Background
Our North Carolina General Assembly meets for two years and then there is a re-election. So in January of odd numbered years, a new General Assembly begins. In the Fall of even numbered years, NC Women United (a coalition of member organizations focused on improving the status of women in NC) invites women across the state to hold local Women’s Agenda Assemblies to discuss and name priorities among issues in the new Long Session of the NC General Assembly that begins in January 2009.
What, exactly, is an Agenda Assembly?
The Women’s Agenda Assembly events allow the participants to learn about public policy issues affecting women’s lives through
- Review of issue papers prepared by organizations who are members of NC Women United (The “Draft Agenda”).
- Listening to remarks from advocates who are close to the issues discussed in the papers.
- Small group discussions where participants can share their unique perspectives on these issues and how public policy affects their own lives.
The events also allow the participants to vote on the priorities they assign to the different issues. These votes are posted by NC Women United and reported to the legislators.
Local groups have control over the coordination of the events, including the fundraising and the details of the meetings.
What’s happened here in Wake County?
The 2006 Assembly was excellent with over 65 women, men and teens attending from well over 20 different organizations. Many of our evaluations from say, “I wish more women could have been here!” This year we are hoping for more than 100 women participating on September 16! To get a flavor of the event, please watch the video — many of the scenes were from the 2006 Wake County meeting.
Who is NCWU?
NC Women United is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It is a consensus-based coalition of organizations committed to achieving full equality and empowerment for women. In addition to the Women’s Agenda Assemblies, it sponsors Advocacy Days at the NC Legislature, produces “report cards” on the legislative sessions, and holds monthly meetings to educate its members about each other’s priorities. It connects its member organizations through e-mail lists and its website to support all of these activities as well as information sharing on federal public policy issues, events sponsored by member organizations and other topics of interest.
For several years until 2000, the Women’s Agenda Assemblies were coordinated by NC Equity under an agreement with the NC Women’s Legislative Agenda (precursor of NCWU). NC Equity is no longer operating and all of the work of supporting the Agenda Assemblies, including producing the “Agenda Building Book” (describing how to hold an Assembly) and the “Draft Agenda” is now done by NCWU volunteers.
See www.ncwu.org for more information.
