National Organization for Women

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National Organization for Women (NOW)
Website	www.now.org
Founded	June 30, 1966, by Aileen Hernandez & Richard Graham
Headquarters	, Washington, D.C. United States

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.

History & Founding

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 came to Congress, and feminists lobbied hard for the addition of an amendment prohibiting sex discrimination in employment. After much debate, the Act was passed with just such a prohibition in Title VII, added by a congressman who hoped to defeat the Act by including sex. But Title VII was still a shallow protection for women in the workforce.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was formed in 1965 to enforce the Civil Rights Act. Though future NOW founders Aileen Hernandez and Richard Graham fought hard as EEO commissioners to enforce Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination, they were ultimately outnumbered 3-2, and the EEOC decided in September of 1965 that sex segregation in job advertising was permissible.

A month later, at a conference on Title VII and the EEOC, Dr. Pauli Murray, a law professor at Yale and a member of the President's Commission on the Status of Women, denounced the EEOC and its stance permitting Help Wanted Male and Help Wanted Female segregated job advertising. Betty Friedan, author of the eye-opening book The Feminine Mystique, immediately contacted Dr. Murray—one of many historic linkups that led to a reemergence of the feminist movement in the U.S.

The National Organization for Women's Top Priorites

NOW's Top Priorites
Advancing Reproductive Freedom, Stopping Violence Against Women, Winning Lesbian Rights, Achieving Constitutional Equality, Ensuring Economic Justice, Promoting Diversity & Ending Racism

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Advancing Reproductive Freedom
NOW affirms that reproductive rights are issues of life and death for women, not mere matters of choice.

Stopping Violence Against Women
NOW is unique in its approach to the issue of violence against women, emphasizing that there are many interrelated aspects to the issue.

Winning Lesbian Rights
NOW is committed to fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in all areas.

Achieving Constitutional Equality
Equality in pay, job opportunities, political structure, social security and education will remain an elusive dream without a guarantee of equality in the U.S. Constitution.

Ensuring Economic Justice
NOW advocates for wide range of economic justice issues affecting women, from the glass ceiling to the sticky floor of poverty.

Promoting Diversity & Ending Racism
NOW condemns the racism that inflicts a double burden of race and sex discrimination on women of color. Seeing human rights as indivisible, and are committed to identifying and fighting against those barriers to equality and justice that are imposed by racism.

Organizational structure

This section should describe the group's organizational structure, including its principal leadership positions and their current incumbents.

Achievements

Women win the right to vote in 1920.

The birth control pill is approved in 1960.

The Equal Pay Act is passed in 1963.

The Civil Rights Act passes in 1964, outlawing sex discrimination in employment.

In 1967 NOW leads a successful fight to extend Affirmative Action in federal contracts to women.

In 1972 Shirley Chisholm, first African-American woman to run for president, is endorsed by NOW.

Women win Title IX in 1972, prohibiting sex discrimination in education and school athletics.

In 1973 Roe v. Wade establishes a woman's legal right to abortion.

In 1978 feminists win a ban on employment discrimination against pregnant women.

Sexual harassment is ruled an illegal form of job discrimination in 1986.

NOW wins money damages and jury trials for sex discrimination in Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Family and Medical Leave passes in 1993.

The Violence Against Women Act is signed in 1994 and mass action by NOW ensures funding.

NOW organizes to bring 1.15 million marchers to DC in 2004 for women's health, reproductive rights.

Public support for same-sex marriage has grown due to education and activism by groups like NOW.

Public perception and controversies

The Latest Letterman Controversy Raises Workplace Issues for Women

Statement of NOW President Terry O'Neill

October 6, 2009

Recent developments in the David Letterman extortion controversy have raised serious issues about the abuse of power leading to an inappropriate, if not hostile, workplace environment for women and employees. In the case of Letterman, he is a multi-million dollar host of one of the most popular late-night shows; in that role, he wields the ultimate authority as to who gets hired, who gets fired, who gets raises, who advances, and who does entry-level tasks among the Late Show employees. As "the boss," he is responsible for setting the tone for his entire workplace -- and he did that with sex. In any work environment, this places all employees -- including employees who happen to be women -- in an awkward, confusing and demoralizing situation.

Most women can attest to the fact that many workplaces are plagued with inappropriate behavior by men in power. The latest Letterman controversy sheds new light on the widespread objectification of women in the workplace.

We recently received a call from a man in Rockford, Ill., who wanted to get advice from NOW about what to tell his 16 year-old daughter who was confused by reports on the latest Letterman controversy. The father raised his daughter to be a feminist. He raised her to stand up for herself. He raised her not be objectified as a sexual object. She admits she is confused because the messages she sees on television and news reports appear to make it okay to objectify women as long as the man in power is famous. He can crack a few jokes and publicly apologize for his mistakes. It is this kind of hypocrisy that perpetuates the image of men in power preying on women, while many look the other way.

Every woman -- and every man -- deserves to work in a place where all employees are respected for their talents and skills. The National Organization for Women calls on CBS to recognize that Letterman's behavior creates a toxic environment and to take action immediately to rectify this situation. With just two women on CBS' Board of Directors, we're not holding our breath.

http://www.now.org/press/10-09/10-06.html