrees to assist in prosecution;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) chapters and state organizations investigate state and local statutes, policies, and practices concerning payment for the "rape kits" and medical costs associated with the kits' use; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW chapters and state organizations take action wherever necessary to relieve victims of sexual assault of financial responsibility for collection of evidence of the crimes against them by compelling states and local jurisdictions to assume their proper financial responsibility for the collection and analysis of evidence of sexual assault.

2001

WHEREAS, Gao Zhan is a permanent American resident of Tysons Corner, Virginia, needing only the oath of allegiance to become a naturalized American citizen. She is the wife of one American citizen and the mother of another; and

WHEREAS, she is a world scholar on issues affecting women, having graduated from the Women's Studies Program at Syracuse University in New York and having taught for several years at the American University in Washington, D.C. She has a long record of distinguished publications on women’s economic and political status, and the impact of women’s familial roles under different political systems; and

WHEREAS, Gao Zhan was traveling on an American passport on a visit to Taiwan and China combining research with a family visit when she, her husband, and her five-year-old son were detained without cause on February 11, 2001. Her husband and son were released without charges after 26 days; and

WHEREAS, Gao Zhan was seized without regard to international law, nor apparently even Chinese law, which permits detainment for only fifteen days. As of July 1, 2001, she will have been held incommunicado and without trial for 140 days; and

WHEREAS, it appears that Gao Zhan is being harassed and detained not only because of her American residency but possibly in part because of her activism and research comparing the political status of women in Taiwan to the status of women in China. Apparently this research is being used as the pretext for a charge of spying lodged May 15, one week after her husband and child were released; and

WHEREAS, the Chinese authorities have provided no evidence of any crime by Gao Zhan, have denied her access to an attorney, and have provided no information on her detainment, her health, her heart condition, nor whether she has been tortured or killed during interrogation to any U.S. or United Nations authority, or her family; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 702 (S. 702) has been in the Senate Judiciary Committee since April 5, 2001, and House Resolution 1385 (H.R. 1385) has been in the House Subcommittee of the Judiciary on Immigration and Claims since April 19, 2001. These bills grant immediate citizenship to Gao Zhan. Pressure is needed to move these bills; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women (NOW) cover the case of Gao Zhan in the National NOW Times with brief periodic updates until she is released, and urge chapters and state organizations to write to their elected representatives and local papers encouraging support for the Congressional legislation described below, and urge individual NOW members to write letters; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW lobby the relevant authorities to increase the diplomatic efforts of the Department of State and the Presidency of the United States to secure her release, including suspension of China's current trade status; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that State NOW chapters contact their appropriate U.S. Senators and Congressional Representatives in support of S. 702 and H.R. 1385 to grant immediate citizenship to Gao Zhan, since she has completed all steps towards naturalization except the final oath; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution with an appropriate cover letter from the President of NOW be sent to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly, all the members of the House Subcommittee named above and the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Embassy of China.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has repeatedly taken clear stands on the wide range of economic justice issues affecting women from the cement floor to glass ceiling; and

WHEREAS, NOW has passed resolutions on welfare reform, livable wage, comparable worth, pay equity, and other economic justice issues in the past; and

WHEREAS, NOW has steadfastly and repeatedly taken action on economic justice issues; and

WHEREAS, NOW has already created a poverty and welfare CIC; and

WHEREAS, NOW has begun important work studying how economic issues affect women globally through our participation in and sponsorship of the World March of Women;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW make economic justice a core priority issue.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is committed to justice for women and children; and

WHEREAS, there is a well-organized fathers-rights movement that is negatively affecting the judicial and legislative process regarding family law; and

WHEREAS, across the nation the majority of calls to chapters are regarding divorce and custody issues; and

WHEREAS, women are reporting gender bias, denial of due process, incompetence, corruption, and fraud in the family law and domestic courts; and

WHEREAS, restrictive laws and court orders that force women into mandatory mediation, whereby the mediator's decree becomes the order of the court contrary to the wishes of the parties with no recourse to judicial review, deprives women of their due process rights; and

WHEREAS, women are being deprived of economic fairness by the failure of courts to enforce financial discovery; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of children to ensure their stability and continuity of care, there should be a rebuttable presumption that the primary caregiver of the children should be awarded custody;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW place increased emphasis on this national family law crisis; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW create an activist organizing kit that will include a questionnaire to capture evidence from women's court experiences and a grassroots court watch program; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW release the results of the questionnaire and the court watch program at a national speak out where women give testimony regarding their experience in the courts with divorce, spousal support, property division, child support, child custody, family violence, and abuse.

2001

WHEREAS, since 1967 the National Organization for Women (NOW) has been the nation's leading organization in the movement for women's reproductive freedom and bodily integrity; and

WHEREAS, NOW has recognized that reproductive freedom is more than access to safe and legal abortion and birth control, and that it includes freedom from unnecessary hysterectomy, involuntary sterilization, and other medical procedures performed without the proper informed consent of the patient; and

WHEREAS, at least one in every 2,000 children—primarily girls—are born with atypical sexual anatomy and, before they are old enough to choose for themselves or provide informed consent, are frequently subjected to invasive hormonal and surgical procedures to make their bodies more closely resemble doctors' ideas of "normal" female appearance; and

WHEREAS, the parents of intersex girls are rarely given full, fair, and accurate information about their daughters' conditions, the risks involved in medical procedures, or referrals to supportive information and groups; and

WHEREAS, many intersex girls grow up hurt, isolated, and ashamed due to the procedures carried out on them and the subsequent violations of their bodies without their choice or consent; and

WHEREAS, in recent years many intersex women have come forward to report that the medical interventions they sustained without their choice or consent have been a source of profound psychological, physical, and sexual harm to them; and

WHEREAS, the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) and GenderPAC have worked to end secrecy and shame surrounding the unwanted genital surgeries performed on intersex girls, and to promote recognition of intersex girls' right to choose and be fully informed about medical decisions involving their bodies and genitals;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW support GenderPAC and ISNA in the struggle to end secrecy and shame surrounding intersex women and girls and to promote intersex girls' right to choose and be fully informed on medical decisions involving their bodies and genitals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW support and uphold intersex girls' right to choose and be fully informed regarding cosmetic medical procedures involving their bodies and genitals; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW urge the medical community, in conjunction with patient advocacy groups, to establish and adopt a patient-centered protocol under which full, fair, and accurate information, supportive information and resources, and referral to groups or adult intersex women are provided to the parents of intersex girls.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is committed to fighting for the right to economic human rights for all; and

WHEREAS, the United States is the richest country in the world; and

WHEREAS, the United States has the highest rate of poverty of any industrial country; and

WHEREAS, this year is the five-year lifetime limit on federal funding for welfare benefits; and

WHEREAS, women are disproportionately affected by welfare reform;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW support, and through press releases and statements describe our reasons for supporting, the actions of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW endorse and support the March for Economic Human Rights at the 2002 Winter Olympics on February 8, 2002, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW send members of its leadership to march along with poor and homeless families from across the country.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of supporting pay equity and comparable worth; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania NOW, Inc. worked with the International Wages for Housework Campaign and the Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) to issue the Pay Equity Now! petition, which the National NOW Board supported; and

WHEREAS, the petition complements and updates current NOW policy by exposing and opposing US opposition to pay equity in all international agreements, thus extending NOW support to show international solidarity; and

WHEREAS, the Pay Equity Now! petition (also translated into Spanish) suggests:

WHEREAS the US government opposes pay equity – equal pay for work of equal value – in national policy and international agreements (i.e. the ILO Convention, CEDAW, and the Beijing Platform for Action); and

WHEREAS in the US, the richest, most powerful nation on earth, women's average pay has dropped from 76% in 1992 to 73% of men's wages, 62.6% for Black women, 53.1% for Latina women; and

WHEREAS women are often segregated in caring and service work for low pay, much like the housework they are expected to do for no pay at home; and

WHEREAS closing the wage gap between women and men cannot be achieved without revaluing the responsibilities and skills women use in their work compared to what men use in theirs;

WHEREAS underpaying women is a massive subsidy to employers that is both sexist and racist;

WHEREAS by opposing pay equity in international forums, the US government encourages multinational corporations to underpay women everywhere in the global economy; and

WHEREAS the US – the only wealthy country where women get no paid maternity benefits or leave – also opposes international agreements which call for other financial benefits for women, including paid breastfeeding breaks; and

WHEREAS all women, particularly mothers, who do the vital but unpaid job of caring for children and/or other dependents, are penalized by getting the lowest pay when they go out to work and are discriminated against in such areas as pensions, health care, and social security credits, among others; and

WHEREAS pay equity is a major step toward revaluing all women’s work, raising all women's wages and status, and establishing all women's entitlements;

THEREFORE we the undersigned demand that all branches of the US government stand with women, the vast majority of whom are overworked and underpaid, and 1) withdraw all objections to – and actively endorse – pay equity and maternity care provisions for all women; 2) Sign, ratify and implement provisions in international conventions entitling women to the pay and benefits they have earned many times over.; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2001 NOW Conference meeting in Philadelphia endorse the Pay Equity Now! petition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that National NOW 1) distribute to all its branches the petition with its accompanying fact sheet and a cover note to be submitted by the petition coordinator; and 2) include an article about the petition in the National NOW Times; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that local/state NOW branches are recommended to circulate the petition to their members to sign; they can also sign online at www.payequity.net; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that local, state, and national NOW and their members seek in other ways to distribute and promote the petition and press the US for pay equity now!

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long-standing commitment to civil rights for all people, including women with mental and physical disabilities; and

WHEREAS, our society remains essentially hostile to, and unsupportive of, the family responsibilities of all women and men whether those responsibilities are being met with in-home family care or through commercial family-care providers; and

WHEREAS, many women with disabilities are in desperate circumstances because they either cannot afford appropriate medical care, or cannot obtain such care due to a lack of providers or services, or due to other barriers; and

WHEREAS, there is a lack of respite care and other support services for family members caring for older and younger generations, including families living with family members with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, society continues to discriminate against many aspects of pregnancy and childrearing, including a heavy stigma on women with postpartum depression; and

WHEREAS, postpartum depression is fairly common, occurring in some 10-15% of first-time mothers, and recurring subsequently in 10-35% of those women, nonetheless, many women suffer postpartum depression or even postpartum psychosis in silence and isolation, unaware that they are neither alone nor unique; and

WHEREAS, postpartum depression was first described by Hippocrates in about 700 B.C.E., yet even now we do not fully understand or recognize all factors contributing to postpartum psychiatric disorders; and

WHEREAS, postpartum depression is much in the news due to the recent tragedy in Houston where a woman with a long history of postpartum depression and consumption of multiple medications confessed to drowning her five children; and

WHEREAS, this took place in Harris County, Texas, which, if it were a state, would be third in the nation for total number of executions, coming behind Texas itself and Virginia, in that order; and

WHEREAS, in nations such as England, women involved in situations like the Texas tragedy would most likely be in medical facilities receiving treatment, not in jails being questioned about legal strategies; as is Texas' position on the death penalty, this criminal response to women who are ill is barbaric.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW affirms its long-standing opposition to the death penalty; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NOW urge the press and the law enforcement community, including the judiciary, to consider tragedies of this sort in the full context of the nature of postpartum depression; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, NOW urges the National Institutes of Health to increase its research into postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.

2001

WHEREAS, the status of Roe v. Wade is jeopardized by the U.S. Supreme Court's tenuous 5-4 composition upholding Roe; and

WHEREAS, if any Supreme Court Justice retires or resigns during George W. Bush's presidency, Bush will have the opportunity to appoint a right-wing justice that will eliminate any hope of retaining Roe; and

WHEREAS, women's reproductive rights are in grave danger, with sexist, regressive restrictions including costs, accessibility, and terrorism; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a duty to fight for the reproductive rights of all women, including accessibility to abortion for young women, poor women, women of color, and rural women; and

WHEREAS, after speaking up and speaking out about the effects of illegal abortions and unwanted pregnancies on our lives, we won abortion rights; and

WHEREAS, one of the major ways NOW reaches out to women to educate and to raise awareness of reproductive rights issues is through the media; and

WHEREAS, it is more and more difficult for NOW and other advocacy groups to garner media attention for serious issues of our day; and

WHEREAS, the media is being controlled by fewer and fewer individuals and corporate interests, most of whom backed the election of George W. Bush; and

WHEREAS, this entertainment-controlled media have lulled the women of this country into a false sense of security regarding the advances they have made over the past thirty years; and

WHEREAS, NOW must take decisive action to sound the alarm through actions and public education campaigns that garner massive media coverage and wake up the country to the imminent threat to Roe and to George W. Bush's intentions to stack the federal courts--including the Supreme Court--with right-wing, anti-Roe justices;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW hold a National Day of Speak-Outs across the country in the fall of 2001, where women will testify about their experiences with restrictions on abortion; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW stage a national sit-in/mock filibuster or conduct meetings in all 100 Senators' home offices on Friday, March 8, 2002, International Women's Day. This action shall sound the alarm on the danger to women should Roe be overturned, including the danger to women should back-alley abortions once again be our only alternative, and shall expose the danger to this nation should we face a future with a court stacked with right-wing ideologues who will vote to overturn Roe; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the actions taken during these sit-ins and meetings include the reading of accurate information and personal testimonials regarding the reproductive rights of women around the globe with special emphasis on restrictions on abortion funding, the decrease in abortion providers in this country in the past decade, the appalling frequency of death due to illegal abortions, and the role of the United States’ and the international gag rule has had in endangering women’s lives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW work to secure pledges from pro-choice senators to filibuster any Supreme Court nominee who is not unequivocally in support of Roe v. Wade; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW put the country on alert that WE WILL NOT GO BACK! Once a resignation is announced, we will call for mass action nationwide, which may include a national march in Washington, D.C., protests at every senator's office, both at home and in Washington, D.C., and massive civil unrest through peaceful, nonviolent demonstrations to mobilize the pro-choice majority in the fight to protect and advance abortion rights won under Roe v. Wade.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has benefitted from the participation of women of color since its inception in 1966; and

WHEREAS, NOW's commitment to inclusiveness expanded with the establishment of the National Task Force on Minority Women and Women's Rights in 1973, and continued with women of color conferences and/or summits in 1979, 1986, and 1998; and

WHEREAS, NOW has a history of supporting welfare rights to provide for the needs of women in poverty, civil rights legislation aimed at ending discrimination in employment, voting rights, housing, lending practices, and at all levels of government and educational institutions; and

WHEREAS, NOW has supported immigration reform aimed at ending discriminatory treatment of undocumented residents and the forced removal of Navajo and Hopi indigenous women from their tribal lands; and

WHEREAS, NOW published in 1974 its first brochure in Spanish, Historia de la Organizacion Nacional de Mujeres;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that, in an effort to rededicate ourselves to eliminating racism, NOW establish a "Racial, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity Month" within the membership to celebrate our commitment to racial and cultural diversity, to educate and sensitize ourselves on racial, cultural and ethnic issues and the nuances of racism, and to foster outreach, communication and reciprocal action within existing networks of women of color;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that chapters and states be encouraged to use NOW's Month of Diversity as a focal point for moving forward in our ongoing commitment to building a racially diverse inclusive women's movement that reflects and looks like the population we serve;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National NOW Action Center lend its resources to provide assistance to chapters and states in this effort, these resources to include preparing an action kit which includes information on study circles and speak-outs on how our members are experiencing racism, for distribution to every chapter,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that chapters and states commit to setting goals for increasing our racial, cultural and ethnic diversity, and strive for a minimum 10% increase in the membership of people of color.

2001

WHEREAS, gender bias is prevalent and pervasive in every level of the United States judicial system, and biased decisions made by judges can adversely affect all of our lives; and

WHEREAS, judicial decisions in family law are often disastrous for women and their children, and judges grant custody to men in the majority of cases when men seek custody and often view claims of abuse to be ploys to win custody; and

WHEREAS, to protect fathers' visitation rights, judges have forced women to live close to their abusers or have refused them the right to relocate when mothers seek to improve their economic and living situations; and

WHEREAS, judges often do further harm to victims of violence by ignoring rape shield laws, by giving light sentences to sexual predators and perpetrators of domestic violence, by ignoring custody guidelines passed to protect abused children, and by failing to give serious consideration to charges of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and sexual harassment; and

WHEREAS, in many states, judicial review systems serve only as a network to protect judges from complaints against them and are non-responsive to public concerns, and the voting public lacks easy access to information pertinent to judicial elections (where held), appointments, and review procedures, often allowing judges to be seated without opposition and with no public discussion of the issues or the candidates; and

WHEREAS, recent U. S. Supreme Court decisions have undermined the rights of individuals to sue states in employment discrimination cases and have bound workers to mandatory arbitration which favors employers; and

WHEREAS, judicial appointments by George W. Bush, particularly at the Supreme Court level, will jeopardize women's lives, especially in the area of access to reproductive health care, and Bush's first 11 nominees for federal circuit courts of appeal include judges and lawyers with close ties to the Federalist Society, former aides to Senators Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms, a partner in the firm that argued Bush's campaign case before the Supreme Court, a former deputy solicitor general under Kenneth Starr, and conservative lawyers who have argued before the Supreme Court in favor of private school vouchers and exempting states from federal lawsuits designed to protect the disabled;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that as part of the Emergency Campaign for Women's Lives (in which states and chapters are encouraged to hold zap actions at Senators' offices or federal buildings to protest any Supreme Court nominees whose confirmations would threaten women's reproductive rights), the National Organization for Women will organize a Save the Courts project designed to help local activists place feminist judges on the bench throughout the judicial system so that women will face less gender bias in the courts and so that more feminist judges will be in the pipeline for advancement to federal court appointments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, in support of this project, NOW states and chapters are encouraged to: 1) identify bad judges through court watch programs or by networking with local advocates who monitor the courts; 2) recruit and support feminist candidates for judges where elected and to lobby for positive appointments elsewhere, targeting the removal of bad judges; 3) investigate the judicial review process in their state and, where needed, work to make the process more responsive to the people and work with the Action Center to identify and promote a model system for other states to follow; and 4) promote their state's use of judicial education programs, such as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund’s National Judicial Education Program, to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence issues and to eliminate gender bias; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW suggests that the NOW/PAC develop materials to assist chapters in developing questionnaires for judicial candidates that can ascertain their position on NOW issues in accordance with the judicial canon of ethics and hold training sessions to promote the recruitment of feminist candidates (including, but not limited to, judges), including skills in precinct or district assessment and candidate and resource assessment of viability, so that feminist voters are not always condemned to voting for the lesser of two evils.

2001

WHEREAS, many cosmetics, toilet articles, laundry products and, of course, perfumes, contain scents; and

WHEREAS, there are people who attend or wish to attend local, state, and national meetings and conferences of the National Organization for Women (NOW) who have adverse reactions to these scented products; and

WHEREAS, NOW wishes to ensure that the National Office and Board and all members and state and local chapters are educated regarding the hazards of scented products to some individuals; and

WHEREAS, NOW wishes to make all its meetings and conferences on a local, state, and national level as welcoming to all regardless of disability; and

WHEREAS, many people have Environmental Illness (EI) or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and for some of these individuals the entire world has become an allergen. No one knows the ultimate effect of the four million chemicals created since 1915. For many, it manifests in EI/MCS. The bodily immune system weakens and one's entire body becomes hypersensitive to foods and surroundings. In effect, environmentally ill people are like the miners’ canaries – the first to alert others about the hazardous environment; and

WHEREAS, the reactions of people with EI and MCS can include traditional allergic reactions or toxic chemical responses and such reactions can last for days or be life threatening. Symptoms also can include headaches, migraines, respiratory reactions, fatigue, gastrointestinal disturbances, arthritic pain, mental confusion, memory loss, and mood swings; and

WHEREAS, for those who are affected by chemicals, perfumes and scented products are some of the hardest airborne toxins to avoid; and

WHEREAS, what seems like a mild fragrance to one person can be an excruciatingly toxic scent to a sensitive person. That mild scent may result in an ambulance ride to the hospital; and

WHEREAS, numerous organizations, including the Sierra Club and the federal Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, have recognized the necessity for a scent-free meeting policy; and

WHEREAS, the National Board of NOW has resolved to educate the NOW membership of the importance of holding NOW conferences as scent-free events and has done an excellent job educating the NOW membership and the hotel for the 2001 National NOW conference;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that for all local, state, and national meetings and conferences of NOW, people be requested to refrain from wearing or using perfumes and colognes, essential oils, scented body lotions and soaps, scented deodorant, scented hair products, and scented laundry soaps and fabric softener in clothing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that rooms that have new carpeting and/or are freshly painted shall be avoided for meetings and conferences since such rooms can be extremely toxic to individuals with EI or MCS; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National Office shall distribute this policy statement to all state and local chapters and the National Board by November 1, 2001.

2001

WHEREAS, the struggle for suffrage was a building block for the women’s movement and feminist and democratic advances that took nearly a century to win and is a victory we must fiercely defend; and

WHEREAS, the electoral process is a tool for advancing the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) and all women’s priorities and compromising our basic right to vote puts all our gains and future gains at greater risk; and

WHEREAS, NOW is and has been speaking out about this injustice. We must officially record our opposition to this travesty of democracy for the citizens, particularly women and people of color in the United States; and

WHEREAS, feminists publicly calling George W. Bush on stealing the election will cramp his anti-woman, anti-people agenda; and

WHEREAS, the Black Caucus, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the labor movement are leading the charge in exposing and retaliating against this injustice; following their lead, NOW should take a strong stand; and

WHEREAS, the events of the election in Florida exposed a nationwide epidemic of electoral fraud that took aim at progressives, particularly African-Americans, and NOW believes that racist attacks keep us all down; and

WHEREAS, the U. S. Supreme Court thwarted the will of the people by selecting George W. Bush;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that NOW make voting rights reform one of its legislative priorities and work to add gender to the Voting Rights Act and continue to participate in the investigation into electoral problems in crafting reform solutions at local, state, and national levels.

2001

WHEREAS, according to the last two Conference of Mayors reports, the federal minimum wage is insufficient to afford anyone housing in any major city in America; and

WHEREAS, two-thirds of the 11.8 million minimum-wage workers in the United States are women; and

WHEREAS, women make up three-fifths of all adults living in poverty, and 35 percent of all female-headed households are below poverty in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the 2000 Conference of Mayors Report described the minimum wage as the most significant contributing factor to homelessness today; and

WHEREAS, there are 2 million homeless citizens in this country; and

WHEREAS, in its 1998 survey of 30 American cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness; and

WHEREAS, homeless minimum-wage workers have, for no other reason than because they are homeless, become the specific target of hate crimes; and

WHEREAS, their ability to work themselves off the streets of America would remove them as targets of these hate crimes; and

WHEREAS, a universal living wage formula which is indexed to the local cost of housing throughout the United States would ensure that any 40-hour-per-week minimum-wage worker can afford housing; and

WHEREAS, a universal living wage formula can end homelessness for fully one third of America's homeless citizens and prevent homelessness for all minimum wage workers;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women endorses and fully supports the replacement of the federal minimum wage with a universal living wage formula which ensures that a 40 hour a week, minimum wage worker can afford at least an efficiency apartment anywhere in the United States.

2001

WHEREAS, the right to full democratic representation is one of the fundamental rights upon which the United States was founded; and

WHEREAS, citizens of the District of Columbia gained delegates to the Electoral College in 1968, through ratification of the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution. However, subsequent attempts to expand D.C. voting rights, including constitutional amendments to grant the District of Columbia congressional representation and statehood, have failed; and

WHEREAS, the 570,000 residents of the District of Columbia continue to be denied this right and still lack voting representation in both Houses of Congress, yet bear the full burden of U.S. citizenship, including taxation and military service; and

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia continues to be prevented from enacting progressive policies promoting and protecting women's rights by congressional interference; and

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia would likely elect progressive leaders to Congress who would support feminist issues and positions, including abortion rights; and

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has been a longtime supporter of equal representation for all U.S. citizens, since 1978 when we endorsed the constitutional amendment to grant D.C. congressional representation;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW support full and unqualified voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia and urge all NOW members and sub-units to lobby their representatives in the U.S. Congress to give full congressional voting representation to the citizens of the District of Columbia.

2001

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) launched the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign in 1999 to provide women workplaces free of sexual harassment and violence; and

WHEREAS, the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign is an ongoing priority of NOW; and

WHEREAS, the workplace is the scene of one million violent crimes per year where an average of 13,000 rapes per year have occurred between 1987 and 1992; and

WHEREAS, homicide is the most frequent cause of fatal injury of women at work and of those killed, 17% were killed by people known to them, including intimate partners or relatives; and

WHEREAS, three-fourths of employed battered women report being harassed by their batterers in person or by phone while on the job; and

WHEREAS, employers often fail to provide adequate security and protection from attacks by strangers, intimate partners, or coworkers; sixty-five percent of workers say their companies offer no training on workplace violence and employers often fail to respond to concerns raised by employees about workplace security; and

WHEREAS, some employers are using state Workers' Compensation laws to avoid liability for their negligence when it results in sexual assault or domestic violence being perpetrated in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, Workers' Compensation laws were intended to protect employees from work-related injuries or conditions of employment, and rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence are neither work-related injuries nor conditions of employment; and

WHEREAS, many state Workers' Compensation systems are inadequate because the systems may only compensates victims for medical expenses and lost wages and cannot address the full range of damages suffered by victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; and

WHEREAS, being forced to go through the Workers' Compensation system can bar employees from filing civil lawsuits until their cases are adjudicated by a Workers' Compensation board, which can take up to seven years in some states; and

WHEREAS, state courts have upheld the misuse of Workers' Compensation as a shield for employer liability in such circumstances; and

WHEREAS, this is part of a nationwide trend to deny us access to courts through such mechanisms as mandatory arbitration of employment disputes and mandatory mediation in divorce;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW oppose the abuse of Workers' Compensation law to deny victims of violence in the workplace access to the courts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW educate chapters and encourage them to work with local labor unions, employers' groups, and anti-violence organizations to end this misuse of Workers’ Compensation law; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW develop and make available to chapters resource materials on this issue, including model legislation such as that proposed in New York State, clarifying that Workers’ Compensation was not intended to act as a shield to employers whose negligence results in workplace violence.