National Association of Commissions for Women
Sustain | Strengthen | Advocate
Welcome to NACW! The National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) assists and supports commissions for women to ensure that they not only survive, but thrive in today's challenging environment. We provide valuable programs, meaningful activities, relevant resources, and available expertise to our members.
Please become a member of NACW. We can connect you to other state and local women's commissions across the country to exchange information and ideas and to other women's organizations and national resources. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Together, we can accomplish great things for women and girls across the United States! The mission of the National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) is to sustain, strengthen and advocate for women’s commissions in their work to promote equality and justice for all women and girls and ensure they are represented and empowered in their communities.
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NACW works to sustain its members, by:
NACW works to strengthen its members by:
NACW works to advocate for its members by:
Contact NACWNational Association of Commissions for Women
24 Veterans Square, Media Pennsylvania 19063 E-mail: [email protected] |
Upcoming EventsNACW 2024 Annual Conference Agenda
“Strength of Sisterhood; Throughout time” Wednesday July 24, 2024
5:00- 6:00 PM Annual Convening and Leadership Training Board Meeting 6:00- 8:00 PM Welcome Reception Special Guest Co-Chairs of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators; State Rep. Hannah Kane and Senator Joan Lovely Carrie Nation 11 Beacon St Boston, MA Day 1 (Thursday, July 25)
9:AM- 10:AM Welcome, Ice Breaker 11:AM – 12:PM Business Meeting Board members and Delegates 10:AM - 11:AM Menstruation, Menopause Presenter: Dr. Nicole Rothman DC CACCP Perimenopause and Menopause in the Workplace, helping women shift gears in this new phase of life and how to prioritize our health and ourselves in an environment that was built by and created for men. 11:AM- 12:PM Leveraging Partnerships to Advance Shared Goals Presenter: Julie Friedman The focus is highlighting the work of the The Los Angeles County Commission for Women’s (LACCW) Health Committee. I will discuss the Committee's commitment to narrowing the health-wealth gap for women from under-resourced communities in Los Angeles and the projects and initiatives the Committee has spearheaded. During the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020-2022, LACCW hosted three annual webinars. The first addressed women of color, the second focused on childcare workers, and the third highlighted essential workers. All webinars featured stakeholders, researchers, and funders discussing their work in the area of health - wealth disparities and how the impact of COVID-19 widened the gap. An outgrowth of the webinars was producing a report for the LA County Board of Supervisors , “ NARROWING WOMEN’S HEALTH-WEALTH GAP IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.” The report featured an analysis of interviews with low-to-moderate income women and key informants that serve LMI women from the health, community development, and finance sectors. The report emphasized how leveraging partnerships to advance shared goals can address significant gaps in services and programs to improve women’s health equity and financial stability. 11:AM - 12:PM Innovation and Education Programming Presenter: Professor Jodi Detjen This interactive presentation highlights how women learn how to think and plan strategically, and look at their career with a bigger picture lens. Participants learn about three perspective shifts required to think strategically from the presenter's research. Participants face their resistance to taking risks, getting support and developing a way-forward-plan to measure their progress. 12:PM-1:PM Lunch Special Guest Speaker Comedy show ; Corey Manning 1:PM-2:PM CEDAW Presenter: Soon-Young Yoon Celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Cities for CEDAW campaign which now exists in more than 65 cities, counties and states, and covers more than 80 million US citizens. We celebrate the women's commissioners, county supervisors, mayors, governors, and outstanding feminist leaders for their contributions. The presentation will give highlights of the Cities for CEDAW campaign and present a handbook on how to implement this in your own city, county, or state. 2:PM – 4:PM Meet with MCWL and tour State House Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators Room 222 6:PM - Open night, enjoy the city Day 2 (Friday, July 26)
8:30-10:00 AM Business Meeting & Elections 9:AM- 10:AM Building Capacity with Collective Resources Presenter: Shannon Emmett IWPR’s presentation at the NACW Annual Meeting and Leadership Conference will focus on the importance of comparative state data in policy making and policy advocacy. Across the country, state legislators are both the engine of progress and the last defense against regression for women. Equipping state lawmakers and policy advocates with accurate, current data is essential to developing evidence-based policy solutions and driving gender policy forward in state legislatures. Advocacy efforts and policy making are both improved and more effective when we can bring together the stories of lived experiences and the data and research that supports them. The most compelling policy advocacy narratives are those that represent the lived experiences of constituents and are grounded in data that lawmakers and stakeholders alike can trust. We know that it is important to legislators to understand how their state performs on economic and social justice issues as compared to other states in their region, so leveraging comparative state level data is a valuable tool of persuasion throughout the legislative process. State-level data plays a critical role in reinforcing the great policy advocacy work being done by state commissions and coalitions. In this context, IWPR plans to share a sample of our new, updated Status of Women in the States dataset, along with state policy recommendations for gender equity and women’s advancement in four key areas: Equitable Work and Wages, Health Equity and Reproductive Justice, Care-giving and Family, and Education and Career Advancement. This presentation will also discuss the importance of partnership between national policy research organizations and state level organizations and coalitions. National organizations like IWPR can help lead from behind and build capacity by supporting state coalitions with collective resources including state-level datasets and analysis to develop data-driven policy solutions. 10:AM - 11:AM US DOL Women’s Bureau Presenter: Jill Ashton 10:AM - 11:AM Women in Government Presenter; Kristen Alexander Making the career shift into government service whether as an elected official, board/committee/commission member, or staff. Gender parity on public boards is a hot topic, with legislation under discussion here in Massachusetts. What's different about being in public service vs. the private sector? In April 2023, Kirsten Alexander made the switch from a business consulting career when she was elected as her local Town Clerk knowing she'd be overseeing the 2024 elections. Clerks manage the Ethics and Conflict of Interest compliance for their government entity's employees, including volunteer board and committee members and elected officials. They are also on the front lines seeing the stress elected and appointed officials and town/city staff are under as democracy is under attack by internal and external entities. Massachusetts now has a female Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, and one of two US Senators. Women are being elected far more frequently than a generation ago, but there is still not parity. The ECCSW helps to identify women who could run for office or serve on boards and commissions. How can we further that mission and help women to feel empowered to serve? 11:AM - 12:PM STEM Presenter: Leslie-Ann McGee 11AM- 12PM Women in the Boardroom, Leadership Strategies Christine E B Howard Resilient Leadership: Strategies for Women in the Boardroom Drawn from Personal Triumphs. Summary: Drawing from personal experiences of surviving cancer and the loss of a late-stage pregnancy, 12 effective leadership strategies for women in the boardroom emphasize resilience and strength. 12:00-1:00 Lunch Guest Speaker; Bobbie Carlton 1:PM - 2:PM Women in the Boardroom, Leadership Strategies Presenter: Karen Otis-Webb; Architect, Author As an architect, author, and dynamic speaker, Karen Otis-Webb knows firsthand how to successfully navigate a male-dominated industry. She brings a refreshing perspective to leadership and success, firmly believing that women don't have to conform to traditional norms of 'manning-up' or 'dumbing-down' their talents to make strides in their careers. Instead, Karen champions the power and grace of feminine finesse, advocating for it as an essential asset in any professional toolkit. Fueled by her unique insight, bountiful experience, and profound understanding of the dynamic between men and women at work, Karen delivers a powerful and engaging talk empowering women to lead with their feminine finesse for its unmatched power and grace in business and most notably in leadership. She shares tactics and strategies for women to embrace their inherent qualities and forge the business and life they've always dreamed of. In her dynamic and spirited style, she paves the way for women to leap into a new era of leadership – one where femininity is not just acknowledged but celebrated as a cornerstone of success. 2:00 - 3:00 PM Breakout 1: Expanding the Network of Women’s Commissions Marydith Tuitt Breakout 2: Policies that advance Equality and Opportunities for Women and Girls Cary Brown recent legislation in Vermont expanding and strengthening employment protections, as well as a constitutional equal rights amendment (still in process - passed its first step in 2024) 3:PM- 4: PM Human Trafficking awareness/Mental Health Services awareness Mitzi Henley Share program opportunities to advance your commission's voice in the community to build alliance and support for serious issues. 5PM- Dinner Day 3 (Saturday, July 27)
9:00-10 AM Breakout 1: Language Access Presenter: Divya Chaturvedi Recent data from the October 2023 US Census American Community Survey (ACS) reveals a critical linguistic landscape: 68 million people in the US speak a language other than English at home, and 29.6 million of them have limited English proficiency (LEP). Immigrant and LEP women face substantial barriers due to limited English skills. These barriers exacerbate challenges in healthcare, education, economic stability, domestic violence services, leading to higher poverty rates compared to immigrant men and native-born individuals. Federal laws and executive orders mandate that agencies receiving federal funds comply with language access requirements. Additionally, many federal programs, states, and localities have specific provisions to ensure language services for LEP individuals. In this context, how can State Commissions on the Status of Women become powerful advocates for language access, ensuring that non-English speaking communities receive the support they need? How can State Commissions on the Status of Women can lead the charge in advocating for language access, ultimately empowering immigrant women and strengthening our communities. The presentation will delve into the essential need for robust language access and will explore various levels of advocacy to mobilize broader engagement. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for fostering partnerships and collaboration with organizations dedicated to supporting LEP individuals, thereby enhancing language access efforts. Breakout 2: Girls pipeline Panel- 10AM-11AM DEI Presenter; Sharon Booker, Jenifer Cole The value and affects of actively working to make the culture of women’s commissions across the country more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. 11:00-12:00 PM Breakout 1: Trauma Stewardship In The Age of Oppression, Exhaustion, & Overwhelm Presenter: Tanisha Arena We are all being exposed to and experiencing some amount of trauma and trauma creates a ripple effect, like a stone being thrown into a pond. Trauma stewardship calls us to engage oppression and trauma—whether through our careers or in our personal lives—by caring for, tending to, and responsibly guiding other beings who are struggling. This workshop will explore the importance of and different ways of taking care of ourselves, while challenging our most deeply held beliefs about our life and work. Breakout 2: 12:00 PM – 1 PM Lunch 1:00PM-3:00PM Workplace Wellness: Managing Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Presenter: David White This training is intended to produce an ameliorative effect on the symptoms of compassion fatigue. The workshop is a potent mixture of didactic information, experiential processing, and transformative techniques that assist care providers in resolving symptoms of compassion fatigue while, at once, developing resiliency skills and practices that prevent compassion fatigue symptoms in the future. 3 PM – 4:00 PM Boston tours; Women’s history trail etc. |