Legislation Aims To Decrease Teen Pregnancy and Dating Violence Among Young People of Color

WASHINGTON, DC – Recognizing the need for a broader approach to address teen pregnancy in communities of color, including the role coercion and violence plays in unintended pregnancy, legislators today introduced a bill to help young people of color get information and skills they need to build healthy relationships.

The “Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2011,” HR 2678, was introduced today by U.S. Representative and Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Task Force, Lucille Roybal-Allard (D, CA-34), and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Both are long-time champions of efforts to reduce health disparities and violence among Latinos and other ethnic communities. The bill breaks ground as the first federal program to integrate teen dating violence prevention and teen pregnancy prevention, and in recognizing the need of racial or ethnic minority and immigrant communities for culturally appropriate information and education on these issues.

In 2009 the teen birth rate for Latinas, African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives was more than double the teen birth rate of non-Hispanic Caucasians. However, disparities in contraceptive use are closely connected to social and economic inequities in communities of color; for example, a Latina girl is three times more likely to be without health insurance than her white counterpart.

“Myths — rather than realities — have too often guided the public discourse about Latinas and pregnancy,” said Maria Elena Perez, Interim Executive Director at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. “Young women of color in general, and particularly immigrant young women, have less access to the health care and information they need to be able to make the reproductive choices that are right for them.”

The number of teens facing violence and coercion is equally striking, with 1 in 4 adolescents reporting emotional, physical, or sexual violence each year. Adolescent girls in physically abusive relationships are three times more likely to become pregnant than non-abused girls.

“Dating violence is a growing crisis among our teens,” said Esta Soler, Founder and President of Futures Without Violence, formerly Family Violence Prevention Fund. “Teens in abusive relationships are at significantly higher risk for unintended pregnancy, poor pregnancy outcomes, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. These can be reduced if we teach young people how to create and build healthy relationships.”

The Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Act would:

• fund teenage pregnancy prevention program interventions with a focus on supporting community-based organizations that have experienced barriers in accessing federal teen pregnancy prevention funding and can serve youth in ethnic and racial groups with the highest teen pregnancy rates;

• fund multimedia public education and awareness about teen pregnancy and related social and emotional issues, such as violence prevention;

• study factors that contribute to disproportionately high rates of teenage and unintended pregnancy in communities of color, and the role that violence and abuse play in the decisions young people make about relationships, sex, pregnancy, and childbearing.

The legislation has been advocated by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Futures Without Violence, and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

“It is essential to provide youth the information and skills they need to reduce teenage pregnancies and decrease teen violence,” said Soler. “This groundbreaking legislation will give our young people support to build healthy relationships and improve their overall health and well-being.”

More information CONTACT: Margaret Conway, 202-552-1716

See original article

Ovarian Cancer Circle: An Important Mission

The Ovarian Cancer Circle/Inspired By Robin Babbini is a 501 (c) 3 non profit organization founded to honor the memory of Robin Babbini who lost her life to ovarian cancer at the young age of 20.

The Circle's mission is to educate the community about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer as well as raising funds for an early detection test.
Please visit www.theovariancancercircle.org for symptoms, resources and current fundraising event.

In July, Paulinda Babbini (President) and Barbara Javitz (Secretary) participated in the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Conference in Washington, D.C.

Ovarian Cancer is the 5th deadliest gynecological cancer and there is no early detection test!

Photo (top): Robin Babbini

Photo (right) :  
Congressman Howard Berman (San Fernando Valley) with Paulinda Babbini

A Woman's Place Is In The House (and Senate)

by Mara Schmid

Representative Allen West (R-FL) was kind enough this week to remind us why the NWPC's mission is so absolutely vital.  Democratic National Committee chairwoman and Representative (D-FL) Debbie Wasserman Schultz made a speech on the House floor Tuesday criticizing West's opposition to raising the debt ceiling.  Apparently angry that she referred to him in a speech when he was not present, West fired off an email saying she was "the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives" and that, having "proven repeatedly" that she is "not a Lady", he will not "afford" her "due respect".  Full text of the email is below.

It's one thing to disagree with someone politically.  It's quite another to send a personal attack via email implying that opinionated political speech by a woman is somehow at odds with "acceptable" female behavior.  Ms. Magazine has a very thorough exploration of the implications of 'lady':

[W]hat Rep. West was likely getting at was that Rep. Wasserman Schultz should be acting more “lady-like,” i.e. following the standards of behavior for fine and proper high-class women of the 19th century. According to West, unless she “shuts the heck up,” as many ladies of old undoubtedly had to, a modern woman does not deserve a man’s respect.Politics, however, is a place where women should (and must) speak their minds. Link

West's behavior also begs the question: if Wasserman Schultz's speech, which you can view here, makes her 'not a Lady', what on earth does West's email make him?

With many accusations being flung at the GOP and conservatives in general regarding West's statements, I think it's important to note that not only women on the left have to deal with this sort of sexism.  In January, Democratic Senator Arlen Specter told Republican Representative Michele Bachmann that she, too, should "act like a lady."  Bachmann, like Debbie Wasserman Schultz, like all women—all people—in politics and otherwise, deserves to be judged on her own merits, or lack thereof, and not her willingness to conform to an outdated gender stereotype.  

---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Z112 West, Allen
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 04:48 PM
To: Wasserman Schultz, DebbieCc: McCarthy, Kevin; Blyth, Jonathan; Pelosi, Nancy; Cantor, Eric 

Subject: Unprofessional and Inappropriate Sophomoric Behavior from Wasserman-Schultz
Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional ,and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district! 

I am bringing your actions today to our Majority Leader and Majority Whip and from this time forward, understand that I shall defend myself forthright against your heinous characterless behavior……which dates back to the disgusting protest you ordered at my campaign hqs, October 2010 in Deerfield Beach.
You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me! 

Steadfast and LoyalCongressman Allen B West (R-FL) 

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Board Member Spotlight: Julianne Simitz

Julianne Simitz brings nearly a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector to her role as Vice President for Fundraising with the National Women's Political Caucus - LA Westside.

Julianne currently manages all aspects of fundraising and development at the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund including foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual and planned giving. Most recently, Julianne acted as Development & Communications Manager for Executive Service Corps of Southern California, an organization that provides coaching, consulting and capacity-building services to regional nonprofits.

Prior to relocating to California, Julianne worked for progressive change at several national organizations in Washington, DC, including the Interfaith Alliance, People for the American Way and the Human Rights Campaign as well as consulting for Adams Hussey & Associates, a full-service, multichannel direct marketing firm supporting progressive clients.

Outside of NWPC and her professional endeavors, Julianne is a member of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Los Angeles and of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats. She also volunteers for Project Angel Food, assists with Alumni giving for her Alma Mater and is an avid painter and urban gardener.

Julianne recently completed an Executive Certificate program in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University. She graduated with BA’s in Political Science and Religious Studies from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania where she worked in the Diversity and Social Justice Office as campus liaison to the LGBTQA community.

"Old Boys" may be filling council seats again

With Janice Hahn moving to Congress, Jan Perry will be the only female member.

By Rick Orlov Staff Writer
The Daily Breeze

The Los Angeles City Council is close to becoming an Old Boys Club again.

Once Janice Hahn takes the oath of office for Congress on Tuesday, Jan Perry becomes the last woman on the council.

"It worries me," Perry said. "And, when I leave office in two years there is a chance this will be all males again." Perry, who is running for mayor in 2013 and is termed out from the council, is the last of a wave of women who, at one point, made up one-third of the 15-member council.

"I think women bring a different perspective," Perry said. "We are more hands-on and problem- solvers. We have to deal with family issues, raising the children and caring for aging parents. It is something most men don't deal with."

Perry said she has already begun trying to find a woman to replace her when she is termed out in 2013.

"I speak to different groups and tell them that I am here to help them, to mentor them," Perry said. "And I know there will be no shortage of men running for this seat."

The City Council was composed of all men until 1953, when Rosalind Wyman was elected to the 5th District seat and Harriett Davenport was appointed to finish the term of her late husband, Councilman Ed Davenport, in the 12th District. By 1997, five council members were women.

City Council President Eric Garcetti said the lack of women on the council is worrisome. "Women are more than 50percent of the city, and we will have only one on the council and that could be none after 2013," Garcetti said. "The City Council should reflect the city as a whole. To reflect that, we need more women serving."

Lulu Flores, president of the National Woman Political Caucus, said organizations such as hers need to do a better job recruiting women.

"In spite of looking for more women, it has been disappointing," Flores said. "We have tried to analyze it and ... part of it is the climate of politics. Women are becoming more and more successful in the business arena and a lot of them are turned off by politics.

"They don't want to subject themselves or their families to the time demands and being under the microscope that politics puts you under."

Flores said another concern is that not as many women are seeking the beginning jobs in politics that have served as a steppingstone.

Garcetti said he has been talking to different groups to try to persuade women to run for office.

But, he agreed, the nature of politics these days has turned many off.

"Look at the race Janice (Hahn) just ran and all the attacks, many of them sexist, against her," Garcetti said. "You have to be tough to go through that and a lot of women look at it and say it's not for them."

Debbie Walsh of the Center for the American Study of Women in Politics and spokeswoman for the 2012 Project, said the peak year for women was in 1992, when California elected Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Congress saw 24 women elected.

"Since then, we've had stagnation," Walsh said. "There's been a flatlining of women at all levels. Part of it is the tenor and tone of politics, but also a view that things don't get done and they are better off in other areas."  READ MORE

NWPC CA Women of Achievement Awards

www.nwpcca.org

Putting the issue of abortion aside?

FROM CNN.COM

After Clinton's failed Oval Office bid, a small group of women who had supported Clinton decided the best way to break the glass ceiling in presidential politics was to put ideology and partisanship aside and support any woman seeking a top political office -- including Bachmann and Palin, two darlings of the tea party movement known for their conservative views on economic and social issues.

But some Democratic leaders dismissed the idea, arguing the electorate is more sophisticated.

"Women don't support women candidates simply because of their status as women, simply because of their gender," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, head of the Democratic National Committee.

Amy Siskind, who has voted Democrat in the past, helped found The New Agenda, a nonpartisan women's advocacy group that united many women who were disappointed after Clinton's defeat.

"We decided that in order to take women forward," said Siskind, "we would have to be a voice for all women -- so put political party and the issue of abortion aside because those were the two issues that were dividing women in half."

"So, for us it was a business model: How can you have a women's movement that excludes half the women?" added Siskind.

In the 2008 general election, women voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Barack Obama for president, picking him 56% to 43% over Republican John McCain, according to CNN exit polls. READ MORE

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SUPPORT NWPC LA WESTSIDE in our mission to elect pro-choice women!

Special Offer from National NWPC

Here's a special and personal audio invitation from Pat Lynch, Editor-in-Chief of WomensRadio.com -- with an opportunity to add your voice to the national dialog and indicate what you think is the #1 issue facing women's leadership in government today!

To view your AudioNote(TM), please visit the following URL to take a short, one-question survey.
http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CBmC0XG4

As a thank you for participating, you'll be able to purchase a discounted ticket for NWPC's Convention in Washington, DC, July 29 - 31. A ticket to this year's convention will give you access to a wide array of panels, workshops, and networking events. Your registration also includes two continental breakfasts, Saturday's Keynote Luncheon honoring NWPC leaders and founders, and gives you the opportunity to purchase a ticket to Saturday's Good Guys Gala at half-price (that's another $50 discount) and attend our campaign skills training workshop on Friday for $50 (a $15 discount).

To learn more about the exciting activities that will be available to you at Convention, please go to www.nwpc.org/convention. There you will find a schedule of events and information on Friday's NWPC Campaign Training Skills 4.0.

We encourage you to join in for this historic event!

Congratulations Congresswoman-elect Janice Hahn

The National Women’s Political Caucus, LA Westside Chapter, would like to congratulate Congresswoman-elect Janice Hahn on her successful campaign to represent California’s 36th Congressional District. 

Tuesday, Janice defeated Tea Party candidate Craig Huey, winning by almost 9%. Hahn is a strong advocate for women’s rights and we were proud to support her in her campaign. In light of the growing attacks on women by extremists in Congress, NWPC saw this election as critical in defending any attempts to roll-back women’s fundamental rights in America. Janice Hahn was the only choice for women in this race.

If Huey was elected, he was prepared to support the Tea Party's extremist agenda, which will no doubt resurface in Congress next year, continuing the war on women, choice and critical funding for health services for men, women and children.

In addition to facing a candidate who had a strong anti-women, anti-choice agenda, Hahn faced extreme sexist attacks in this race. These attacks serve as a reminder that we must continue to fight for gender equity in politics. With more women at the table we will ensure that these attacks against choice and women's health are no longer a possibility. "The National Women's Political Caucus continues to strive for full equality, to ensure women have equal participation in the political process and have our interests fully represented and advocated for. This situation reminds us that we have a long way to go," says Lindsay Bubar, President, NWPC LA Westside.

As we send another pro-choice woman to Congress, we must focus on the seat Hahn is vacating. With Hahn leaving the Los Angeles City Council, and a list of four men gearing up to replace her, we will be left with only one woman on a City Council of one of the largest cities in the country. And even scarier, the remaining woman, Councilmember Jan Perry, terms out in 2013. Join NWPC LA Westside to ensure we do not see a City Council of all men in two years!

Though the fight for gender equity in politics is not over, we are proud of Hahn’s victory and are confident that she will be successful in Washington!

October 20, 2011 Event

nwpclawestside.org/gala_event.html

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need gender parity in our governing bodies?
In our diverse population, each group needs to be represented at the decision-making table. We need gender parity in politics to guarantee that women’s perspective is represented on all issues. Additionally, there are some issues that have a profound impact on the quality of life for women and families that need to be brought to the political forefront.

Why endorse women only?
Certainly there are men who support our positions on reproductive choice, dependent care, equal access to educational and employment opportunities, domestic and sexual violence and other “women’s issues”, but it is generally women who introduce the legislation to further these causes.

Are women making a difference?
In the aftermath of the Clarence Thomas – Anita Hill hearings in 1991, there was a surge of newly elected women in public office. In 1994, Congress passed into law 30 bills on women’s issues with 33 more the following year. The previous record for any year had been five.

How close are we to equal representation?
In 1971 there were only 344 women state legislators. By 1981 there were over 900. 

In 1999 three of the nation’s 50 governors (6%) were women. Only nine of the 100 Senators (9%) and 56 of the 435 Representatives in the House (12.9%) were women. California’ percentages were slightly better than the national average with 29% of the congressional representation and both our Senators women.

Twenty-six states still had no women serving in the 106th Congress. Six states – Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Vermont – have never sent a woman to the US Congress.

Only 16 women have ever served as the governor of a state. Women accounted for only 13% of Federal Judges and 9% of state judges although, between 1980 and 1991, the percentage of women state judges did increase from 4% to 9%.

Why is the organization multi-partisan?
By working with pro-choice, pro-ERA women in all political parties, we can influence party platforms from within.

Why is reproductive choice so important to women?
Women cannot be truly full and equal partners in a society that denies them authority over these most personal and fundamental issues in her life. In recent years, anti-choice factions have mounted a well funded, well organized, strategic attack on women’s right to choose. By slick campaigns launched on selective sub-issues, they have begun to erode women’s rights to reproductive self-determination – rights that many of us worked so tirelessly and passionately to obtain a mere quarter of a century ago. The Supreme Court is only one vote away from overturning Roe v Wade. U.S. payments to the United Nations are tied up in the controversy over family planning funding in third world countries.

Action Alert! Work for Janice Hahn this Saturday

Please help NWPC California fight back against anti-choice candidate Craig Huey in CD36. Come out this weekend to volunteer for Janice Hahn to make sure we have a pro-choice advocate in Congress! Click below to view details.

Action Alert! Work for Janice Hahn this Saturday

NWPC CA condemns sexist attack against Janice Hahn

Anti-Choice, anti-woman candidate has no place in Congress
Original Press Release Link

The National Women's Political Caucus of California urge Congressional Tea Party candidate Craig Huey to immediately call for the recent sexist ad portraying his opponent, Janice Hahn, as a stripper to be taken down. Although Huey finally condemned the ad, it took him more than 24 hours and dozens of political leaders' influence to do the right thing. Yet even in his apology, he didn't ask for the ad to be taken down.

Huey's response to this extremely sexist ad isn't surprising. The Tea Party candidate is known for his extreme position on choice and women's health. "His anti-choice, anti-woman ideology is extremely relevant in this election," says Teray Stephens, President of National Women's Political Caucus of California. "As we are in the midst of an ongoing Congressional battle to eviscerate women's health programs, including a willingness to close down the government simply to defund Planned Parenthood, we need to elect progressive leaders, not people that will add a voice to the extremist agenda."

Huey's position on choice and women's health -  undermining a woman's right to choose by putting doctors in jail for performing abortions, demanding adoption rather than abortion in all cases (including rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger) and slashing legal life-saving reproductive health services - has no place in Congress.

If Huey is elected, he will support the Tea Party's extremist agenda, which will no doubt resurface in Congress next year, continuing the war on women, choice and critical funding for health services for men, women and children.

These sexist attacks also serve as a reminder that we must continue to fight for gender equity in politics. With more women at the table we will ensure that these attacks against choice and women's health are no longer a possibility. "The National Women's Political Caucus continues to strive for full equality, to ensure women have equal participation in the political process and have our interests fully represented and advocated for. This situation reminds us that we have a long way to go," says Stephens.

The National Women's Political Caucus proudly endorsed Janice Hahn who has had an esteemed career as a champion for women.  In light of the growing attacks on women by extremists in Congress, NWPC supports election of Hahn who will stand up and fight any attempts to roll-back women's fundamental rights in America. On July 12, Janice Hahn is the clear choice for women and for the residents of the 36th District.

NBC LA quotes NWPC in "Hahn Cashes in on Smear Ad"

Open Letter from Robyn Ritter Simon

Greetings Kate,

Thanks for writing about an issue near and dear to me. As a former candidate for the Los Angeles City Council in 2001 & 2009 (5^th District), I am one of the brave women who did put it all on the line to run for an office I believed I could bring value to. As a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, an active community member, a parent, and a passionate champion of more women in office, I applaud you for covering what our political landscape will sadly look like come 2013.

All the women you spoke with and had comment in your article are friends, colleagues and supporters of mine. I have spent a dozen years involved with and serving as a Board member with the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group committed to recruiting, training and supporting more women to run for office. The obstacles are huge for a candidate running in Los Angeles, money probably being the most challenging. Second, is that women still carry the primary responsibility of their families and are unwilling to jeopardize their family for the grueling scrutiny that accompanies a candidate on the campaign tail. I might also point out, that women don’t always support other women and it’s terribly frustrating.

Several of the women you quoted or write about in your article are in office because the women’s community backed them wholeheartedly, and not because they were female, but because they were the best candidates in their respective races. However, many of them do not stay true to the core values that helped elect them which included a commitment to more women in office. They do not mentor women in their communities to fill the pipeline when they move on, thus leaving a void when a seat becomes available. It is a recurring theme and one that now presents us with the possibility of no women on the LA City Council, a town that prides itself on being inclusive and progressive. Where will my voice be on the council?

NWPC’s mission is 50/50 by 2020, 50% men, 50% women representation in all branches of government by the year 2020. We will not achieve this goal at the rate we are progressing. This being said, I will continue working tirelessly to support women candidates with my energy, experience, money and encouragement that while the road may be brutal, and it is, the outcome of having her voice in the political dialogue, is well worth it.

Thanks again for writing an article that speaks volumes to me. 

Go To Robyn's Blog

A Gillibrand Campaign: More Women in Politics

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ, from New York Times

WASHINGTON — As a girl, Kirsten E. Gillibrand learned about politics from her grandmother, Dorothea Noonan, a secretary in the New York State Legislature who defied the norms of her day and organized other women into what became a formidable political club in Albany.

Ms. Noonan, known as Polly, would take her granddaughter to the Albany Democratic Women’s Club when election season rolled around and had her stuff envelopes, work phone banks, slap bumper stickers on cars, hand out fliers and knock on doors. “I grew up watching her run these campaigns,” Ms. Gillibrand said of her grandmother, who rose to become a major figure in the legendary political machine operating in Albany during the mayoralty of Erastus Corning 2nd. “It was pretty important to me.”

Now, Ms. Gillibrand is a senator, embarking on a similar effort — albeit on a far larger stage. She has begun a campaign, called Off the Sidelines, to mobilize women across the country, in advance of the national elections next year and as evidence emerges that the slow but steady progress made by women in elective politics has begun to stall.

In the past few months, Ms. Gillibrand activated her network of donors to help female candidates, emerged as a headliner among audiences of women, tried to recruit female candidates, advised women thinking about running, and started a Web site, offthesidelines.org. Her efforts were most recently on display during a special election in May to fill an open House seat in New York’s 26th District, one of the most conservative regions of the state, where the Democrats faced an uphill battle.

While top Democrats in Washington were initially reluctant to get behind the Democrat in the race, Kathy Hochul, Ms. Gillibrand was not: she raised money, campaigned for Ms. Hochul and dispatched her closest advisers to the district.

Ms. Hochul, a former Erie County clerk, won the race. In an interview last week, she said the support Ms. Gillibrand provided had been a turning point for her. “She gave me legitimacy at a time when other people were not taking our race seriously,” she said. “We spoke frequently on the phone. She gave me a lot of encouragement.”

Ms. Gillibrand said that part of what was driving her was a little-noticed outcome of the 2010 elections: the number of women in Congress actually declined — by a small fraction — for the first time in 30 years.

Ms. Gillibrand said the decline was all the more astonishing given that it came just two years after Hillary Rodham Clinton, her predecessor in the Senate, had waged a historic campaign for the White House.

Women in elective politics face hurdles outside Congress. Currently, women hold 22.1 percent of available statewide executive positions, down from 27.6 percent 10 years ago, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

In many ways, Ms. Gillibrand, who is 44, epitomizes the ways in which women are asserting themselves in politics these days.

For decades, women in elective office felt compelled to blur the distinctions between them and men: presenting themselves as tough and able while largely concealing their softer qualities. But like many political women of her generation, Ms. Gillibrand feels no such constraints, regularly talking about the demands she faces as a mother and a wife.

In fact, Ms. Gillibrand goes a step further, arguing that an infusion of women into the political system would go a long way toward changing the tone in Congress, a male-dominated world of fiercely clashing egos.

“We tend to be more results-oriented and less concerned with getting the credit,” Ms. Gillibrand explained. “The female approach is more conciliatory and less combative. We tend to use a more civil tone.”

Beyond that, Ms. Gillibrand contends, it should be a source of concern to women that the issues that are important to them — like workplace discrimination and access to child care — are being decided by lawmakers who are almost exclusively male.

Ms. Gillibrand’s efforts represent a distinct phase in her own political evolution since 2009, when David A. Paterson, then the governor, appointed her to the Senate seat vacated by Mrs. Clinton, who left to become secretary of state.

Since then, Ms. Gillibrand, a former upstate congresswoman, has gone on to win election to the Senate on her own and accumulate a string of legislative victories that have silenced some of the early criticism that she lacked the credentials to replace the likes of Mrs. Clinton.

The extent to which Ms. Gillibrand can energize women for next year’s races remains to be seen. But Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, who heads the Democratic National Committee, indicated that the party stood to benefit.

“I look at this effort as significant and important,” she said, while stressing that Ms. Gillibrand, not the party, was the force behind the initiative.

Long before embarking on this campaign, Ms. Gillibrand had an interest in getting more women elected to Congress. In the last election, for example, Ms. Gillibrand persuaded an old friend, Terri Sewell, to run for a House seat in Alabama. In the end, Ms. Sewell won, becoming the first black woman elected to Congress from that state.

Ms. Gillibrand made it clear who her role model was. “When women’s voices are heard,” she said, “the outcomes are better. That is what my grandmother taught me.”

Article Link

Remember to Save-The-Date: October 20, 2011

Board Member Spotlight: Lindsay Bubar

Lindsay Bubar is a Los Angeles-based political consultant who is best-known for her work recruiting, training and advising women and progressive candidates as they run for office.

Lindsay has worked with a broad range of clients, including Wendy Greuel for Mayor, social justice advocate Sandra Fluke, Congressmember Henry Waxman, Emerge California and Carolyn Ramsay for Los Angeles City Council.

Working to ensure we have full gender equality in politics, Lindsay has been on the Board of the National Women’s Political Caucus, LA Westside for more than five years, helping to elect pro-choice women throughout Los Angeles County. Lindsay is also on the Advisory Board of Running Start, an organization dedicated to bringing young women into politics.

Lindsay serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters and as a Project Partner for the Truman National Security Project. She is the former Political Director of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, was named one of California Forward’s Forward Thinkers, and previously worked for the California League of Conservation Voters and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Lindsay was raised in the San Fernando Valley and graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Psychology, Business and Advertising. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, David Graham-Caso.