November 21, 2023

GWC November 2023 Newsletter



I’m thrilled to announce a significant milestone for our Global Women’s Caucus: Three resolutions, central to the concerns of American women, and sponsored by members of our GWC steering committee, were voted upon during a special session of the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA) over the weekend and received resounding approval! 

These resolutions encompass critical elements vital to the freedom of all American women, including:

  1. Equal Rights Amendment Affirmation: urging the President and Congress to affirm the status of the ERA as the 28th Amendment of the constitution.
  2. Reproductive Rights and Bodily Autonomy: Advocating for federal protection for women’s reproductive choices and bodily autonomy,  and creating strategies to mobilize the vote among American women abroad around this issue.
  3. Protecting America’s Children: Supporting legislation to protect our future by protecting America’s children from a broad range of threats ranging from gun violence to climate collapse.

You can find copies of the documents here.

These resolutions will serve as a blueprint for our 2024 platform and will guide future initiatives. We will kick off this important task with our popular “Kitchen Table Talks,” discussion series- a platform where every member of DA can actively participate and contribute their insights, ensuring that all voices are represented in our platform development process,

Women’s Rights are under attack like never before, but we are not powerless! We need to elect more champions of women’s equality and reproductive freedom to our government at every level, which means that we need your help to win upcoming elections. 

Please consider joining our team of GWC volunteers, an extraordinary band of feminist activists doing important and purposeful work from every corner of the globe. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a  recent graduate seeking opportunities to hone your skills and build your resume, if you’re navigating the “empty nester” phase like I am, or retired and looking for ways to invest your time and energy in a meaningful way, we would welcome your help! GWC offers diverse opportunities across a wide range of teams and projects in small, medium, and large, all needing dedicated volunteers just like you! Although our hard work may not boost our bank accounts, the gratification is immeasurable! Collaborating with like-minded activists, making friends around the globe, and above all, knowing that our collective efforts are shaping a better future for all of us is reward enough! Join us in this meaningful journey!  For more information, please visit our volunteer page here and discover how you can play a role in creating a better world. 

With warmest regards,

 Ann Hesse, Chair, Global Women’s Caucus

 Join us

      


Join to hear an activist from each campaign describe the amendment, the campaign, progress to date, getting the amendments on the ballot and then the planned campaign through 2024. Florida has a tough, 60% vote requirement but polling is showing voters are supporting both amendments.  RSVP here...

 

Join us on Saturday, January 06, 2024 at 8 am ET/2 pm CET for a Webinar with Jamie Raskin.  RSVP here...

 

Attention all women and allies! We have an exciting event coming up that you definitely don't want to miss. Join us on January 13, 2024, at 8 am ET for a discussion on how we can shape the future of our country and beyond.  RSVP here...

 

Our next meeting of “Books Abroad” will take place on Sunday, January 14, at 4pm CET. Participants have suggested books that might be interesting to us all. What book should we read next?  Vote for your favorite book here...  and  RSVP here...

 

For a full list of events, including from other caucuses & chapters, visit our Events page.



To volunteer with any of our teams, simply fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.

The Equal Rights Amendment still has not been published in the U.S. Constitution despite meeting all the constitutional requirements in January 2020.   The Trump administration blocked the publication and the Biden administration has not published it. The ERA Coalition recently went to Geneva to request the United Nations to urge the United States to publish the ERA – see short video here. We need the ERA to enshrine equal rights for women and LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. Constitution. If you’d like to help, go to our advocacy page and contact your Senators and your House Representative to support the ERA bills before them. To stay informed on the Equal Rights Amendment, see our ERA task force page and sign up for updates.


Our next meeting of “Books Abroad” will take place on Sunday, January 14, at 4pm CET.  Our team covers subjects relevant to women's lives and encourages timely conversations related to our existence as compassionate, informed citizens.  

For our next meeting, participants have suggested books that might be interesting to us all. The list of books is below. You can get reviews of these online.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
Trans by Helen Joyce
Material Girls by Kathleen Stock
Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier
Tomboy by Lisa Selin Davis
The End of Gender by Debra Soh
Time to Think by Hannah Barnes
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammond

VOTE for your favorite book here. And if you have suggestions of your own, please let us know by emailing your Books Abroad Team Leaders, Connie Borde & Sheila Malovany-Chevallier, at [email protected]Voting closes December 10, 2023 in order to provide you with enough time to purchase and read the book.

To learn more about why we read and what we’ve read, go to our Books Abroad blog page



WE WON BIG ON TUESDAY NOV 7th!!!

The biggest win is OHIO which voted for a constitutional amendment to the Ohio State Constitution legalizing abortion. A "yes" vote supported amending the Ohio Constitution to:

  • provide a state constitutional right to "make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to" decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy, and
  • allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.” 

This is the new “trend” to overcoming vicious anti choice legislation such as Ohio’s which criminalizes women: the push to amend State Constitutions to permit freedom of choice.

Also, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court candidate Daniel McCaffery who ran on supporting abortion rights, won, giving Democrats a 5-2 majority on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

And in Kentucky, the Governor. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who criticized his opponent’s defense of the state’s near-total ban on abortion won.

Finally, Democrats took the Statehouse in Virginia by candidates who opposed the 15-week abortion ban proposed by the Republican governor.

So one more victory for the Right to Choose.

The fight is NOT OVER and we need your help.  

WOMEN ARE ON THE BALLOT.

To volunteer, contact [email protected]




Alicante, Spain Roundup 

By Kathy Tullos, DA Spain chair 

Dozens of enthusiastic DA leaders attended the late October EMEA retreat in Alicante, Spain. Kicked off at a reception at a lovely rooftop bar with a view of the Mediterranean and a full moon, the retreat included almost two days’ worth of quality programming on topics such as fundraising, volunteer engagement, and the Global Presidential Primary. The DA Global Chair, Martha McDevitt-Pugh, and a host of other female leaders noted how pivotal issues affecting women, particularly choice, will be front and center in the 2024 elections. Participants enjoyed all of these opportunities - and the tapas and paella as well!


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Thank you for reading this issue, and please share with your friends and family.

In solidarity,

The Global Women’s Caucus


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