Women Meet to Prioritize Issues for Lobbying Group

The Orange County Women's Center and the Orange County Commission for Women hosted the Women's Agenda Assembly at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill.

Brenda Rosen and Jacky Philips of the commission, and Kim Shumate and Jenn Barr of the Orange County Women's Center served as co-chairwomen of the assembly.

"I'm hoping that Orange County women are going to be able to talk to each other," Shumate said. "I'm really hoping that it will get women involved."

N.C. Equity, a women's lobbying organization, sought the help of local organizations to develop ideas for legislation that would improve the economic power of women and their families.

"N.C. Equity creates draft proposals and sends them down to local organizations," said Florence Glasser, a former N.C. Equity employee.

All of the local organizations reviewed draft proposals and chose five issues to re-submit to N.C. Equity, which will be taken to the legislature.

The five issues chosen by the Orange County Women's Agenda Assembly are access to health care, adolescent pregnancy prevention, child care, violence against women, civil rights and hate crimes.

"Violence against women is popping up all across the state," said Susan Markham, president of N.C. Equity.

N.C. Equity will submit the chosen issues to the General Assembly in its women's agenda. The legislature will reconvene in January.

"Working on these issues is important to the economic strength of women," Markham said. "They are critical issues for women to participate in."

Denine Bynum, one of the women attending Thursday's gathering, said she came as a guest to get more information.

"Gun violence issues and economic equality and any issues that affect children would be my choice," she said.

The meeting also featured Maria Teresa Palmer, a member of the N.C. Board of Education. She spoke of improving the situation of women through leadership.

"We think we need a professional to come in and fix things," Palmer said. "I think when you have a vision and you are willing to invest your time it can happen. We need to make personal relationships a priority."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.