Florida NOW

Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s far past time Alexander Acosta resigned. Since December, the National Organization for Women has been calling on him to leave his post as Secretary of Labor. Acosta allowed Jeffrey Epstein, a serial child molester, to use his wealth, power and influence to escape serious penalties for his crimes. The charges brought against him should have resulted in Epstein spending the rest of his life in prison —but instead, he played “let’s make a deal” to subvert justice and escape punishment.   

Alexander Acosta perpetuated the culture of sexual harassment and assault that is a core theme in the anti-women Trump administration – thank goodness he is gone, but we still have work to do.  

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recent reporting confirms that migrants are being subjected to inhumane conditions at detention centers run by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agency. Furthermore, an investigation by ProPublica revealed abhorrent online behavior of CBP agents targeting both women and people of color with hostile and derogatory remarks. NOW stands against the mistreatment of migrants and condemns the pervasive culture of sexism and racism at CBP. We call for these cruel policies and detention centers to end.  

The CBP has the lowest percentage of women on their force out of any federal law enforcement agency. This troubling fact clearly manifests itself in the misogynistic and racist behavior exhibited by CBP agents. Additional reports from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ visit to these centers demonstrate an extremely troubling environment and a toxic culture. If these agents treat Congressional representatives with cruelty and disdain, one can only imagine how terribly migrants are treated. 

The United States must be held to a higher standard. Women of color have been the targets of sexist and racist abuse for too long and it must stop. NOW stands with immigrants. We stand with people of color. And we stand with women. CBP must be held accountable for their actions.  

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

WASHINGTON, D.C. – From protecting women’s reproductive health and equal pay, to immigration reform and the importance of the female vote in the upcoming elections, women’s issues are dominating headlines every single day. Next month in Minnesota, the National Organization for Women (NOW)  will hold its annual conference, with events revolving around this year’s theme: “Feminist Agenda Rising: Our Time is Now.” NOW and its members will come together and discuss how to tackle the most important issues confronting women today across all races and in all communities.  

Several key speakers are scheduled, including a featured presentation by comedian and Daily Show Co-founder Lizz Winstead. Additional speakers include:    

• Toni Van Pelt, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW)  
• Christian F. Nunes, Vice President of NOW   
• Sarah Deer, Professor, University of Kansas’ Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies  
• Hala Ayala, State Delegate for Virginia  
• Carol Jenkins, Co – President and CEO of the ERA Coalition/Fund for Women’s Equality  
• Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein, Assistant Majority Leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives  
• U.S. Representative Angie Craig, Minnesota’s Second Congressional District  
• Rebecca Lucero, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Rights  
• Senator Pat Spearman, Nevada District 1 and leader of the ERA ratification effort  
• Eleanor Smeal, Co-founder of the Feminist Majority, former president of the NOW and publisher of Ms. magazine  
•  Meggie Wittorf, Executive Director of Women Winning  
• Freda Williams Mckee, President of the Missouri State Chapter of NOW  
• Julie Blaha, Minnesota state auditor  
• Debbie Goettel, Commissioner for Hennepin County, District 5  
• Erin Maye Quade, Gender Justice Advocate  

 NOW is pleased to honor the following women at the conference for their work as advocates for women’s issues: 

• Farah Tanis, Woman of Action Award  
• Dr. Alice Mann, Victoria J. Mastrobuono Award for Women’s Health Honoree  
• Erin Murphy, Woman of Courage Award  
• Lizz Winstead, Woman of Impact Award  
• Alice Cohan, Lifetime Achievement Award  
• Catharine A. Mackinnon, Woman of Vision Award  

 WHAT:  NOW’s Annual Conference – The full conference agenda is available here. 

 WHEN:  July 19-21, 2019  

 WHERE: Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America ,  3800 American Blvd. E, Bloomington, MN 55425   

 SOCIAL MEDIA:  Follow us: Via Facebook (@NationalNOW), and Twitter (@NationalNOW, and Instagram (@NationalNOW) and interact with us about the conference using #NOWCon2019  

MEDIA CONTACT: Members of the media who wish to attend NOW’s annual conference in Minnesota, please contact Kimberly Hayes at press@now.org and include your name, title, news outlet and contact information.  You will receive a separate email regarding the status of your credential request closer to the conference.   

Additional information about the conference is available at: https://now.org/conference/ 

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About NOW  

As the grassroots arm of the women’s movement, the National Organization for Women is dedicated to its multi-issue and multi-strategy approach to women’s rights and is the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States. NOW has hundreds of chapters and hundreds of thousands of members and activists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since our founding in 1966, NOW’s purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.  

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745