California NOW

2010 Annual Membership Meeting/State Conference

The 2010 California National Organization for Women Annual Membership Meeting/State Conference will take place on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at OC Plaza, 2575 McCabe Way, in Irvine, CA.

Annual Membership Meeting/State Conference Agenda

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 Registration & Credentialling

9: 00 a.m. - 9:30 Plenary I

Convene Annual Membership Meeting/State Conference
Credentials Report
Adopt Conference & Resolution Rules
Adopt Agenda

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 Discussion on the State of NOW

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 Break

All Resolutions must be submitted to the Committee

10:45 p.m. - 12:30 Plenary II

Credential Report and Announcements
Business of CA NOW
Discussion and voting on resolutions
Conference closing program
Adjourn Annual Membership Meeting/State Conference

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 Lunch Break

Why We Fight

When we run into politicians who make statements like this, simultaneously offensive to the disabled community and women, with no regard for basic facts, or who think it's a reasonable idea to criminalize miscarriage, or who believe that their religion mandates allowing a pregnant mother with cancer to die rather than allowing her treatment that might terminate her pregnancy, it reminds us of why we do this work, and why it continues to be so essential.

And when we read about brave women and men working against hate and intimidation to ensure that women still have the choice to end an unwanted pregnancy, it gives us hope for the continuing struggle to recognize women as full human beings, with the agency to make their own reproductive health decisions.

Working for Working Families

Today we will be attending the California Working Families Policy Summit. The theme for this year’s half-day Summit is Our Common Cause: Confronting Current Crises & Forging a New Vision. Leading advocates will offer proposals and long-term agendas to preserve the safety net, build family economic security, and promote family-friendly workplaces. We will also get to hear speeches by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and a taped message on working families from First Lady Michelle Obama. 

We look forward to sharing with you the results of this day, and having your support in moving forward on policies that will help Californian families during this recession.

If you are attending the Summit, please meet up with us during the networking period before the luncheon.
 

Woman, Warrior, Mother: Claudia Zamorano

 This is the testimony of Claudia Zamorano, a parent leader with the Marin Chaper of Parent Voices, at the hearing of the California Assembly Labor Committee with the Women's Caucus on "A Woman's Nation Changes Everything" How the Shriver Report Impacts California Working Families held Wednesday, February 17th. We are honored to be able to share her words, and hope to bring you more of the courageous stories of Parent Voices members who we heard that day.

Thank you for allowing me to speak before you today. My name is Claudia Zamorano. I am the mother of two beautiful children, Alicia Daniela, age 11 and Alexander, age 4. Never in my life did I expect to be standing before you telling you my story. Just two years ago I had a family, a home, a business – the so-called American Dream but since then it has taken a 180 degree turn. Now I stand here empty handed because I lost it all in a divorce.

I did not understand how hard people really had it until I had to live it. I am not a woman that likes to just sit around, so I enrolled myself in cosmetology school and completed it. However, I have not been able to continue with my training and apply for the state board license because I spent my savings on my schooling and now I struggle to pay for the license and finish what I studied so hard for. I went to school to get us out of where we are today. But in order to complete my license I would need to attend classes that are only offered in the morning, the same time when I have to work. Even if I had my license I would have to be away from my children 40 hours a week to build a clientele and I cannot afford the cost of childcare while doing it! So right now I work 32 hours a week as a nanny to make ends meet – and it is a struggle everyday. That is the irony of it all. I work to support another family so they can have work/life balance, but I do not have that same option for myself. Since last January I have been on a list waiting to receive child care assistance. How long must I wait? If I had child care I could work more and I could pay more taxes. The money I made I would spend on bills, groceries, rent, which are all things that help my local economy. And my son would be in an environment where he can develop and be with qualified caregivers who would give him the necessities when I cannot be there.

Women in Hollywood Face Serious Hurdles to Equality

Some depressing statistics on women's work in front of and behind the camera this week, leading up to Oscar season and the possibility of the first woman Best Director.



From the Los Angeles Times:

Women may make up 51% of the population, but actresses nabbed only 29.9% of the 4,379 speaking parts in the 100 top-grossing films of 2007, or so says a new study released by University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, which was conducted by professor Stacy. L Smith.

According to Smith’s study, 83% of all directors, writers, and producers on those films were male. Not surprisingly, the number of female characters grew dramatically when a woman directed a film — up to 44.6% from 29.3% if a man was behind the camera.

From Women and Hollywood:

Dr. Martha Lauzen of San Diego State (the guru of stats about women in Hollywood) has released her annual Celluloid Ceiling survey looking at the women working behind the scenes on the top 250 grossing movies of the year and not surprising, women make up only 16% of directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors. That number is down 3 points from 2001 and is the same as 2008.

Women directors are now at 7% down from 9% in 2008 and is the same percentage as it was in 1987 (the year that Dirty Dancing and Baby Boom were released and Cher won her Oscar for Moonstruck.) So while we’ve all been talking about the prominent women who were recognized this past year, the opportunities for women to direct declined.

Women writers make up only 8%. That means that 92% of the films are written from a male perspective.

More stats:
Women make up:
17% of all executive producers
23% of all producers
18% of all editors
2% of all cinematographers 

From the Women's Media Center:

Women are 51% of the population but are losing ground in Hollywood. Even as we celebrate Kathryn Bigelow's "Best Director" nomination, in 2009, women comprised only 7% of all directors, 8% of writers, 17% of all executive producers, and 35 percent of 2009's top films had no female producers at all.

And it bleeds into children's programming too. From Jezebel:

The statistics in the SMH piece are startling: Three male characters for every one female character; 87% of narrators are male.

So what can we do about it? Start by signing the petition at the Women's Media Center, and make a pledge to support movies that feature women in front of an behind the camera.