Since the anti-transgender agenda seems to be on the minds of the current political climate, it’s important to keep the information and education flowing and going on this issue and how communities and LGBTQ+ groups are fighting back. Part of what the LGBTQ+ liaison does is to provide education and awareness about the community. Hopefully, these links and information will help.

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming event on June 9, 2025, with the DEI committee to honor PRIDE month.

General Information to Keep Track of Transgender/ LGBTQ+ Issues:

2025 anti-trans bills tracker -https://translegislation.com/

Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by State -https://www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps

LGBTQ+ Dates for May -

• Foster Care Awareness Month, Mental Health Month

• First Sunday in May: International Family Equality Day

• 5/16 – National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day

• 5/17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

Good LGBTQ+ News–

Over 850 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Filed In 2025; Most In History -https://tinyurl.com/yc4ry9d6

Specific Anti-Transgender Rulings:

UK Supreme Court rules that trans women are not women under the law -

https://tinyurl.com/4fenabz2

Donald Trump orders Women’s History Museum to remove trans people or lose funding -

https://tinyurl.com/2a972a69For Your Information:

If you want to know how not to talk to trans

women, watch this interview -

https://tinyurl.com/37k7c4ft

• 5/19 – Agender Pride Day •

• 5/19 – National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day •

• 5/22 – Harvey Milk Day

• 5/24 – Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day

• Trans state Rep. celebrates string of pro-trans victories: “The tide is changing” -https://tinyurl.com/3v4chwzr

• Out Colorado governor repeals state’s same-sex marriage ban: “Colorado is for everyone” –https://tinyurl.com/3y2cbtr3

• How Tech Can Empower Trans Communities: This Michigan Author Explores the Possibilities -https://tinyurl.com/44mre5nb

Helplines

The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

Ali Forney Day Center: (212) 206-0574

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Info: (800) 342-AIDS (2437), Spanish service: (800) 344- 7432, TDD service for the deaf: (800) 243-7889, [10:00am till 10:00pm EST, Monday through Friday]

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: (888) 843-4564

The GLBT National Youth Talkline (youth serving youth through age 25): (800) 246-7743

The National Runaway Switchboard: (800) RUNAWAY (786-2929)

Transgender Michigan’s Helpline

Do you need someone to talk to? Do you wish you could talk to another transgender person? In times like these the help line is even more crucial. You are not alone!

Our team lead by our Executive Director, Rachel Crandall Crocker, LMSW, ACSW (a clinical social worker) is ready anytime to take your calls with questions or if you just need to vent.

Call us toll free at 855-345-TGMI (855-345-8464)

 If you have any news or leads on anything related to LGBTQ+ news, issues, and organizations, please contact Sue Oser at soser@nfbpwc.org. If you would like to help Susan educate on these issues, please let her know as well. She is also available for presentations and any questions you may have.

Susan Oser
NFBPWC Advocacy Team LGBTQ+ Lead

Equal Rights Amendment – It Happened!

Advocacy –Equal Rights Amendment: Part 1. “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.”

2.  Give Congress the power tie force the ERA through legislation.

3.   The amendment takes effect two years after its ratified.

I am placing the 3 statements in my article as #2 stands as the next step with insuring the ERA as our 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

During the past two months the ERA Coalition has been meeting every2 weeks. I am thankful for their leadership and work as we move forward. I wish to give them credit for theinformation that is always current as many women across the nation join these sessions.

The discussions always begin with the work that is being done in the respective states. We have learned the following:

• North Carolina: Bills to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment were introduced in the House (H.B. 500) and Senate (S.B. 438) on March 24. The ERA-NC Alliance is planning the Equality Matters legal clinic in August at the Campbell School of Law in Raleigh. The Clinic will center on developing a strategy to remove sexist/sex biased language from the North Carolina code, which was the focus of earlier research conducted by the NC Alliance with assistance from attorneys at Winston & Strawn, LLP. For more, contact Audrey Muck, co-president of the ERA-NC Alliance at fanninmm@gmail.com

• Minnesota: The bill to add an inclusive Equal Rights Amendment to the state’s Constitution is moving forward and the Amendment was the subject of a hearing on April 3 in the House. Betty Folliard of MN ERA testified at the hearing. From the Minnesota Star Tribune article, we need an equal rights amendment more than ever. For more, contact Betty at betty.folliard@gmail.com

• Kindle: The Equal Rights Amendment has been published with the 28th Amendment by Kindle as the Unabridged U.S. Constitution and is free to download at https://tinyurl.com/US-Constitution- 202.

• Equality Now: Hot of the press is the report entitled, “The ERA and the path forward: What happens after Biden’s declaration?”, which recaps the panel discussion, co-hosted with the ERA Coalition, during the 69th Session of the UN Commission of the Status of Women (CSW). For more       contact Mel    Baileyat mbailey@equalitynow.org

• League of Women Voters-US: On April 1st, along with several groups, LWV-US filed the case, League of Women Voters v. Trump in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as a response to the anti-voting rights Executive Order 14248, Preserving  and  Protecting  the Integrity ofAmerican Elections. This order closely mirrors the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act that is currently being considered in Congress.

• National ERA Public Education Campaign: The ERA Coalition is ready to launch a national education and public awareness campaign designed to raise the profile of the Equal Rights Amendment as the “law of the land.” The ERA has met the requirements needed in Article 5 for amending the Constitution. It was voted out of the House and Senate and two-thirds vote and ratified by three-fourths of the states. The campaign name has met with some opposition. It was to be “Correct the Constitution” but with some sponsor opposition, we will most likely read, “Claim the 28th.” They are also looking at the pocket sized Constitution booklets and creating a stamp to be placed in these handbooks with this title.

• Congressional Updates: The Equal Rights Amendments were introduced in the House and Senate during Women’s History Month. Representative Pressley’s bill HJ Resolution 80 dropped on March 24 and now has 138 co- sponsors. Her cosponsors are: Madeleine Dean, Sylvia Garcia, Sidney Kamiager-Dove and Jennifer McClellan. We need to help to add more Democats as well as Republicans with their sponsorships.

• Senator Murkowski’s bill SJ Resolution 38 dropped March 25th on Equal Pay Day. Senator Mazie Hirono is the co-lead. The ERA Congressional Caucus is renewing its work and leadership. Jennifer McClellan is co-chairing with Pressley.

The work continues to bring the Equal Rights Amendment to the minds of the American people. We all will be busy discussing and refocusing the importance of this 28th Amendment. There will much more to come.

Nancy Werner
Advocacy Team ERA Lead
(2022-2026)

Since the anti-transgender agenda seems to be on the minds of the current political climate, it’s important to keep the information and education flowing and going on this issue and how communities and LGBTQ+ groups are fighting back.

2025 anti-trans bills tracker - https://translegislation.com/

Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2025 -

https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2025

It’s time to dial up your trans allyship. Here’s how.

• https://tinyurl.com/4j785akt

LGBTQ+ Dates for April -

• April 6: International Asexuality Day

• April 10: National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

• Third Friday of April: Day of Silence

  Talking About Transgender People & Restrooms - https://www.mapresearch.org/talking-about-transgender-people-and-restrooms

  How To Testify For Trans Rights - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0c-ZTs87L4

  For Your Information:

  The Queer History of the Suffrage Movement - https://www.alicepaul.org/the-queer-history-of-  the-suffrage-movement/

  • April 18: National Transgender HIV Testing Day

  • April 18: Nonbinary Parents Day

  • April 26: Lesbian Visibility Day

Good LGBTQ+ News–

• How a Michigan Trans Rights Rally Ignited Nationwide Solidarity — See Our Exclusive Photo Gallery – https://pridesource.com/article/unity-in-action-how-a-local-trans-rights-rally-ignited-nationwide-solidarity-see-our-exclusive-photo-gallery

• Man planning to testify in favor of anti-trans bill ends up apologizing to trans people instead - https://tinyurl.com/mpnrwc94

• Queer women candidates have been smashing glass ceilings across the US. Let’s help even more wins - https://tinyurl.com/yh4pxsee

Helplines

The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

Ali Forney Day Center: (212) 206-0574

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Info: (800) 342-AIDS (2437), Spanish service: (800) 344- 7432, TDD service for the deaf: (800) 243-7889, [10:00am till 10:00pm EST, Monday through Friday]

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: (888) 843-4564

The GLBT National Youth Talkline (youth serving youth through age 25): (800) 246-7743

The National Runaway Switchboard: (800) RUNAWAY (786-2929)

If you have any news or leads on anything related to LGBTQ+ news, issues, and organizations, please contact Sue Oser at soser@nfbpwc.org. If you would like to help Susan educate on these issues, please let her know as well. She is also available for presentations and any questions you may have.

Susan Oser
NFBPWC Advocacy Team LGBTQ+ Lead

Since the anti-transgender agenda seems to be on the minds of the current political climate, it’s important to keep the information and education flowing and going on this issue and how communities and LGBTQ+ groups are fighting back.

Executive Order Explainers and Resources - https://pflag.org/resource/executive-orders/

A4TE Condemns Trump Administration Attack on Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy - https://tinyurl.com/42c2dpcc

A4TE Issues Statement on Trump Administration’s Harmful Transgender Military Order - https://tinyurl.com/26ax4j3c

LGBTQ+ Dates for March -

• Bisexual Health Awareness Month

• National Women’s History Month

Talking About Transgender People & Restrooms - https://www.mapresearch.org/talking-about-

transgender-people-and-restroomsFor Your Information:

International Transgender Day of Visibility, founded by Rachel Crandall Crocker, was created as a day to visibly celebrate being transgender. Also, for allies to show their support for the transgender community.

https://www.tgvisibilityday.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-  Transgender-Day-of-Visibility/278921572261135

https://glaad.org/transgender-day-visibility/

• Week varies in March: National LGBT Health Awareness Week

• 3/1 – Zero Discrimination Day

• 3/10 – National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

• 3/20 – National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

• 3/21 – National Single Parent Day
  

• 3/31 – International Transgender Day of Visibility

Good LGBTQ+ News–

• Corewell, Largest Michigan Provider, Resumes Trans Youth Care Despite Illegal Trump EO - https://tinyurl.com/3n6uj4vk

• Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Alicia Keys shout out trans rights & equality at the Grammys - https://tinyurl.com/mvxxxp4e

• Bullies like Trump fall when good people act - https://tinyurl.com/mscvbfz6

Helplines

The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

Ali Forney Day Center: (212) 206-0574

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Info: (800) 342-AIDS (2437), Spanish service: (800) 344- 7432, TDD service for the deaf: (800) 243-7889, [10:00am till 10:00pm EST, Monday through Friday]

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: (888) 843-4564

The GLBT National Youth Talkline (youth serving youth through age 25): (800) 246-7743

The National Runaway Switchboard: (800) RUNAWAY (786-2929)

If you have any news or leads on anything related to LGBTQ+ news, issues, and organizations, please contact Sue Oser at soser@nfbpwc.org. If you would like to help Susan educate on these issues, please let her know as well. She is also available for presentations and any questions you may have.

Susan Oser

NFBPWC Advocacy Team LGBTQ+ Lead

Equal Rights Amendment – The Latest News

Advocacy –Equal Rights Amendment

Part 1. “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.”

Part 2. Give Congress the power to force the ERA through legislation.

Part 3. The amendment takes effect two years after it’s ratified.

I am placing the 3 statements in my article as #2 stands as the next step with insuring the ERA as our 28^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

On Friday, January 17, 2024, our former President Biden announced the biggest news ever-The EqualRights Amendment was the Law of the Land. We rejoiced as he had only that day left office. But the questions soon appeared from many supporters as to be it the law of the land? Question and statements were mentioned in the media and in the newsprint. Lots of discussion going on.

We learned that the Archivist Collen Shogun did not place the ERA as the 28^th amendment into the U.S. Constitution. President Biden did not even ask her. The incoming administration fired her. She shared that she had no regrets. She felt she served the American people. But then we hear the announcement that the new ‘Acting Archivist’ would be Marco Rubio. Now he is already our U.S. Secretary of State.

But our questions are still swirling as to what is next?

We heard from Russ Feingold sharing “The ERA Is Part of the Constitution.” He was a three-term Democratic Senator from Wisconsin who was a Rhodes Scholar and a Harvard Law School graduate. He was remembered for placing constitutional principles ahead of partisan politics. He left the Senate in 2011 and began teaching at some of our important law schools. Presently he is president of the American Constitution Society. But what does he have to say….

Feingold says that the Biden’s statement provides recognition of “the validity of the Equal Rights Amendment.” Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe and Feingold have been arguing for the past 3 years that the constitutional requirements for ratification had been met. Feingold shared that the Congress passed the ERA by two- thirds votes in both chambers and sent the proposed amendment to the states for ratification, has fulfilled its constitutional role. The Archivist can publish without further action from the executive branch or Congress.

But now what is happening? The ERA Coalition in the past month has held two meetings. The discussions are about “educating the public” on the U.S. Constitution. Yes, provide information to everyone. We need to make the public aware that by working with Congress, we can affirm that the ERA is the 28^th Amendment. We, as a group, cannot bring the ERA to the Supreme Court, but we can establish “building blocks” to prepare for that day. One way is to look at the state levels that do have ERA in their Constitutions and the UN CEDAW.

A great resource is www.equalrightsamendment.orgPlease take a moment to review.

Then on February 20, 2025, the Alice Paul Institute shared a webinar entitled, “The ERA –What Next?” The panel consisted of Kate Kelly, ERA author and activist- Women’s Initiative, Zakiya Thomas, ERA Coalition, and Kathy Bonk, long time ERA activist and White House representative to first ladies. The Moderator was Molly, Advocacy Manager from the API.

It was a lively discussion as these ERA activists shared their strategies for the upcoming months. We need to keep ERA in public communication. Seems we have only Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, speaking out for the ERA. We need to communicate with our Congressional representatives.

Kate Kelly did share a site that you can view with some strategies.

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-era-solidies-womens-rights-in-the-constitution-as-the-28th-amendment/

They too reaffirmed that we need to be looking at the states that have ERA in their State laws and use them as models.

Provide funds to the ERA workers on the ground. This action is very important to keep it going.

SIGN4ERA will continue. Please sign on if you haven’t already. Encourage everyone.

Our work is far from over NFBPWC members. I will keep you updated as I learn of any developments.

Nancy Werner’s Sisters – Rose, Pat, Sonia, Nancy and Bobbi

Francesca and Nancy

Before I close, I would like to share a personal story of traveling to New York City with my sisters, Pat, Rose, Bobbi and Sonia, to see the Broadway musical production, Suffs, on October 1, 2024. (You met these 4 sisters at the Biennial of 2024.) We were greeted by Francesca Burack, our NFBPWC New York member, who served as our ticket contact. We enjoyed a fantastic lunch at Sardi’s and then viewed the play, Suffs, dedicated to the Suffragettes who led the way back in 1913 to 1920. The production was empowering as we saw the many sacrifices that these women encountered. It took us into the 70’s where we meet Alice Paul in her later years encouraging us to “keep marching.” The cast was ALL women!

It was so engaging that we, my sisters and I, sponsored a busload of BPW members from our area to see Suffs on January 4. The production seemed more empowering as we saw our actresses provide another dynamic show. The show closed on January 5. Francesca joined us again and so did Emily Van Vleck, our NFBPWC VP of Advocacy. The show will soon begin traveling in the upcoming fall so please if it comes to a city near you, don’t miss it. The memories of Suffs, the musical, will always be with me. I must say that Shaina Taub, the creator and star of the production, presented a determined Alice Paul. I can see why the show won a few Tonys.

One thing that really brought home the production was the last song, “Keep Marching.” I do believe that is where we are now. We must stay vigilant and keep each other informed about what is happening. Keep talking about the Equal Rights Amendment and don’t stop.

Emily VanVleck, Francesca Burack, Nancy Werner

Nancy Werner Advocacy Team ERA Lead (2022-2026)

By: Nancy Werner
Advocacy Team ERA Lead (2022-2026) 

Equal Rights Amendment – It Happened!

Advocacy –Equal Rights Amendment. “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex” needs to be placed into our Constitution. While most states have laws prohibiting discrimination of any kind based on sex, proponents of the E.R.A. say laws can be reversed or eliminated. Having a Constitutional Amendment would cement those rights.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! What a month to remember. Thank you to each and every one of you for your tireless efforts to call, text, and email the White House. But let us look at the events as they are unfolding.

January 17, 2025

President Biden has affirmed that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is duly ratified and stands as the law of the land! Read the White House statement here.

This marks an historic moment for women’s rights advocates who have tirelessly fought for over a century to secure equality in the United States Constitution.

While questions remain about whether the National Archivist has been instructed to publish the ERA and legal challenges are anticipated, this announcement is a powerful step forward. It provides renewed hope and energy for the ongoing fight to ensure equal rights are fully recognized and protected.

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has worked, advocated, and taken action to make this historic milestone possible. Together, we are moving closer   to   achieving true constitutional equality. Keep marchingforward—our collective efforts are making a difference!

Speaking of marching - don't forget tomorrow the People's March will take place in cities across the US. Join thousands of activists in celebrating this win!

Best Regards,

Emily VanVleck

National Vice President of Advocacy

vpadvocacy@nfbpwc.org

Thank you, Emily. But then the discussion swirled around the United State Archivist signing the document into the Constitution. Did she, or didn’t she? From all accounts she didn’t … so now what?

But then we have Wendy Murphy, Esq., Equal Means Equal, sharing her take on this last-minute proclamation by President Biden.

Trump’s executive order declaring sex binary and immutable is just as meaningless as Biden’s statement declaring the ERA valid. They both know what they did was illegal, so why do it?

Because they both want the same result: get an ERA case to the Supreme Court ASAP so the court can declare the ERA irrelevant now that sex is mutable.

As Gillebrand was oddly begging lawyers to file cases under the ERA it was obvious she was trying to create a case where the Supreme Court could take up an ERA case, apply Skrmetti’s mutability rule, and kill it. But it’s better to have a split in the circuits, which is typically needed for Supreme Court review. So then - like magic - Trump issues an unlawful executive order declaring sex immutable and the lawsuits are alreadybeing prepared to litigate the “other side” of the mutability issue. Convenient.

This is more proof that both sides are working together against the ERA because it takes this kind of high- level strategy to falsely create exactly the right kind of lawsuits to quickly create a Supreme Court controversy. This tactic facilitates the final death of the ERA in a way that won’t even require the court to address the Article V deadline issue.

The court can simply rule that Trump and Biden both exceeded their authority, but it doesn’t matter because women get only intermediate scrutiny under Skrmetti because gender is mutable and gender is part of sex. So

 is mutable, and mutable gets only intermediate scrutiny.

Women need to be much more sophisticated in their activism because this is stuff that cannot be impacted by protests.

Wendy J. Murphy, JD 617-422-7410

Now this week we have Russ Feingold sharing “The ERA Is Part of the Constitution.” He was a three-term Democratic Senator from Wisconsin who was a Rhodes Scholar and a Harvard Law School graduate. He was remembered for placing constitutional principles ahead of partisan politics. He left the Senate in 2011 and began teaching at some of our important law schools.

Presently, he is president of the American Constitution Society. But what does he have to say….

Feingoldsaysthat Biden’sstatement provides recognition of “the validity of the EqualRights Amendment.”

HarvardLaw Professor Laurence Tribe and Feingold have been arguing for the past 3 years that the constitutional requirements for ratification had been met. Feingold shared

that the Congress passed the ERA by two-thirds votes in both chambers and sent the proposed amendment to the states for ratification, has fulfilled its constitutional role. The Archivist can publish without further action from the executive branch or Congress.

So, our drama will continue with the Equal Rights Amendment, our 28^th Amendment to the Constitution. What will happen next is the question. As jubilant as we felt on January 17^th, what will take place NEXT? Stay tuned as many groups are all having zoom meetings to follow this story.

I reflect upon Alice Paul thinking that it would take only

10 years for her amendment to become an amendment way back in 1923. Keep following the ERA. It is far from over.

Nancy Werner

Advocacy Team ERA Lead (2022-2026)

By: Cathleen Jeanty
Original Publish Date: October 1, 2024

Opinion: All the UN secretary-general’s men — and why this must change

The low number of women’s voices at UNGA, one of the most prominent global stages, undermines the very goals nations pledged to achieve with the SDGs.

In 2015, all of the United Nations member states unanimously agreed to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nearly a decade later, those same member states agreed almost unanimously to undermine that commitment on the grandest stage possible by allowing only nine of the 133 speakers at the 79th United Nations General Assembly’s general debates last week to be women — a mere 6.8%. In a stunning irony, the adoption of the Pact for the Future felt more like a relic from the past. 

I wish I could say I am surprised, but I am not. The absence of women’s voices undermines the very goals nations pledged to achieve. 

In the aftermath, the U.N. endured well-earned backlash, with Secretary-General António Guterres even calling this dearth of women "unacceptable." However, looking beyond the U.N. stage, the exclusion of women’s voices in global leadership reflects a near-universal problem. 

Data from UN Women notes that, at the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years. For reference, that is older than the United Nations itself, nearly twice over. For only 9 of the 133 general debate speakers to be women, that boils down to roughly 1 in every 15. Put more simply, for every woman afforded a place to speak, 14 men had to speak before she was allowed to.

World leaders have long been paying lip service to the necessity of making space for women’s voices, but the reality speaks otherwise. This can be seen by the fact that we are in a time of wide-scale female oppression across the globe. 

A new religious code imposed in Afghanistan further rolls back the rights of Afghan women and literally bans women from raising their voices in public. Iran has seen an intensified crackdown on women’s rights, particularly in response to protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini. The enforcement of mandatory hijab laws and the violent suppression of female protestors are reminders of the inequality that is woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. 

Even in the United States, home to the U.N. headquarters, women's reproductive rights are being scaled back, and overturning of Roe. vs. Wade has spurred widespread political outrage. In conflict zones, as war continues to ravage Gaza, the United Nations reports that 75% of those injured are estimated to be female. In Ukraine, of the 14.6 million people predicted to need humanitarian assistance in 2024, more than half are women and girls. Similar trends emerge in regions such as Haiti and Sudan, where crises further entrench gender inequality.

It’s impossible to talk about the lack of female representation at the U.N. General Assembly without recognizing the rootsof this lack of equality. In an increasingly hostile and militarized world that is grappling with the most conflicts since World War II and more strongmen leaders rising across the globe, we must accept the need for a different definition of diplomacy. And fast.

In the words of Guterres, with the world “a whirlwind,” can we really afford to get blown away by rhetoric that pales in the face of the needs made evident by our current leadership ecosystem? Can the U.N. maintain a position as a moral and evidentiary authority on gender parity when it fails to reach it within its own chambers? While the institution has made significant efforts to achieve gender parity, progress is still lacking. To tackle these inequalities, the U.N. can take various steps to pressure member states into implementing necessary reforms. 

For instance, the U.N. should require that, in order to qualify for U.N. peacekeeping support, member states must include women equally in peacebuilding and post-conflict governance. This would ensure that women are actively involved in conflict mitigation. Additionally, the U.N. can establish a formal requirement for member states to report on the gender composition of their delegations in periodic reviews, such as the Universal Periodic Review. 

As the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals approaches, the U.N. must actively collaborate with civil society groups and female-led organizations to address these existing chasms. And, as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, the global agenda for the achievement of gender equality, it is imperative that member states mark this anniversary with more actionable measures to achieve equality in decision-making spaces. By doing so, the U.N. will be evidencing its commitment to building a more gender-equal world. 

Guterres once noted, “We are all better off when we open doors of opportunity for women and girls: in classrooms and boardrooms, in military ranks and at peace talks, in all aspects of productive life.” There is not a better time than now, in 2024, to do just that inside the U.N. halls — and everywhere else. Just as the world faces unprecedented challenges, we are in the midst of an unparalleled opportunity to bring about solutions: We just need to pass the mic and let women speak.

On behalf of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (NFBPWC), as unanimously approved by the Executive Committee members, we formally issue this statement of support for the women of Iran.

The NFBPWC stands with the brave women of Iran as they protest for their human rights to freely express themselves and wear what they choose.

We believe an attack on women's rights anywhere is an attack on women's rights everywhere and we abhor the treatment women have faced by the repressive morality police in Iran.

We are sending our strength to our brave sisters in Iran, know you are not fighting alone.

Women, Life, Freedom.

Megan Shellman-Rickard
President, 2020-2022
National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs
president@nfbpwc.org
www.nfbpwc.org

Writing an effective letter to government and other officials is one way you can influence policy-makers and educate them on women's rights issues and diverse perspectives.

Should you email or send a handwritten letter?

We've noticed that handwritten letters typically receive more attention, so if you are writing about a general topic, send a physical letter if you have the time. If the issue is more urgent, then email is the best option. A physical letter has to endure security screenings that can involve a delay of up to three weeks.

The NFBPWC OneClick Politics platform provides you with sample letters to make it very easy to do, but just in case you'd like to add your own flare to your letter, here are a few tips that you can use to write them on your own:

A Professional Beginning: Using a proper subject line and salutation can really help you set a polite and informative tone.

• Use "Dear Representative Brown" or other office held - Senator or Assemblymember.
  
• Use your subject line or first sentence of the letter to clearly state the reason for your letter. 

"I am writing about HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, currently before the Senate. I encourage you to approve this legislation as written on the grounds that ...."

Informative Yet Not Too Wordy: Identify yourself as a constituent and state your views using common terms. You cannot assume the recipient has a full understanding of certain activism language or references as your do.

• Focus on key points, make your requests clear, and when appropriate, cite the bill number (HR 8).
• Explain the potential impact on women -- and you if relevant. It's nice to be able to personalize the issue. So, try to use "I" statements and reference specific examples.
• A one-page (or less) positive letter is ideal. The goal is to write about one issue and explain how you want the recipient to address your concerns.

  
Expect a Reply...but not all will: In closing you'll want to briefly recap your main points and ask how they intend to act / plans to vote. Worst case scenario -- you will only receive a form response or no replay at all. But be prepared to be contacted by the recipient or a staff member! You'll most definitely want to make the time to talk if they do.

What happens to your letter after you send it?

The policy-maker/legislator or a member of their staff will read your letter. They will verify that you are a constituent and then route your letter as either:

• Important correspondence to be dealt with by the recipient.
• Unique and moving to be shared with the larger decision-making group (like Congress or the Senate).
• A tally number of the letters received is given during an issue briefing before a vote.

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, on a 5-3 decision, overthrew the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade law which said that women had the right to choose what happens to their body. The 1973 decision was based on the 14th Amendment’s “Due Process Clause” on the right to privacy.

After this ruling there were many demonstrations in support of women’s right to choose around the country. Many NFBPWC members participated in these demonstrations. One member was Judy Chu, a member of East Los Angeles-Montebello BPW and a member of Congress from California’s 27th Congressional District.

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Chu was the only member of Congress to take part in the June 30th demonstration in Washington, D.C. For her efforts in protecting women’s right to choose, she was arrested along with 181 others. She was later released.

Chu is the author of HR 3755 the “Women’s Health Act,’ which passed the House on September 24, 2021, and is in the Senate as S 1975. The Senate filibuster law has stopped it from proceeding. If enacted, it would protect women’s right to choose.