Statement: Proposal One – C

THESE PROPOSALS ARE TO DISCUSS CONCEPTS ONLY.  ACTUAL LANGUAGE WILL BE DRAFTED AT A LATER TIME.

Watch the webinar recording for Statement of NOW’s Purpose.  

We encourage you to use the PowerPoint presented at the webinar and the Structure Modernization Discussion Guide to help facilitate conversations in your networks.  

 Statement: Proposal One – C

  • To be used in NOW’s bylaws as the Statement of Purpose:
    • “NOW’s purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism, leading societal change by embracing feminist ideals. This purpose includes, but is not limited to, equal rights and responsibilities in all aspects of social, political, and economic life, and it includes freedom from discrimination because of race, ethnic origin, citizenship status, economic status, age, marital status, sexual orientation/identity, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or parenthood.”

Posting Instructions

1. If you want to share your thoughts on a proposal (remember these are just concepts, the actual language will be developed later), write your reply in the text box below the words Leave Reply, and in the box “Enter your comment here…”

 

2. If you want to respond to a comment that another NOW member has left regarding a proposal, click the small blue link that says “Reply” underneath said comment. It is very important that you click this reply button and not start another comment so that the conversation is easily followed and clear!

3. You MUST put your full name and chapter affiliation before every comment you leave. If a comment does not have a name and chapter affiliation it will not be approved. This is to ensure that only NOW members are commenting.

4. Remember be respectful and friendly! All NOW members want to work to improve the organization and it takes collaboration and patience on our part as a grassroots organization to make sure that all of our members voices are heard – even those with whom we may disagree with.

5. Be creative and don’t be afraid to say what you think! It is vital that you share your opinions — in order to create the best proposals possible we need to know what all of the members think! This site is for YOU to have your voices heard.

8 thoughts on “Statement: Proposal One – C”

  1. Bonnie Shapiro, NNJ NOW

    I dislike anything that cannot be used in a conversation with a young woman who asks “What is NOW’s purpose?” I do not want to have to carry it around with me because it is too long to memorize. This also sounds like we are more interested in words than in actions.

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  2. Very nice, Joanne and crew!
    In A., might we say “…ensure all individuals’, regardless of gender,…human rights….”, as not everyone identifies as a woman, girl, man, or boy?

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  3. Initially, I was a bit uncomfortable about the term “intersectional.” I understood what was being said but thought it might be too hard understand. So several NOW members worked and reworked this idea and came up with new wording that I believe makes for a better, more inclusive statement. It also “sings” IMHO. In addition we kept the term “acting” and “action” in the statement which I feel is important as we are an activist organization. Note this is a collective idea.

    It contains two parts, the first part is what we in NOW generally think of as a statement of purpose. The second part defines and concertizes the statement. Here it is.

    Article II. Statement of Purpose
    A. The National Organization for Women (NOW) is a human-rights based, intersectional feminist organization. NOW envisions a fair and just society where all human beings are equally and fully valued, socially, economically, and politically. This purpose includes, but is not limited to acting at the local, state, national and international level to ensure all women and girls’, men and boys’ universal and interconnected human rights are recognized, affirmed and actively protected.
    B. To effectuate this purpose, NOW adopts an intersectional framework that includes, but is not limited to racial, reproductive, economic, social, and environmental justice. This framework seeks to take action to expose and dismantle structural inequalities, including but not limited to racialized hetero-patriarchal gender roles and norms, explicit and implicit stereotype bias and discrimination based on sex, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, marital status, sexual history or behavior, real or imputed race, color ethnicity, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, geographical or social origin, property, birth, physical or mental disability, health status, including hiv, ad civil, political, social or other status.

    Joanne Tosti-Vasey
    Ni-Ta-Nee NOW
    PA 0555

    Liked by 1 person

  4. “…exemplifying feminist process” rather than “embracing feminist ideals”. I like intersectionality. This is what everyone needs to embrace; better for us to be among the first organizations to model it rather than to be late to the party and have to change our statement again in a few years after it catches on.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Theresa Bergen, Rockland NOW, NY
    Like the “grassroots”, it is what makes us who we are.

    “Intersectional”… I’m one of those folks who had to ask what it is. I like and understand the concept but the word itself is too inside, too academic.

    the laundry list…. never liked it.

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  6. DIna S Willner, NNJ NOW

    I like this one because it specifically mentions NOW’s grassroots organizing, which I feel is very important.

    Liked by 1 person

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