What Issues are Important to NC Women?

North Carolina Women United, a statewide advocacy group, hold meetings around the state every other year to ask local women what concerns and issues are on their mind and how our state legislature can help. The release below showcases the results of the 2008 discussions.

2008 NCWU AGENDA ASSEMBLIES COMPLETE AN HISTORIC YEAR

2008 marked the 20th anniversary of the local Women's Agenda Assemblies across the state of North Carolina. Since 1988, members of the public have been meeting once every other year to discuss and prioritize social and political issues of importance to women and their families.

Last year, between August and December, eight agenda assemblies took place across the state, comprised of a total of 388 women, in the following counties: Buncombe, Alamance, Guilford, Orange, Mecklenburg, Cumberland, Wake, and Pitt.

Although every category received significant support, the total of the counties' assembly votes prioritized the four general categories of importance in the Draft Agenda for 2008-2009 as follows:

1st - Health Care
2nd - Economic Self-sufficiency
3rd - Civic Participation
4th - Violence Against Women

Many thanks go to the women and men who donated their time and effort to see that the 2008 assemblies were a success: NCWU Agenda Assembly Committee members (Anne Mackie, Polly Williams, Becky Mock and June Kimmel) Authors of the 2008-2009 Draft Agenda, and Anne Mackie for her special introductory section Authors of the assembly handouts from Planned Parenthood, Democracy Now, and the NC Justice Center NC Council for Women Regional Representatives Local Women's Agenda Assembly Leadership, Organizers, and Donors Elena Everett and Independent Voices for the DVD production of the Agenda Assemblies AND MOST OF ALL - a special thank you to all of the 388 assembly participants from across North Carolina!!!

For more information, please contact: Jenny Brobst, NCWU 2008 Statewide Agenda Assembly Coordinator, jbrobst@nccu.edu (representative from the NC Association of Women Attorneys to NCWU). Post was written by Jenny Brobst.