Migration Category: Campus Old Site

Feminist activists from the BRADLEY UNIVERSITY FMLA affiliate worked with the campus VOX group to send special Thank You cards to their local abortion providers. Refuse and Resist organizes a National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers in March, get ideas from their past action kits, visit http://www.refuseandresist.org/ab/march10/2002/index.html

On Thursday Oct. 24th, the FMLA at BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY, screened “From Danger to Dignity: The Fight for Safe Abortion,” a film about underground networks to provide abortions pre-Roe vs. Wade, and the efforts of activists and legislators to keep abortion legal. Working with the Abortion Access Project, a grassroots organization dedicated to ensuring safe, legal, accessible abortions, the group led a discussion about ways to take action in their community.

The NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS FMLA worked very hard with the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Alliance to organize their Campus Coming Out Ball to celebrate tolerance and sexual freedom. The group received 4,000 dollars from the University to organize the event that drew 145 people and ended up being one of the biggest Friday evening campus events in several years!

With four days of active tabling and strategic classroom announcements, the FMLA at SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY raised 115 dollars during their Breast Cancer Ribbon Drive. The group donated the funds to Breast Health Access For Women with Disabilities, a local organization that aims to increase access to and utilization of breast screening by women age 20 and older with limitations in mobility and vision. Learn more about their work, http://www.bhawd.org.

This weekend, FMLA activists from PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE – SYLVANNIA will trek up to Seattle, Washington this weekend for the Imagine Revolution Conference. Hosted by Radical Women, a feminist organization dedicated to achieving full equality for women, people of color, lesbians, gays, and working people. The event will take place at the University of Washington School of Social Work, where the group plans on participating in workshops and discussions for women’s equality and a more progressive society. The group recently installed a provocative and educational display about women’s rights – including reproductive rights, domestic and sexual assault, and employment, for the National Young Women’s Day of Action.

CERRITOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE FMLA sent 8 members to volunteer with the Feminist Majority Foundation to participate in the 9th Annual Clinic Violence Survey. Students came to the West Coast Office in California and surveyed abortion clinics on their work and experience with anti-abortion activists.

In February of 2001, more than 70 organizations, including the Feminist Majority Foundation, submitted a joint petition to the FDA demanding that emergency contraception be approved for over-the-counter use. Since then, the Women’s Capital Corporation, the manufacturer of Plan B¨, has applied to the FDA to change the distribution status of Plan B¨ from prescription to over-the-counter. FMF’s Campus Program has launched a major campaign to petition the FDA to make emergency contraception available over-the-counter. CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance in Ohio is working with their Women’s Health Center to make emergency contraception (EC) available on campus and educate the student body about its use and availability. To better promote access to health services and resources for women on campus, the newly chartered MARSHALL UNIVERSITY (WV) FMLA affiliate created wallet cards with information on local rape crisis centers, reproductive health centers, and general information on women’s health. The MARIETTA COLLEGE FMLA in Ohio hosted a Mifepristone birthday party with over 50 people in attendance, commemorating the Food and Drug Administration’s approval in the year 2000. They used the event to educate their campus about Mifepristone and emergency contraception. MARIETTA COLLEGE FMLA activist Julie Knepper wrote an excellent letter to the editor on the difference between EC and Mifepristone and on local access to reproductive health services. The recently chartered FMLA at WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY is also participating in the ECOTC campaign, educating their campus about the importance of access to EC by tabling regularly with ECOTC materials. The USC FMLA co-sponsored with their campus Women’s Student Assembly to promote women’s health during a breast cancer awarness event, tabling with ECOTC petitions and reproductive health information. Join the campaign today by educating your campus about EC and organizing a petition drive to the FDA. Use FMF’s national petition to collect signatures and then mail the petitions in to us so we can deliver them in bulk to the FDA! New resources and materials coming soon! Visit the Prescribe Choice ECOTC campaign website.

FMF West Coast Campus Organizers have recently returned from a successful visit to schools in Oregon and Washington. Campus Organizers met with feminist groups and women’s centers at PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE-SYLVANIA, MOUNT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY, WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY, LEWIS AND CLARK UNIVERSITY, and the UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. The MOUNT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Leadership Alliance participated in an FMF workshop on mentoring and leadership and as well as in a larger FMF regional training on feminist issues, leadership, and activist skills for feminists in Oregon and Washington. According to West Coast Campus Organizer Bri Romero, “The trip was successful because we found a strong young feminist voice on campuses across Oregon and Washington state who were already mobilizing on issues such as access to emergency contraception. Students told us that we helped them strengthen the feminist voice on campus.” As a result of the trip, Portland area feminists are planning a city-wide women’s empowerment festival in coalition with different campus groups. Oregon and Washington area Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances and other feminist groups are now involved in the ECOTC campaign and gearing up for Never Go Back activities on the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January.

The TEMPLE UNIVERSITY FMLA effectively organized a substantial pro-choice demonstration to counter the anti-choice Center for Bioethical Reform that travels to campuses with enormous graphic posters as part of their anti-abortion “Genocide Awareness Program.” The FMLA hosted a table and rally against GAP, gathering over 600 signatures in less than 6 hours to send to the Dean of Students, in protesting the organization’s presence on campus. The FMLA also wrote a letter to editor about the organization’s hateful anti-woman agenda. For more info on exposing right wing organizing on campus and strategies to protect women’s access to abortion services, check out our Study and Action Manual.

Last Thursday, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances and feminists across the country participated in the National Young Women’s Day of Action (NYWDA), a call to action for feminists to unite around issues of reproductive and sexual freedom, racial and economic justice, and on violence against women. The FMLA at PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE-SYLVANIA Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and the Sylvania Women’s Resource Center organized an art exhibit in recognition of National Young Women’s Day of Action and invited local pro-choice and feminist organizations to table with information on the wide range of issues affecting women at stake during the elections. The UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance had a pay equity bake sale for the national day of action, raising awareness about economic discrimination and the wage gap against women. The average working woman in the United States now earns less than 75 cents for every dollar earned by a man. For more on organizing a Pay Equity Bake Sale and about the Wage Gap, check out Unit 9 of the Study and Action Manual. For more information on National Young Women’s Day of Action, visit the Hampshire College Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s campaign website.

The FMLA at SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY brought Julz Chavez, creator and owner of a new doll line “Get Real Girl,” to speak about the need for realistic and healthy images in toys and products for children. Julz Chavez, a cousin of labor rights activist Cesar Chavez, created the “Get Real Girl” athletic dolls to promote healthy looking role models and to counter barbie-like unrealistic and unhealthy bodies. For Love Your Body Day, the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS FMLA organized a screening of “Killing Us Softly,” Jean Kilbourne’s video on gender in advertising, as well as “Beyond Killing Us Softly: The Strength to Resist,” which further explores the role of the media in women’s perception of their bodies. The group tabled with information on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, contraception, and eating disorders, and organized a presentation on the biology of women’s health with a professor from the Women’s Studies Department. In addition, they created a “Wall of Shame” with negative images found in magazine advertisements. To promote positive body image, the group passed out colorful valentines that were cut out in the shapes of hearts and women with positive messages on them. The group received campus press coverage. The KUTZTOWN FMLA also organized a successful Love Your Body Day, empowering women to challenge the dominant, pervasive, and damaging media images of women that perpetuate unhealthy body image and eating disorders by tabling with information on body image and fundraising with back massages. From Oct 7-11, the UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA AT RENO FMLA co-sponsored Sexual Assault Awareness week with different student organizations. The event featured an enclosed tented area that served as a “24-hour Violence Free Zone” where students could seek counseling, support, and solidarity. The Sexual Assault Prevention campus group that trains volunteers on campus, provided counseling and support during the week’s events. Also during the week, the FMLA organized a Take Back the Night rally, a visibility display of red flags to commemorate the too-frequent cases of rape and sexual assault in the US, and a pay equity bake sale that raised over 100 dollars.

The BRANDEIS FMLA is currently involved in a campus coalition for global social justice, working to end unfair working conditions in sweatshops. The group brought two women who work in Disney sweatshops in Bangladesh to speak on campus about their experience and about workers’ rights. The FMLA played an instrumental role in fundraising to bring these speakers to campus. Well done!

Earlier this month, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances joined Feminist Majority Foundation staff in celebrating the grand opening of the new FMF West Coast office. FMF West Coast Campus Staff and new Campus Program Director Katherine Minarik met with over 50 students from area campuses including CERRITOS COLLEGE, THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY–LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY–FULLERTON, FULLERTON COLLEGE, and SANTA MONICA CITY COLLEGE. Students, community, and faculty activists toured the office, enjoyed ice cream, cake, and champagne, and were able to network one another.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th. We have just 7 DAYS to mobilize young women voters to turnout to the polls! FMLAs nationwide continue to register voters and plan to mobilize voters to the polls on Election Day. In coalition with several other campus groups, the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE FMF affiliate registered 1000 people! The group plans on organizing transportation to the polls on Election Day. FMLA Affiliate MARSHALL UNIVERSITY in WV, working with other campus groups, registered over 200 voters! KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY FMLA in Pennsylvania hosted a voter registration drive and will have a voter mobilization table at Election Day. The recently chartered FMLA at West Virginia University have been tabling for Get Out Her Vote, registering between dozens of voters on campus. The FMLA at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT GREEN BAY joined 9 other campus organizations in registering close to 900 students. SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY FMLA is actively educating their campus about the importance of voting through the new GOHV “Did You Know” flyers. The HAMLINE FMLA created an elaborate bulletin board display to motivate students and educate their peers on why young people should vote. Get online and get involved. The elections are almost here! New materials are available online. Get ideas for mobilizing your campus by calling us toll free at 1-866-444-FMLA or e-mail Amber Wobschall, FMF GOHV Coordinator, at awobschall@feminist.org. GOHV is sponsored by the Feminist Majority Foundation and their affiliate Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances. The Feminist Majority Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that does not oppose, support or otherwise endorse any candidate for public office.

Last week, the NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS FMLA co-sponsored a guest speaker for the weeklong Equity in Action Program hosted by the Dean of Academic Development. Guest speaker Dr. Laila Farah is a guest professor at DePaul University who uses her own experiences as a woman of Middle Eastern descent to expose the system of institutionalized racism that she finds prevalent in the United States, especially in a post-9/11 society. The event was also co-sponsored by the campus Women’s Services, Women’s Studies Department, and Criminal Justice Department.

The CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FMLA organized a “Religion and Abortion” Open Forum that was co-sponsored by the Women’s Studies department. The FMLA invited 7 religious and spiritual leaders to debate abortion rights. With over 100 people in attendance, the lively debate allowed the audience to also share their ideas, thoughts, and questions during the debate. The FMLA worked closely with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice for ideas, materials, and support. The group wanted to promote awareness of the support for reproductive rights and abortion within religions and spiritualities. The event was a huge success, according to FMLA leader Adrienne Brune, “I think that the success of this forum shows the influence that the FMLA can have on our campus, and the potential to go further with larger events once we can get some organizing strategies down pat!” For more information on hosting your own similar event or for more resources, visit the Spirituality House.

The Feminist Majority will joined the National Organization for Women,several members of the US Congress, and other concerned groups on Wednesday in a press conference to get the word out about President Bush’s nomination of a heavily religious and anti-abortion rights doctor to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Dr. W. David Hager, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Kentucky, is a member of the Christian Medical Association (CMA) and represented the group in the recent petition to the FDA asking for an immediate ban on mifepristone (also known as RU-486 and the “abortion pill”) as well as a complete review of its approval, claiming that the drug endangered the lives of women and their “unborn/newborn offspring,” according to a CMA news release. The committee that Hager would lead was responsible for a “key recommendation” in 1996 that led to FDA approval of mifepristone.

For more on this and the current feminist news, visit https://feministmajori.wpenginepowered.com.

Earlier this month, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances and affiliates in Boston joined forces with the Abortion Access Project to support abortion rights and demonstrate the pro-choice majority in their community during the anti-abortion “Walk for Life.” The BOSTON UNIVERSITY’S Women’s Center student group, an FMF affiliate, demonstrated with pro-choice signs, banners, and chants. According to an officer in the group, “It was a lot of fun, and great that so many enthusiastic Pro-Choicers were there!”

Did you know? Kennedy defeated Nixon by just one voter per precinct in 1960? Only 4% of the US Congress is comprised of women of color? Only 21% of US citizens 18-24 years old voted in the last non-presidential election? “Every day elected officials make critical decisions about young women’s lives,” FMF President Eleanor Smeal notes, “Voter education and empowerment will give young women a stronger voice in our political future.”

Help increase awareness about the importance of voting. Post these facts and more all over campus by downloading the Get Out Her Vote (GOHV) “Did You Know?” campaign flyers.

The newly updated GOHV campaign website has resources for this action ideas, a GOHV press release, sample letter to the editor, and more! Visit http://www.FeministCampus.org/vote or call 1-866-444-3652 and ask to speak with the GOHV campaign coordinator today!

The Get Out Her Vote campaign is in full swing as FMLAs and affiliates across the country have registered thousands of new voters during the last several weeks. FMLAs and affiliates organizing voter registration drives include HAMLINE UNIVERSITY, TEXAS WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY, TRUMAN STATE, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN- GREEN BAY TEXAS TECH, INDIANA UNIVERISTY- BLOOMINGTON, SPELMAN COLLEGE, MT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, EAST TENNESSE STATE, UNIVERISTY OF WISCONSIN- MILWAUKEE, AUBURN UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, and UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS.

In a state with an uncommonly late voter registration deadline (October 23), the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE FMF affiliate are currently involved in a massive voter registration– mobilizing voters in coalition with their University’s Student Senate, the College Feminists and Amnesty International. The campus GOHV goal is to register at least 6,000 students to vote. The group will be clip-boarding, deputizing members to register voters, tabling and speaking to classes about registering and voting. The group also plans on operating shuttles to transport students to the polls on Election Day. See you at the polls!

Also in Wisconsin, the FMLA at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT GREEN BAY joined 9 other campus organizations in coordinating “Vote Fest 2002,” a major voter registration party with music provided by a popular local radio station deejay, free food, and door prizes. The group also organized several registration drives on campus and plan to organize classroom announcements and events to register even more voters. Good job!

The TRUMAN STATE FMLA recently organized a very successful Pay Equity Bake Sale, a fundraiser that also raises awareness about the wage gap by selling goods in proportion to salary based on race and gender. The group has hosted many events this semester, including an educational panel discussion on emergency contraception (EC) and reproductive rights.

Learn more about fundraising events, visit http://www.FeministCampus.org/Fundraising.asp

The BROWN UNIVERSITY Leadership Alliance recently organized events for Love Your Body Day, a campaign of the National Organization for Women on body image and eating disorder. The group chose to include a focus on reproductive health and a woman’s right to choose. “We will be talking about the right, politically, to respect your body,” FMLA President Katie Del Guercio, stated in an interview with the Brown Daily Herald. The FMLA used this event to promote access to EC on campus, with the Emergency Contraception Over-the-Counter (ECOTC) petition and with signs publicizing its availability through Campus Health Services. Also present, with info tables, free condoms, and other resources were Students for Choice, Planned Parenthood, Domestic Abuse Advocacy Project, Women’s Rugby, Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, a sorority, and representatives from Campus Health Services. The diverse day of events even included a performance with songs about safe sex by a Brown University a capella group.

FMF Campus Organizers were visiting BROWN during the FMLA’s Love Your Body Day event and hosted a workshop on Roe vs. Wade and the Never Go Back campus initiative. Elisa Ortiz, FMF Campus Organizer, notes “We’re very excited about the work of the BROWN FMLA in educating their campus about the threat to Roe vs. Wade and publicizing both our visit and the event featuring FMF President Eleanor Smeal to kick off the Never Go Back Celebrity Speaking Tour.”

The Never Go Back campaign educates the public about the impending threat to legal abortion, the role of the Supreme Court in affirming or overturning Roe v. Wade, and the importance of the filibuster as a winnable strategy for stopping anti-choice judicial nominees. Stay posted for more information, including a new Never Go Back campaign website!

For many states, voter registration deadlines are nearing and Leadership lliances have been very active in the FMF Get Out Her Vote (GOHV) Campaign.

The UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–EAU CLAIRE affiliate will have members officially deputized to register voters on their campus and will have a GOHV planning session tonight. The EASTERN TENNESSEE UNIVERSITY launching FMLA have registered 40 campus and community members in the past week and will continue voter registration until the deadline. The UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA FMLA hosted a successful voter registration barbeque, mixing food, fun, and political activism! When organizing voter registration on campus, the AUBURN UNIVERSITY FMLA took the names of those registered wanting a reminder call the day before the elections to ensure high voter turn out!

Last week, the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) at TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY organized a voter registration drive on the free speech area of their campus. The group will continue to register more voters around campus and at local grocery stores to diversify their base of registered voters. After the voter registration deadlines, the group will continue to organize public education events and mobilize students to the polls with Get Out Her Vote resources.

The BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY FMLA has Get Out Her Vote co-chairs responsible for coordinating the group’s efforts on campus. The co-chairs will host a GOHV workshop utilizing facts and information from the campaign website. The group will also create a GOHV committee of members to coordinate the public education strategies through tabling on campus and sending out a series of mass emails to their campus.

Many Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances are taking action, registering voters and educating their campus for GOHV! Please email the Campus Team and let us know what your group is planning and how we can help! Email us and visit the GOHV campaign site, http://www.feministcampus.org/vote.