Before you decide if the RI National Organization for Women is an organization where you can find and share your voice, consider the following data presented in the recently released "Status of Women in Rhode Island" report prepared by the Institute for Women's Policy Research and funded by the RI Foundation Women's Fund.

• RI earned a D+ (32nd in the Nation) for political participation.
• RI received a C+ (16th in the Nation) for employment and earnings.
• RI was awarded a C+ (14th in the Nation) in the social and economic autonomy index.
• RI received a B (10th in the Nation) for reproductive rights.
• RI earned a C (26th in the Nation) for the composite health and well-being index.

Women in Rhode Island deserve to live and work in a state that performs better than average or below average. We can wait for others to act or we can demand action. Demanding action to begin to address the challenges facing women and families is only a step toward improvement. We need to TAKE ACTION. Women need to lead the charge to advance equity and social justice for women and girls.

RI NOW believes we can do a better job of ensuring that women are fairly represented in government, business, and education. The following offers information that may help you to decide if RI NOW is right for you.

Ending Poverty in Rhode Island

More than 11% of Rhode Islanders live below the poverty line and 17% of our children live in homes where income defines them as poor. Economic empowerment tops RI NOW's list of priorities because economic inequities serve as the base for a host of other injustices. RI NOW seeks to join forces with other groups fighting to end poverty and to bring the issues facing poor Rhode Islanders to the forefront of our public and community discourse. The issues facing people living in poverty are many and the current administration does not appear to be putting ending poverty on the top of its agenda. To learn more about national NOW's actions to fight poverty visit the web site and read the campaign updates.

In RI, we are fortunate to have committed groups working on the issues of poverty in a variety of forums. RI NOW looks to these institutions and organizations and will join in support of programs to address women and children living in poverty in Rhode Island. For more information, visit The Poverty Institute web site, an independent voice working to promote economic security for low-income Rhode Islanders through policy analysis and advocacy. The mission of the Poverty Institute is to bring about systemic change by providing policy analysis, education, and advocacy statewide on issues affecting the well being of all low-income Rhode Islanders.

RI NOW activists will track current efforts in the State legislature and ensure that our elected officials serve their constituents who live in poverty. RI NOW holds regular Lobby Training events - check out our event calendar and attend.

Women of Color in Rhode Island

RI NOW will develop and design programs and activities to ensure that "no woman is left behind." "Racism is not a matter of individual attitudes, it is an institutional system of power and control over other people of racial and ethnic diversity in this society." These are the thoughts presented during a RI NOW roundtable discussion focusing on Women of Color. Leaders of the discussion further exclaimed that racism and sexism are the "double whammy" standing in the way of empowerment for women of color.

RI NOW activists developed a list of action items designed to bring women of color into our organization, seeking to form collaborations that strengthen platforms designed to support women of racial and ethnic diversity. RI NOW will work on issues of improving education for young women of color, fighting to improve employment opportunities, and to end discrimination in housing.

Ending Violence Against Women

RI NOW is committed to ending all forms of violence against women and is dedicated to working side-by-side with other organizations leading this effort. Violence against women is a crime; the next critical step is to make it a shame. We must make any form of violence socially unacceptable. RI NOW members find it difficult to imagine that something that is illegal is still socially acceptable. We must say "NO MORE." For more information visit the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence web site.

Join RI NOW in support of a public education program to end the myths about violence. Women never ask to be harmed, raped, hit, or abused. RI NOW activists will team up with the outstanding Rhode Island organizations that have been working on issues of violence for many, many years. There is power in numbers and women in Rhode Island need to stand together to fight for tougher laws, stiffer sentences, educated police and judges, and responsible legal representation.

Protecting Reproductive Freedom

Change hangs in the balance and RI NOW will not stand by, we will raise our voices, our concerns, and fight for our freedom to obtain safe, affordable health care. According to information on NOW's web site, "Although limited and threatened, abortion is still legal in the U.S. However, the next Supreme Court justice could tip the tenuous pro-choice balance of the current court ? doing away with decades of hard work to obtain and protect women's reproductive freedom.

President Bush's nominees to the district and appellate courts ? a large number of whom are members of the extremist Federalist Society ? are a clear indication of his proclivity for right-wing judges. Most of them have an abysmal record on abortion, having expressed their disagreement with Roe v. Wade in decisions and/or statements in their respective courts. Bush has also unequivocally vowed to "do everything in [his] power to restrict abortions," and said that he would support a constitutional amendment banning abortions, with the possible exception of cases involving rape, incest and circumstances threatening a woman's life. He even declared Sunday, Jan. 20 to be National Sanctity of Life Day and spoke by phone to the anti- abortion rally on the Mall."

Not the only challenge facing RI NOW, reproductive freedom is always a priority. The time is now to educate and activate. We will not go back. Watch our web site for any developments and calls to action. Let us know if you would like to help organize actions to protect our reproductive freedoms.

Pay Equity and Comparable Worth

Equal pay is right and it is fair and women in Rhode Island need to talk to each other and to learn how to determine if they are being fairly compensated for their work. RI NOW seeks to work with many women and men who continue to work on the issue of pay fairness. RI NOW will conduct education and outreach campaigns to help women frame their arguments and present positions calling for fair pay.

Pay Equity is a method of eliminating discrimination against women who are paid less than men for jobs requiring comparable levels of expertise. This goes beyond the familiar idea of "equal pay for equal work" where men and women with the same jobs must be paid equally. A policy to establish pay equity usually means: 1) that all jobs will be evaluated and given points according to the level of knowledge and responsibility required to do the job; and 2) that salary adjustments will be made if it is discovered that women are consistently paid less then men for jobs with similar points.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Women in American History web site, comparable worth is the principle that men and women should be compensated equally for work requiring comparable skills, responsibilities, and effort. The concept, also referred to as sex equity or pay equity, was introduced in the 1970s by reformers seeking to correct inequities in pay for occupations traditionally held by men and women. Following Congressional passage of the Equal Pay Act (1963), which required that men and women receive "equal pay for equal work," wages for occupations in which most working women were concentrated continued to lag behind those for comparably skilled but predominantly male occupations. Efforts to correct such discrepancies through legislation have met with skepticism from those who object that application of the principle interferes with the operation of a free market and that the worth of an occupation is not absolute and cannot be compared.

RI Young Activists - RI Young Feminists?

RI NOW is fortunate to have young activists involved in re-building our organization and in helping to shape its future. According to the 2000 US Census, 23.6% of Rhode Island's population is under the age 18 and RI NOW's young activists are part of the struggle to ensure that young people across RI have a voice. RI NOW's young activists have all kinds of social, economic, racial, ethnic, sexual and religious identities. No particular age bracket defines them and according to participants in RI NOW's Leadership meeting, "we aren't sure even if the word 'feminist' describes us."

Yet, young women and men involved in RI NOW were shaped by a world where feminism has made a difference. However, while great strides have been made, it is critical to recognize that young women in Rhode Island continue to be victims of date rape and sexual harassment, that their reproductive rights - rights available for 29 years, are under attack, and finally, that a young woman in Rhode Island can still expect to earn 75 as compared to $1.00 for a young man. Call it feminism, call it activism, call it just plain FAIR - RI NOW will fight for the rights of all women and stands together with young activists to ensure that all of our voices are heard.

Young activists are developing RI NOW programs and will be leading actions and hosting events across Rhode Island. Check out our events page to see how you can be involved or send us email at RI NOW. Check out national NOW's web site to learn more about thestruggle of young feminists and about activities of young feminists across the country.

Please check back as RI NOW continues to develop our platform and advance these and other issues. Join us in our fight for equality for all women of Rhode Island.