EqualityQuilt

The Blessing of a Food Shelf

Our own Consortium board chair, Jen Peterson, also the president of the Twin Cities chapter of the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES), recently wrote a letter to the editor of the South Washington County Bulletin about her experience with a local food shelf. In addition to the letter being printed, Jen was also interviewed by National Public Radio (visit the NPR website, www.npr.org to hear Jen's interview). We found Jen's story so compelling and important that we asked if we could share it with our readers here on the blog, to which Jen graciously agreed. Here is Jen's letter (edited slightly for length), as it appeared in the Bulletin.

You may think I'm crazy for writing this about such a personal experience but I think people need to know that a Food Shelf Experience isn't a bad thing and that it's every day people, your friends and neighbors, who are having to rely on this "Blessing" in our community these days.

After months of trying to stretch our grocery dollars and put off the inevitable I recently had to give up the fight and I went to the Friends In Need Food Shelf in St. Paul Park. This was just a couple weeks ago and it was the first time since 2004. My husband and I struggled with having to do this again, but it's tough times that make pride a little easier to swallow.  I was used to this as a formerly single mom of 4.  I was no stranger to the food shelf.  The food shelf was a regular source of food for me and my kids during the many times that my ex wasn’t paying child support and my own income wasn‘t enough. 

Back in 04, there were a few issues going on that were making it tough for us to have enough food for our family.  I was working 2 part time jobs with pretty flexible schedules so I could be around more for the kids and avoid the dreaded huge daycare expense. My husband was working full time. In my free time I was working on representing myself in a lawsuit against my ex husband’s former employer for failing to withhold the court ordered child support between 1999-2001. In the early months of 04, as in most years, I was receiving little to no child support from my ex as his employment is seasonal and he didn't always qualify for unemployment during those times. My husband and I had fallen for that whole sub-prime mortgage mess and were in a mortgage that had a high interest rate. We had a car break down and a big repair bill. My Grandpa became ill (and dying) and needed care so I was taking time off of work to help in his care. You know, the typical stuff that happens that can push an already tight budget over the edge. Well, since then we've been blessed by better jobs, more regular child support payments and an inheritance from Grandpa and finally, the settlement on that child support lawsuit. What a relief.  Our family financial security was stabilizing.  It seemed like we were just getting comfortable in the middle class...

WAND Training on the Federal Budget

On April 15, the Consortium was proud to host a training on the proposed U.S Budget, presented by Bobbie Wrenn Banks from the Atlanta office of  Women's Action for New Directions (WAND).  Consortium member groups, other groups working on these important issues (like the Minnesota Council on Nonprofit Budget Project), and interested individuals like "I'm a mom of seven, just serve on the usual stuff like the PTA, but this budget is really hurting our family" attended. Among the amazing facts: * even Dick Cheney and John McCain tried to cancel funding for several jet bombers that do not function correctly - but we are still paying $200 million - $300 million apiece for these atrocities.  * the U.S. military budget is 6 times as large as the next-largest military superpower, China  * research shows that we could create more jobs, better paid jobs, and more sustainable jobs, by spending our tax dollars on true homeland security (state and local funding), "green" jobs, and projects like building affordable housing, than on offensive weapons  * working together ordinary people can change our national budget priorities. Watch for more info to come. - Bonnie, with help from Allison.

Above left:  Who gets the 8% of the (pumpkin) pie for education?  Right:  very attentive crowd we hope will stay connected.   Lower right:  Minnesota board members for WAND and its affiliate, Women in Legislative Leadership:  June Mathiowetz, Alice Lynch, Rep. Phyllis Kahn, Sen. Sandy Pappas. 

Left:  Women legislators and Capitol staff who were briefed on the U.S. budget proposal.  To connect with the chapter of Minnesota WAND now forming, write Alice.

Title IX and Women in Sports

From the Women's Center at St. Cloud State University:  "Two thousand and seven marked the 35th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation passed in 1972 prohibiting sex discrimination in all areas of education. Title IX has, perhaps, been most visible in the area of sports, consequently a large body of research has documented the physical, social and psychological dimensions of sport in the lives of girls and women. This presentation will address the impact, the numbers, the reactions, and the benefits of Title IX, specifically as it relates to women in sports at the collegiate level."

'Social change is slow; it requires persistence over time, one person, one action at a time. We are still working to realize the promise of Title IX.'  - Donna Lopiano, former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Click on the bar below to hear this presentation from the "Women on Wednesday" series from the Women's Center at St. Cloud State University - originally presented on February 20.   The presenters are Dr. Susan Becker, associate director of athletics and senior women's administrator at St. Cloud State, and Dr. Lori Ulferts, head women's basketball coach at St. Cloud State. 

Women Presidents 2008

Presidents on Presidents' Day 2008 was so impressive!   20 presidents introduced their organizations to 6 freshman legislators and wowed us all.  They supported "universal, affordable, portable, high-quality health care recognizing the concerns of women & their families and communities of color."  Click here for their statement.

At press conference, L-R:  Susan K., Minneapolis Zonta; Cyndi Cook, MN Coalition for Battered Women; Pat Sandin, Midwest Health Center for Women; Diane Hendrickson, Nucleus Clinic; Kathy Magnuson, MN Women's Press; Peg Lonnquist, U of MN Office for University Women; Jae Asancheyev, Older Women's League; (obscured) Sarah Stoesz, Planned Parenthood; Jen Peterson, Consortium Chair and ACES president;  Dr. Mai Moua, Professional Hmong Women's Association and Leadership Paradigms, Inc.; Ellie Skelton, Wayside House; Ann Hoxie, School Nurse Organization of MN; Carol Sheggeby, American Association of University Women-St. Paul; Karen Kirkwood, AAUW-MN; Mary Gates, United Methodist Women/Emma Norton Residence.  Not pictured:  Sarit Sharma, Laura Jeffrey Academy; Donna Dunn, MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault;  Raj Chaudhary, SEWA/Asian Indian Family Wellness;  Dr. Nancy Raymond,  Deborah Powell Center for Women's Health;  Jill Hanson Roe, MN Assn. of Family & Consumer Sciences.    The short video below features group introductions by Wayside House, School Nurse Organization, Emma Norton residence, and AAUW.  For links to additional comments, click on the continuation page link.

Carolyn Reviews "Juno"

The feminist movie review prize goes to Carolyn Kolovitz, known to EQ as a leader of the Girls Coalition & a Girl Scouts staffer.  Thanks Carolyn!   

My Review of Juno

When a couple kissing on the big screen no longer ignites the gag reflex in my daughter, I will no doubt Netflix Juno for us to watch together.  The lead character is a strong, sensitive, intelligent young woman.  The message can be summed up as “When life gets complicated, trust your own instincts.  When things, or people, turn out to be different then how they first appeared, trust your own instincts.  When you have a tough decision to make, seek any guidance you need, but in the end, trust your own instincts.”  The dialogue, especially in the first half of the movie, can be annoying (home skillet?  pork swords?), but all in all, this is definitely a movie that a feminist can proudly recommend.

I like how the awkwardness of teen romance is realistically portrayed, and the

Summary of "Freedom on Our Terms," Liz Abzug's New York Conference

"For me, participating in the 'Freedom on Our Terms' conference was nothing short of life-changing."- Lala Wu, conference panelist

"There has to be a re-energizing, a re-igniting between younger women, older women, and women in between. I want you to spread the word: Feminism is alive and well and moving into the 21st century."- Liz Abzug (pictured), keynote speaker

"The Houston conference turned feminism from a small grassroots effort into a national movement. Its power continues to a generation that would not have heard of it without the conference."- Gloria Steinem, keynote speaker.

On November 10-11, 2007, over 600 people gathered for the “Freedom on Our Terms” conference held at Hunter College in New York. Like the “Women’s Dreams” conference, this gathering was meant to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s Meeting held in Houston in 1977. The participants came from 21 states, and the event was sponsored by more than 60 women’s organizations. As the Huffington Post notes, however, in its coverage of the conference, “Freedom on Our Terms” lacked the faces of big-name female political figures like those who attended the Houston meeting (Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, and Lady Bird Johnson)- Hillary Clinton sent her regrets from Iowa, where she was campaigning.

    Stretched over two days, the New York conference included a few high profile keynote addresses (by Gloria Steinem, Rosie O’Donnell, and Liz Abzug), as well as panel discussions, workshops, and breakout caucuses on a variety of issues,  and an open forum to discuss the creation of an “agenda for action” to present to the presidential candidates. Other well-known speakers at the conference included Ellie Smeal, Meredith Wagner, Loretta Ross, Congresswoman Nita Lowry, Ambassador to Belize Attallah Shabazz, Charlotte Bunch, and Liz Holtzman.

Wise Words: Memorable Quotes from the Conference

We're still sifting through and synthesizing all of the great feedback we got on the Women's Dreams Conference. As we do that, we thought it would be fun to share with you some of the most memorable quotes we have collected from the panelists, keynote speakers, and conference participants. Here is just a sampling of what we've found.

Words to ponder from workshop panelists:
    "What we know: healthcare, environmental equity, pay equity are all women's issues and they are also 'all women's' issues... When women do better as a whole, we all do better. We have the tools to create change."- Anita Patel
    "If we want our stories to be told, we must record them. We can't wait for someone to ask or tell us to do it. If everyone waits for someone else to do it, it won't be done."- Arvonne Fraser
    On negotiating: "What do women think?... 'I'm just like everyone else.' What do men think?... 'I'm worth more.'"- Jenny Keil
    "When I became a flaming feminist, I had a whole community behind me. Younger women don't have this."- Tina Welsh
    "How do we play nice with politicians? They say things that are offensive and ignorant that make me want to walk away. When I have not seen myself represented, it's hard to think of myself politically."- Dresden Quinn Jones

Conference in Brief

Thank you to all of you who came out to the Women's Dreams Conference this past Thursday and Friday! It was revitalizing to see so many individuals from five states come together in support of a commitment to realizing women's and girls' dreams. From the inspirational words of our keynote speakers and panelists, to the rejuvenating and educational workshop presentations, to the thoughtful debates and comments raised by workshop participants, the conference highlighted the many memories we carry with us of our past achievements and struggles, as well as the hopes we have for our future successes. In the words of one participant, "The combination of renewing old and making new connections was terrific!"

It was a special treat to honor the Minnesota           representatives to the 1977 National Women's Meeting in Houston. Although the ceremony highlighted their contributions to the Houston meeting, we loved seeing how involved these women still are in advocating for myriad women's issues. If anything, the range of issues brought up throughout the conference and the passion such issues inspired helped to demonstrate the many tools we have with which to achieve our dreams. We hope to have a more detailed report of the conference out to you soon. Thank you again to all those who helped make this conference a success. We hope you found it as exciting, thought-provoking, and fruitful as we did! (- by Allison MacWilliams-Brooks, who was not able to attend the whole conference but has been plowing through the pages of notes you-all took.  Thanks Allison!-BPW)

Women's Dreams Conference

There are only 5 more days to register for the Women's Dreams, 1977-2007 & Beyond Conference, set for November 15-16.  Meet 11 of Minnesota's delegates to the Houston Meeting in 1977; hear a redefined agenda for the future from Bella Abzug's daughter Liz and 4 young Minnesota leaders; discuss the intersections of sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism; receive your copy of the Consortium's new report, Women Uniting Across Class Differences; be the first to read Arvonne Fraser's new book, She's No Lady; check out 16 workshops... We will count registrations at 4:30PM on Monday, November 11 - and electronic is best as there's no snail mail delivery on Veterans Day.

 REGISTER NOW!

Conference cost is $90, which includes Thursday night hors d'oeuvres and wine or soda plus breakfast, lunch, and snacks on Friday.  A member discount (for those listed as delegates, alternates, presidents of member organizations; or paid-up Capitol Bulletin subscribers; plus Seneca Falls Society & Advisory Council members) is available for $65.

Individual scholarships and scholarships for Greater Minnesota participants are still available for those applying in advance. For scholarship information please call 651/228-0338.

You will not want to miss this historic event!

Women Making Waves

Thanks to Jane Olsen (left) of the St. Cloud State University Women's Center for sharing this kickoff speech from her fabulous "Women on Wednesday" series.  (You can hear the rest of the series by clicking here.) And double thanks to Vivian Jenkins Nelsen (right) who presented this talk on "Making Waves:  An Overview of Women's Political Evolution." Vivian was an elected delegate from Minnesota to the Houston National Women's Meeting in 1977, founder of the Inter-Race Institute, and board chair of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota.  Vivian will also keynote our November 15 conference on "Women's Dreams: 1977-2007 & Beyond."   To register for the conference, click here. 

Mommy Wars = Media Myth?

from Liz Palmer

There is an interesting buzz going on about Mommy Wars lately.  There is even a book by that title which has been published and shuffled along the media circuit.  Somehow the discussion about what concerns arise at the birth of a child regarding: food, shelter, personal care, health care, education, etc and how we as a society should create policy accordingly is sidestepped by many media sources in a mad dash to start/record a cat fight between stay-at-home-mothers and working moms. There has been a lot of discussion about that lately, again with no greater focus on the public policy issues that would actually address societal issues that all mothers face, and if one group of moms hates the other and who the virtuous group is and who the bad guys are. 

I had been hearing on the radio and on the news about the supposed battle between those of us who are working at home and those of us who are working outside of the home.  I have never found myself in a situation where an argument along those lines  

Batgirl & Pay Equity

Funny but sad that Batgirl still needs to work on "equal pay for equal work."  We need her for pay equity.   The Pay Equity Coalition had a bill at the state legislature this year, to check whether there is a wage gap in large businesses seeking state contracts (click here to read it).  The proposal passed 7 committees.  However, in the end the Coalition decided to spend another year on public education to build support for 2008.   Holy Minnesota Statutes, Batman!

Download a status report from PECOM president Patty Tanji, and write her to be on the email list for future plans.   Check our past Capitol Capers posts, surf to our website for the May 2 legislative update in the Capitol Bulletin newsletter, or write Erin to be on our list-serve for weekly action alerts from member organizations.   - Bonnie

Vote.Run.Lead- The personal definitely is political!!

Here are comments from our wonderful intern Karmann Peters on this recent event offered by our member group, the White House Project (click on that link to see photos from the recent event and more).  Write Karmann in care of the Consortium’s general email address, and don’t forget your comments are also very welcome right here on the blog, by clicking on “comments” below this post.  Oh, that’s (L-R) Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona and U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine next to Karmann, who we know will go far.  -Bonnie 

On March 23, 2007, I received a scholarship for and had the opportunity to attend The White House Project’s Vote.Run.Lead. political leadership training in Chaska, Minnesota.  Over 50 women from all over the state of Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota, attended this event.  The purpose of these trainings is to engage women, teach them the political tools they need to run their own campaigns and help them explore the issues that matter to them and the communities surrounding them. Women want to run for public office for many reasons.  I heard stories from many perspectives that all lead to the same place, how conversations would be really different if women’s voices were part of the mix.  One woman spoke about a 

Take Action Against Violence!

I'm not sure if you can still get registered for all the workshops, but you can certainly come for the noon rally on Wednesday, possibly some of the training on Tuesday, and other parts of Violence Against Women Action Day on February 28.  Click here for details.  Hope to see you there! 

Women Presidents on Presidents Day

On Feb. 19, we escorted 21 distinguished presidents of women's organizations to the Capitol to present the women's agenda (Download POPD07message2.pdf)to legislative and executive branch leadership.  Those in the pic are listed at end of this post, and the full list with contact info can be downloaded here. Download POPD07list.pdf   They met with Assistant Majority Leader Senator Tarryl Clark, Commissioner Dan McElroy of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Assistant Majority Leader Representative Tina Liebling.  Minority Leader Senator Dave Senjem was not able to join us for the formal presentations, but was glad to learn more about the issues in quick briefing at the end.  Minority Leader Marty Seifert did not attend.  Click here for the excellent news story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  More pics in continued story!

Enforcement of Child Support

Listen to Consortium board chair Jen Peterson of ACES discuss the new Minnesota law changing how child support amounts are set - beginning about halfway through this January 2 "Minnesota Matters" program from Air America Radio (you can drag the gold band halfway across).  Contact ACES, the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support, for more informaton.

I'm Dreaming of Child Care Funding

Consortium friend Pat Gill offers these sentiments for the holiday season and beyond. If you like this, write me or comment below -- and I'll ask Pat for her femi-jingle about pensions for older women. -Bonnie

What Do Women Want?

What do equality and justice actually look like? How will we know when we get there?

The Houston Plan of Action is a 26-point platform endorsed by delegates to the National Women's Meeting in Houston, Texas in 1977. (Whoa!  This year is the 30th anniversary of that amazing meeting.)  Click below to read a summary. It serves as the founding document of the Minnesota Women's Consortium. The Beijing Platform was created at the U.N.-sponsored International Women's Meeting in Beijing, China, in 1995. The Consortium has begun incorporating the international ideas -- attention to the effects of war and environmental degradation, and to the status of immigrant and refugee women -- as they affect Minnesota women daily.

The Minnesota Women's Action Plan (which can easily be adapted by other states!) includes one page for each plank in the Houston and Beijing Plans, with background, key facts, proposed action, and contact information for our member groups working on those issues. Please browse, pick your favorite issue, contact your favorite group working on that issue, and get out there and change the world.

The Consortium will soon publish a two-year action plan that addresses five summary goals:
* proportional representation everywhere,
* basic health care for everyone,
* self-determination for all including reproductive freedom and LGBT rights,
* peace and safety at home and everywhere, and
* economic justice for all women.

- Bonnie

Download HoustonPlan.pdf

Download womensactionplan.pdf