Women's History Month Event A Success

The panel discussion with distinguished guests Dr. Heidi Hartmann, Donna Payne, Sue Swenson, and Olga Vives was an enormous success. The event marked a celebration of Women's History and celebrated the victories for women and for America.

Olga Vives, Executive Vice-President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), noted those successes, but also focused on the challenges that still remain:

But – there is a but – some women’s voices and life experiences are NOT in the feminist movement of today. And the question for us to find an answer to is how we make sure that the feminist movement is inclusive, looks like the society we live in, and speaks to the issues affecting all women, not just some.

For example - when we talk about reproductive rights, we need to talk about abortion rights but also about access to reproductive health services, contraceptives, testing for breast and cervical cancers; and that this should be accessible to all women regardless of income, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance, regardless of where they live in this country.

When we talk about economic fairness, we need to frame it in terms of justice – a livable wage, education and training, affordable housing and transportation, childcare and after school programs. 70% of all families with children in the US have the adults working outside of the home.

When we talk about immigration reform, this needs to includes a path to residency, bringing women to the labor force and out of the shadows, protected against workplace abuses, exploitation and violence.

Young women need to feel that they are being heard, that their vote is important and that they are welcome into the movement with their own ideas of activism, their “new” way to effect change.

It is imperative that we find a way to have women who have not been with us but have our vision of a more just and equal society be part of the feminist movement.

She continued, noting that more need to be done to "make equality a reality in every woman’s life." Her words, like so many others, contributed to this event contributing to an important conversation we need to have in this country about equality for all women.