Let's raise a glass to the coming year and savor the moments we have to relax and chill out together.

Please join the Global Black Caucus and the Global Women's Caucus for cocktails at a local bar. This event is open to all DA members.

DA Greece is doing a great job arranging everything and they will have the location firmed up soon, so don't worry; all the venues are just a 5-minute walk from the hotel.

We hope you will join us for a drink before dinner.

Cheers!

You're Invited!

Join us directly following the close of our EMEA Regional Meeting in Athens for Sunday lunch at Hermion, a lovely garden restaurant, just a 5-minute walk from our meeting venue.

We will enjoy a classic Greek meal, hear from speakers and continue our discussion of women’s issues and caucus plans going into election season.

This post will be updated with more details as we finalize our program

We’ve arranged for a complete 3-course meal at a special price, but feel free to order directly off the Hermion menu if you’d rather. 

Please help us in our planning by selecting your preference here

Please note that this is a “no-host” event and each person will be billed individually for what they order.

Space is limited, so RSVP below right away! See you in Athens!

On April 12, 2019, the DAUK Film Committee and the DAUK Women’s Caucus screened the documentary "RBG: A Progressive Icon in these Troubled Times” in London. “Super Diva” is on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s sweatshirt at her weekly routine in this lively biography. And “Super Diva’ she is to the young students attending her recent public appearances. The term is well-earned as we hear family, friends and colleagues talk of RBG’s impressive legal acumen, tireless work ethic, quiet determination, and successful strategies to advance gender equality in the United States.

We see her 1992 Senate nomination hearing outlining some of the many cases pursued while a law professor and general counsel of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, winning five of the six gender discrimination case before the Supreme Court. It is shocking to remember that, in 1959, despite graduating first in her law school class, she was turned down NY law firms and denied a Supreme Court clerkship because she was a woman.

There are amusing vignettes from her private life: opera, travel and a supportive husband who famously promoted her Supreme Court nomination. But what shines through is her dedication to the law and her mode of overcoming sexism: “Be a lady and be independent.” And the Justice continues as a “rock star” with her independent thinking in eloquent dissents in today’s Supreme Court.

It was an excellent film and we would highly recommend it. RBG is now available on iTunes!

Watch the trailer

Highlights of the March 8 events in Oslo

There is an irony in the fact that Norway, which is ranked as the second most female friendly nation (2018 ranking*1), is so dedicated to the International Women’s Day. Have they not already achieved equality? The strong engagement is a good barometer for Norway’s general commitment to support women’s rights. The laws here do support women both in the workplace and home. Norway, traditionally a farming nation, recognized the contributions of farmer wives, decades ago, by giving them the status of a regular workers, entitled them to increased social security and workman’s benefits. Now girls are taken over farms since the law on inheritance has changed, favoring the first-born child, replacing the first born “male” as the heir. The law now also states that all corporate boards must be minimum 40% female; however, women tend not to rise as rapidly as men on the corporate ladder. A major newspaper recently reported that more men are going into female dominated vocations, such as nursing and teaching, and a larger percentage of women now seek higher education than men. 

Michael Flood, Queensland University of Technology

Young men who conform to traditional definitions of manhood are more likely to suffer harm to themselves, and do harm to others, according to a new survey of Australian men aged 18 to 30.

This is the first major Australian survey to map ideals of masculinity among young men, commissioned as part of the Jesuit Social Services’ Men’s Project, which is dedicated to helping boys and men live respectful, accountable and fulfilling lives.

The researchers surveyed 1,000 young men on their attitudes toward seven pillars of traditional manhood: self-sufficiency, toughness, physical attractiveness, rigid gender roles, heterosexuality and homophobia, hypersexuality, and aggression and control over women. These represent what we call the “Man Box”, or the ideals of manhood that can be both influential and restrictive to young men.

The men were asked about their perceptions of societal messages about manhood and their own endorsement of these messages.

Our findings showed that many young men remain greatly influenced by these societal messages of what it means to be a man. For example, young men were particularly likely to agree with statements that society expects men to act strong (69%), fight back when pushed (60%) and never say no to sex (56%).

However, some traditional ideals seem to be dropping away. Few young men agreed that society tells them they should use violence to get respect (35%), straight men should shun gay men as friends (36%), boys shouldn’t learn how to cook and clean (38%), and men shouldn’t do household chores (39%).

Read more: Masculinity should not be defined by the Kavanaugh hearings

A Call to Action! Here's everything you need to create your own IWD party

Collective action is how we achieve positive change. Women, men, young and old -- we all have a part to play in achieving a more gender-balanced world. With increased equality comes a more just and prosperous society, so this year’s International Women’s Day theme is all about creating #BalanceForBetter.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is on March 8, play your part and consider hosting your own IWD event this month!

Never hosted an International Women’s Day event before? No problem. We came prepared with a few resources and suggestions! Consider going over a brief history of International Women’s Day, have an open and honest discussion about gender-based discrimination, watch an informative video on the Equal Rights Amendment, play a few rounds of Women’s History Month trivia, and come up with your own action ideas to help the women and men in your community build #BalanceForBetter.

Use the links below to download all the tools, templates and videos you need to make your International Women's Day. event a success:

International Women’s Day 2019 Suggested Agenda and Additional Resources

International Women’s Day 2019 Slides

Learn more about the Equal Rights Amendments

Watch the film Legalize Equality

Step up and find your #BalanceForBetter

The Equal Rights Amendment resolution passed unanimously in Tokyo where we committed to do whatever we can to help get the ERA ratified.  See the resolution here.

Watch the video "Legalize Equality."  This 30-minute video gives an excellent overview of the Equal Rights Amendment and why it is critical to be ratified.  

You can watch the video until 31 December 2019.

To receive the streaming link and password, click RSVP and you will receive an email with the information in it.

Feel free to share the link and password to DA members that want to view it.  However, please do NOT post the link and password on the internet in any way.  Only Democrats Abroad has access for this private screening and we need to honor this special access given by Equal Means Equal and Heroica Films.  

Additional References to learn more about ERA:

Join our ERA Photo and Video Campaign!

We are SO CLOSE now to getting the ERA ratified! The Virginia general assembly starts their session on January 9^th and the Virginia Equal Means Equal team needs our help right now!

They would love to have some photos and videos of Americans living abroad who support ERA to use to win over some votes. So if you could take a photo holding a sign and/or make a 30-45 second video, that would be appreciated. Here are the simple guidelines.

If possible, they would like by the end of the week so they can put something together for a big event in Richmond on Jan 8. So if you could send something in before then, that would be great. However, if you miss this first deadline, we have also been asked by both Arizona and North Carolina for the same thing and they do not need as soon. Just send as soon as you can!

So – show your support of women and equal rights by creating a photo and/or video. Send the photo and video links to era@democratsabroad.org

THANK YOU for your help! 

Thank you for reading our DA Global Women’s Caucus Summer Newsletter.

We are all very excited about the work we have been doing since our last newsletter and the work yet to come, so here is our update.