NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED:
Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women

http://www.nwhp.org/2018-theme-honorees/

The 2018 National Women’s History theme presents the opportunity to honor women who have shaped America’s history and its future through their tireless commitment to ending discrimination against women and girls.

From spearheading legislation against segregation to leading the reproductive justice movement, our 2018 honorees are dismantling the structural, cultural, and legal forms of discrimination that for too long have plagued American women.

2018 Women’s History Honorees

• Susan Burton
  Ms. Burton is Founder and Executive Director of A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project. Her non-profit provides women ex-offenders a home and helps them stay drug-free, find work, and reunite with family. The organization has provided direct service to over 1,000 women. Ms. Burton was inspired to start the organization after serving multiple drug sentences and turning her life around.
• Margaret Dunkle
  Ms. Dunkle played a key role in the implementation of Title IX, guaranteeing equal opportunity to women and girls in education. Her groundbreaking 1974 report documenting discrimination against female athletes became the blueprint for the Title IX regulations on athletics. In 1975 Ms. Dunkle became the first Chair of the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education.
• Geraldine Ferraro (1935-2011)
  Ms. Ferraro was a politician, three term Congresswoman (D N.Y. 1979-85), and first woman major party candidate for Vice President (1984). President Clinton appointed her U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights where she served from 1993-96. She also served as vice-chair of the U.S. delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995).
• Roma Guy
  Guy is a leading LGBT and women’s rights activist. She co-founded multiple organizations including the Women’s Building, La Casa de las Madres, SF Women Against Rape, and the Women’s Foundation of California. Ms. Guy was one of the LGBT activists featured in the 2017 miniseries When We Rise. She is also an advocate for women’s access to health care.
• Saru Jayaraman
  Jayaraman is Co-founder and Co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. She is a leading advocate for restaurant workers, fighting for guaranteed sick and safe leave and an end the two-tiered minimum wage (a victory ROC has already won in 7 states).
• Cristina Jiménez
  Jiménez is Executive Director and Co-founder of United We Dream (UWD), the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country. She was part of the team that led to the historic victory of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012. In 2017 Jiménez was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship “Genius Grant.”
• Marty Langelan
  Langelan is a leader in the global effort to end gender-based violence and an expert in nonviolent action. Called the “godmother of direct intervention,” she pioneered feminist self-defense training, the direct-action toolkit to derail harassers at work and on the street, the first major city-wide anti-harassment campaign, and effective, comprehensive action for public transit systems. Her intervention toolkits are used around the world.
• Pat Maginnis
  Maginnis is considered the first abortion rights activist in the U.S. She founded the Society for Humane Abortion in 1962 and the Association to Repeal Abortion Laws (the predecessor to NARAL) in 1966. She and two colleagues (known as the Army of Three) illegally mailed kits and information to women seeking abortions. At age 89, Ms. Maginnis remains politically active. (no picture available)
• Arlene Mayerson
  Mayerson is Directing Attorney of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF). She has been a leading force behind groundbreaking legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act. Ms. Mayerson has contributed to many key disability rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Jill Moss Greenberg
  Moss Greenberg is a lifelong feminist activist, committed to ending social and educational inequity. She served as National Director of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) where she spearheaded efforts to address intersecting forms of discrimination. Ms. Moss Greenberg also served as Founding Executive Director of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center.
• Pauli Murray (1910-1985)
  Murray was a groundbreaking women’s rights and civil rights activist and attorney. She coined the term “Jane Crow” articulating the combined sexism and racism faced by African American women. Ms. Murray served on the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women and was a co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In 1977 Murray became the first black woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest and she was among the first group of women to become priests in that church.
• Elizabeth Peratrovich (Kaaxal-gat) (1911-1958)
  Peratrovich was a civil rights activist on behalf of Alaska Natives. She was a leader in the Alaska Native Sisterhood and led the fight against the pervasive Lorettadiscrimination and segregation faced by her community. Ms. Peratrovich is credited as the leading force behind passage of the Alaska territory’s Anti-Discrimination Act in 1945, the first such law in the U.S.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9To3pgzh00
• Loretta Ross
  Ms. Ross is a feminist activist and leader in the reproductive justice movement. She was the Co-founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Human Rights Education and Co-founder and National Coordinator for the Sister song Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. In the 1970s, Ms. Ross was one of the first African American women to direct a rape crisis center.   http://www.lorettaross.com/
• Angelica Salas
  Salas is Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and is a leading spokesperson for federal immigration policy reform. In C.A., she helped win in-state tuition for undocumented students and established day labor job centers that have become a national model. Ms. Salas is a coalition builder, connecting diverse groups at the state and national level.
• Linda Spoonster Schwartz
  Ms. Schwartz is a Vietnam veteran and activist for the rights of women veterans, testifying more than 24 times to Congress on women veterans’ issues. She served as Connecticut’s Commissioner Commandant of Veterans Affairs and was appointed by President Obama to serve as Assistant Secretary of Veteran Affairs for Policy and Planning.

Congress has until Friday, March 23, 2018, to pass a spending measure that must be enacted or the federal government will shut down.

It is vitally important to us to keep our members informed with up-to-the-minute information on our website and through email messages. During a government shutdown, federal employees who are furloughed will not be permitted to access their government email until the government re-opens.

To ensure you receive important updates in the event of a shutdown, please update your personal email address.

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On Women’s Equality Day, we honor those courageous, relentless, and dedicated women who had marched, advocated, and organized for the right to cast a vote; that precious right has reinvigorated generations of women and galvanized them to stand up, speak out, and let their voices be heard across this great nation. Today, as we celebrate the anniversary of this achievement and pay tribute to the trailblazers and suffragists Federally Employed Women is commitment and dedicated to continue to advocate for equality for women and girls. We must continue to advancing forward on our journey towards equality and investing in our future!

Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to women. The amendment was first introduced in 1878. In 1971, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.

Women’s Equality Day is a day set aside to commemorate the passage of the 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote.  In 1971, the U.S. Congress, at the urging of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), designated August 26^th as the first Women’s Equality Day.

The intention of Women’s Equality Day is not only to recognize the right of women to vote, but to bring attention to the ongoing efforts of women to achieve equality. Federally Employed Women’s mission is to continue the march toward equality for women by focusing its efforts on legislation impacting women in federal service.

National Women’s History Project

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.

It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after this type of event. At first, it may be hard to do normal daily activities, like go to work, go to school, or spend time with people you care about. But most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months.

If it’s been longer than a few months and you’re still having symptoms, you may have PTSD. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start later on, or they may come and go over time.

What factors affect who develops PTSD?

PTSD can happen to anyone. It is not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will have PTSD, many of which are not under that person’s control. For example, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during the event can make it more likely that a person will develop PTSD. PTSD is also more common after certain types of trauma, like combat and sexual assault.

Personal factors, like previous traumatic exposure, age, and gender, can affect whether or not a person will develop PTSD. What happens after the traumatic event is also important. Stress can make PTSD more likely, while social support can make it less likely.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not appear until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years. If the symptoms last longer than four weeks, cause you great distress, or interfere with your work or home life, you might have PTSD.

There are four types of symptoms of PTSD, but they may not be exactly the same for everyone. Each person experiences symptoms in their own way.

1. Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms). You may have bad memories or nightmares. You even may feel like you’re going through the event again. This is called a flashback.
2. Avoiding situations that remind you of the event. You may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. You may even avoid talking or thinking about the event.
3. Having more negative beliefs and feelings. The way you think about yourself and others may change because of the trauma. You may feel guilt or shame. Or, you may not be interested in activities you used to enjoy. You may feel that the world is dangerous and you can’t trust anyone. You might be numb, or find it hard to feel happy.
4. Feeling keyed up (also called hyperarousal). You may be jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. Or, you may have trouble concentrating or sleeping. You might suddenly get angry or irritable, startle easily, or act in unhealthy ways (like smoking, using drugs and alcohol, or driving recklessly.

What other problems do people with PTSD experience?

People with PTSD may also have other problems. These include:

• Feelings of hopelessness, shame, or despair
• Depression or anxiety
• Drinking or drug problems
• Physical symptoms or chronic pain
• Employment problems
• Relationship problems, including divorce

In many cases, treatments for PTSD will also help these other problems, because they are often related. The coping skills you learn in treatment can work for PTSD and these related problems.

What treatments are available?

There are two main types of treatment, psychotherapy (sometimes called counseling or talk therapy) and medication. Sometimes people combine psychotherapy and medication.

How can Veterans cope when current events cause distress?

Below is a list of tips to manage distress for Veterans with or without PTSD. Use them to help you cope when traumatic events affect you.

To help yourself

• Consider limiting your exposure to news on television. While media coverage may draw you in, increased viewing can raise stress levels. Watch yourself for signs of anger, rage, depression, worry, or other negative feelings. Take a time out from the news to let yourself recover from these feelings.
• Keep up with daily schedules and routines. Try to include more pleasant activities in your day, even for brief periods of time.
• Keep up with your body’s needs for exercise, food, and sleep.
• Feel what you feel. It is normal to feel a range of emotions. Having these feelings is to be expected. How you deal with them is most important.
• Slow down. Give yourself time and space to deal with what has happened. Remember that people have their own pace for dealing with trauma, including you.
• Count on feeling angry, but balance your actions with wisdom. Try to stay calm. Avoid reacting with sudden anger toward any group or persons.
• Talk with someone close to you who might understand what you are going through.
• If you do not feel like talking, writing in a journal may be helpful for dealing with intense feelings.
• Do not avoid other Veterans even if they remind you of your military past. Seeking support along with other Veterans can be very helpful when stress is high. You can find other Veterans through the VA, Vet Centers, and Veteran’s Service Organizations.

If you need help

Get help from your doctor or a mental health provider who is skilled in working with survivors of trauma if:

• You are having any symptoms that are causing high levels of distress, problems in relationships, or problems at work.
• You are abusing alcohol or drugs.
• You cannot get relief using the tips listed above.

Resources:

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/community/index.asp
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/types/war/terrorism-war-affect-vets.asp

Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

The story of Presidents’ Day date begins in 1800. Following President George Washington’s death in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance. At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration.

While Washington’s Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until the late 1870s that it became a federal holiday. Senator Steven Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose the measure, and in 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law. The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country. At the time, Washington’s Birthday joined four other nationally recognized federal bank holidays—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving—and was the first to celebrate the life of an individual American. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signed into law in 1983, would be the second.

Information courtesy of www.history.com. Visit the site to learn more.

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Presidents’ Day [Web page content]. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day