NOW General Information
General Information
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION for WOMEN:
Founded in 1966, NOW has grown into the largest feminist organization
in this country. NOW activists - women and men - have been at the forefront
of every issue relating to full equality for women in our country. NOW
has over 37 chapters in Florida including West Palm Beach NOW, South Palm
Beach County NOW, and Broward County NOW. For information call (561)
487-9878 or email to spalmnow@yahoo.com
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WHO CARES ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS? NOW CARES!
THAT'S RIGHT!
Because of sex discrimination, women are paid about 71 cents for
every dollar men are paid for full time employment, and most women are
self supporting heads of households or necessary contributors to a
family income.
Millions of older women are condemned to lives of poverty because
the Social Security system perpetuates the injustice; women over 65
average about $6,300 a year, less than 60% of what men average.
Female-headed families in the U.S. are four times as likely to be
poor as male-headed or couple-headed families. According to the
National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity, at the present rate
by the year 2,000 the poor will be made up almost entirely of women and
children. NOW refers to this phenomenon as "the feminization of
poverty."
FEMINIZATION OF POWER
If we are to reverse the feminization of poverty, we must have a
Feminization of Power. We must move more feminist women into policy-
making positions in government, business, education, religion and all
the other powerful institutions of society.
Women are barely tokens in the decision-making bodies of our
nation, so the laws that govern us are made by men. In Congress,
women make up 5% of the lawmakers; in state legislatures, the number
is less than 16%.
NOW works for women and men who support feminist goals and
encourages women to be politically active, to run for office from any
political party, and to participate in the decision-making processes
of the nation.
ECONOMIC RIGHTS
NOW is fighting for equality in jobs, pay, credit, insurance,
pensions, fringe benefits, and Social Security -- through legislation,
negotiation, labor organizing, education, and litigation. We are,
in short, dedicated to winning full economic equality for women.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
Women are still not in the fundamental law of the land. The
ERA is essential to establish equality under the law for women.
Equality in pay, job opportunities, insurance, social security,
and education will remain an elusive dream without the ERA, and we
are committed to its passage. The progress we have made for women's
rights, and must continue to make, can be lost at any time without
the strength of a Constitutional foundation.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
NOW affirms that these are issues of life and death for women,
not mere matters of choice. NOW supports access to safe and legal
abortion, to effective birth control, to reproductive health and
education. We oppose attempts to restrict these rights through
legislation, regulation or Constitutional amendment.
LESBIAN/GAY RIGHTS
NOW is committed to fighting discrimination based on sexual
orientation in all areas, including employment, housing, public
accommodations, child custody, and military and immigration policy.
NOW asserts the right of lesbians and gays to live their lives with
dignity and security.
ELIMINATING RACISM
NOW condemns the racism which inflicts a double burden of race
and sex discrimination on women of color. Seeing human rights as
indivisible, we are committed to identifying and fighting against
those barrier to equality and justice that are imposed by racism.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
NOW supports public programs to provide early childhood
development as well as quality child care to meet the needs of children
of all ages and their parents in all economic backgrounds.
OLDER WOMEN'S RIGHTS
NOW is dedicated to ensuring economic protections for older
women, who are all too often condemned to lives of poverty. NOW is
working to change the discriminatory Social Security system, pension,
retirement programs, and health insurance plans to assure older women
some measure of dignity and security.
HOMEMAKERS' RIGHTS
NOW actively supports full rights for homemakers and recognition
for the economic value of the vital services they perform for family
and society. We also support legislation and program reflecting the
reality of marriage as an equal economic partnership.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
NOW challenges and acts to change the image of women as victims,
which leaves them vulnerable to sexual assault and spouse abuse. We have
pioneered model rape and spouse assault legislation as well as support
programs for battered women, and have promoted self-defense programs
for women.
EDUCATION DISCRIMINATION
NOW pursues the rights of girls and women to education without
discrimination or segregation, equal opportunity in recreation and
sports, and programs that achieve educational equality for women.
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These are not the only issues that fall into the wide-ranging category
of women's rights. We are concerned, too, about society's insensitivity
to the needs of the physically challenged, women's health needs, the
attitudes toward and position of women in organized religion, the
image of women in the media, the special problems of rural women, and
many others. All are part of our organizational purpose to "bring
women into full participation in the mainstream of American society
NOW."
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HOW NOW WORKS
MEMBERS
We invite everyone to join NOW; support of NOW's goals is the only
membership requirement. The membership, meeting yearly in Conference,
is the supreme governing body of NOW.
CHAPTERS
NOW draws its broad grassroots strength from a nationwide network
of local chapters. The chapters are chartered by national NOW, consist
of at least 10 members, and engage in a wide variety of activities and
action programs in their communities.
STATES
State organizations are defined by their members and local
chapters. In general, they serve to develop chapters, coordinate
statewide activities, including lobbying in the state legislatures,
serve as a resource to the chapters, and coordinate communication
between various levels of the organization.
REGIONS
The nine regions are Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Mid-
South, South Central, Great Lakes, Prairie States, Northwest, and
Southwest. Each region, in Conference, elects members to the National
Board of Directors, the body which governs the organization between
national conferences.
NATIONAL
The national level of the organization is led by four elected
national officers, by the national Board of Directors, and by
national issues committees. National is responsible for implementing
policy as formulated by the annual National Conference, coordinating
national actions, and providing membership services.
