The Women's March 2019 Women's Agenda
The Women's March 2019 Women's Agenda
The Women's March 2019 Women's Agenda
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INTRODUCTION
Historically, protest movements are difficult to sustain. The raw energy of the
people dissipates over time without an ideological frame to continue building
power. In this moment of U.S. history, one that will likely be written books as
among the darkest, we have lost the judicial and executive branches of
government along with the Senate. Social movements are the only bulwark
against the rising tide of authoritarianism, misogyny, white nationalism, racism,
anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, ableism,
classism, and ageism.
Intersectionality is a way to describe the experiences of identity that cross lines of
gender, such as race, class, ability and sexual orientation, and come together to
impact one’s experiences of moving through the world. The concept originates in
black feminist theory and the word itself was coined by Dr. Kimberlé Williams
Crenshaw to describe the ways that black women are uniquely impacted by
discrimination in the workplace, the criminal justice system, education and more.
Today, we advocate for an expansive understanding of intersectionality when we
fight for social and policy change. This means, for instance, understanding that
the problem of access to health care looks different for black women, trans
women, disabled women and Indigenous women, and thus policies that address
health care must take into account these different impacts and experiences.
We believe the Women’s Agenda is the first intersectional feminist policy
platform. Women’s March convened a group of 70 movement leaders to create
this set of 24 essential federal policy priorities that form the foundation of the
2019 Women’s March on Washington and will establish the priorities of our
movement over the next two years.
This Women’s Agenda was authored by women who work directly with impacted
communities because we believe those closest to the problem are closest to the
solution. This is a continuation of our work of the past two years to lift up the
voices of the most vulnerable and directly impacted women in our communities.
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Building upon the Unity Principles established in 2017, Women's March
expanded the process to include dozens of additional organizations
representing women in marginalized communities, who have collaborated
in committees to identify one to two urgent policy priorities under each of
the following areas:
• Ending Violence Against Women & Femmes
• Ending State Violence
• Reproductive Rights & Justice
• Racial Justice
• LGBTQIA+ Rights
• Immigrant Rights
• Economic Justice & Worker’s Rights
• Civil Rights & Liberties
• Disability Rights
• Environmental Justice
The policies identified under each area are specific, tangible, and able to be
acted upon and supported in 2019 and 2020, potentially even passed with
the support of activists nationwide. In addition, Women's March calls for
three policy priorities that intersect with all committees and affect the
rights of all women:
• Universal Health Care / Medicare for All
• Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution
• Ending War
The Women’s Agenda is a tangible declaration of how we will protect and
defend our rights, safety, health and communities. Our Agenda will serve as
a work plan to Congress and will create the roadmap we will use to mobilize
our constituents into 2020 and beyond.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont’d)
Immigrant Rights | 50
Policy Goal One: Reining in the enforcement state and defunding hate | 51
Policy Goal Two: Proactive short term solutions | 53
LGBTQIA+ Rights | 55
Policy Goal One: Equality Act | 56
Policy Goal Two: On the intersection of LGBTQIA+ lives and criminal justice | 57
Racial Justice | 59
Policy Goal One: End all forms of family separation | 60
Policy Goal Two: End Racial and Religious Profiling and the NO HATE Act | 63
Environmental Justice | 65
Policy Goal One: Achieve a just transition to clean, renewable resources | 66
Policy Goal Two: Promote the responsible use of resources and affirm the
rights of local communities to autonomy over their health and environment | 68
Endorsing Organizations | 70
Acknowledgments | 71
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Overarching Rights
for All
The following policies are listed independently from the ten
committee focus areas, because these are universal rights that
apply to all people. Women’s March calls on our government to
recognize and ensure access to these rights by passing the
following pieces of legislation and amending the Constitution
to enshrine equal rights for all.
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Universal Healthcare /
Medicare for All
Healthcare is a human right. It affects every facet of life, from
waking up in the morning to going to bed at night. Healthcare
should be inclusive, appropriate, and affordable, addressing the
mental and physical wellbeing of all people across the United States.
Twenty-nine million Americans today still do not have health
insurance, and millions more are underinsured and cannot afford
the high copayments and deductibles charged by private health
insurance companies. The U.S. spends more on healthcare per
person, and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than any
other advanced nation in the world. This policy will create a
universal, single-payer healthcare system by expanding Medicare to
be accessible for all.
An inclusive healthcare system must focus on the most vulnerable:
poor people, disabled people, people with chronic illnesses and
seniors. This means demolishing financial, physical and cultural
barriers to obtaining adequate healthcare.
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Universal Healthcare /
Medicare for All
Policy One Specifics:
• The Medicare for All Program will
provide all individuals residing in the
United States and U.S. territories with
free healthcare. That includes all
necessary medical care, such as
primary care and prevention, inpatient
care, dietary and nutritional therapies,
prescription drugs, emergency care,
long-term care, mental health services,
all reproductive health services,
including abortion, dental services and
vision care.
• Transform our market-driven
healthcare system to a system based on
human need.
• Patients may choose from participating
physicians and institutions.
• The bill sets forth methods to pay
institutional providers and health
professionals for services.
• It replaces healthcare premiums,
deductibles and copayments with
modest, progressive tax increases.
Amounts that would have been
appropriated for federal public
healthcare programs, including
Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's
Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are
transferred and appropriated to carry
out this bill.
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Universal Healthcare /
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Universal Healthcare /
Medicare for All
Theory of Change:
This policy will create an option for
comprehensive, affordable healthcare
through a single-payer healthcare system
leading to universal healthcare coverage.
By ensuring that healthcare is accessible,
appropriate and inclusive to disabled
women, we will better serve the disability
community and decrease negative health
outcomes.
References:
The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (Congress.gov)
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Equal Rights
Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the
United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for
all American citizens regardless of sex and gender identity. Since it was
first introduced in Congress in 1923, the ERA has been an issue with both
rabid support and fervid opposition.
The Equal Rights Amendment would provide a fundamental legal
remedy against gender discrimination. It would guarantee that the rights
affirmed by the U.S. Constitution are held equally by all citizens without
regard to their sex and gender identity. The ERA would clarify the legal
status of gender discrimination for the courts, where decisions still deal
inconsistently with such claims. For the first time, sex and gender identity
would be considered a suspect classification, as race currently is. It
would end the legal distinctions between men and women, and
governmental actions that treat males or females differently as a class
would be subject to strict judicial scrutiny and would thus have to meet
the highest level of justification – a necessary relation to a compelling
state interest – to be upheld as constitutional.
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Policy Specifics:
Section One: Women shall have equal
rights in the United States and every
place subject to its jurisdiction. Equality
of rights under the law shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States
or by any State on account of gender.
Section Two: Congress and the several
States shall have the power to enforce,
by appropriate legislation, the provisions
of this article.
Section Three: This amendment shall
take effect two years after the date of
ratification.
Theory of Change
Without the ERA in the Constitution, the statutes
and case law that have produced major
advances in women's rights since the middle of
the twentieth century are vulnerable to being
ignored, weakened or reversed. Congress can
amend or repeal anti-discrimination laws by a
simple majority, the Presidential administration
can negligently enforce such laws, and the
Supreme Court can use the intermediate
standard of review to permit certain regressive
forms of gender discrimination. The ERA is
necessary to make our own Constitution conform
with the promise engraved over the entrance to
the Supreme Court – "Equal Justice Under Law."
Resources:
EqualRightsAmendment.org
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Ending War
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Ending War
Relevant Unity Principle
We recognize that to achieve any of the goals outlined within this
statement, we must work together to end war and live in peace with our
siblings around the world. Ending war means a cessation to the direct and
indirect aggression caused by the war economy and the concentration of
power in the hands of a wealthy elite who use political, social and
economic systems to safeguard and expand their power.
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Theory of Change:
Ending U.S. support for and weapons sales
to Saudi Arabia will provide much needed
relief for the people of Yemen and set a
standard that the U.S. should not provide
support or weapons to repressive regimes.
Human rights must come before the profits
of weapons producers.
References:
Yemen: Conflict is Fueling Humanitarian Crisis (Doctors Without Borders)
Americans agree—it's time to stop fueling the war in Yemen (International Rescue Committee)
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DISABILITY RIGHTS
COMMITTEE
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We reject any policies that uphold the idea that disability hinders
individuals from being stably housed or employable. Our policies
should enable economic empowerment within underrepresented
communities. To do this, we call for the full repeal of antiquated and
discriminatory laws that allow disabled people to be paid
subminimum wages for equal work. We must be granted a fair chance
at success. This includes the right to financially plan without the risk of
losing necessary benefits that help keep disabled people employed.
Disabled women have the right to self-determination, as we are the
experts on our own needs. In order to enable fair inclusion, we must
strip the policies and regulations that forcefully institutionalize
disabled individuals against their wishes. This inhumane practice has
historically and continues to take place through psychiatric hospitals,
nursing homes and other unnecessarily restrictive environments.
Disabled women are criminalized at disproportionate rates,
particularly women of color. Disabled women have the right to dignity
and personal autonomy. Therefore, we require that disabled women
are afforded the opportunity to live in their communities.
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THEORY OF CHANGE:
By ensuring full access to meaningful, inclusive
and competitive work, fair wages and the right
to community living, we ensure fair inclusion,
independence and equal opportunity for
disabled women.
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Theory of Change:
These policies will make it easier for disabled people to exercise their right to live in
community settings and provide the economic security needed to remain stable during
illness, pregnancy and family medical events.
Resources
The FAMILY Act (National Partnership for Women and Families)
The Disability Integration Act (DIA)
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Policy Specifics:
The restoration of Section 5 of the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 reinstates the
requirement that jurisdictions with
significant histories of voter
discrimination must pre-clear any new or
modified voting practices or procedures
with the federal government before
implementation.
Theory of Change:
By expanding voting rights, and reforming
campaign finance and redistricting, we are ensuring
fair and accessible elections that are the
cornerstone of our democracy.
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Theory of Change:
By opposing threats to free speech, we are protecting our constitutional rights and
protecting the ability to organize, assemble, dissent and engage in social
movements.
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Reproductive Rights,
Health, and Justice
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Theory of Change:
This policy will create trainings for medical professionals and improve care services
by addressing implicit biases in our healthcare system leading to a reduction in
maternal mortality disparities.
References:
Sen. Harris Introduces Bill Aimed at Reducing Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality (Kamala D. Harris, U.S. Senator for
California)
New Legislation To Help Reduce Maternal Deaths, Help Hospitals Implement Best Practices To Prevent Women From Dying
Before, During And After Childbirth
Black doulas, midwives and reproductive health advocates step up in response to rising black maternal deaths
Midwifery care at hospitals is associated with fewer medical interventions
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Theory of Change:
This policy will create and expand access to abortion care by reversing the Hyde
Amendment and related abortion funding restrictions leading to more equitable
access to abortion care.
References:
The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act (All Above All)
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Theory of Change:
This policy will provide community-based
interventions and much needed resources by
allocating permanent federal funding for
community organizations and tribal
communities, leading to increased reporting and
data to confront the gender-based violence
facing all women, prioritizing women of color,
Indigenous women and LGBTQIA+ people.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Urban Indian Health
Institute)
Police in Many Cities Fail to Track Murdered, Missing Indigenous Women
(NPR)
VAWA 2013’s Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Five-Year
Report (National Congress of American Indians)
Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights
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Theory of Change:
This policy will increase protections for all
women and femmes in the workplace by
demanding implementation of the
comprehensive outline of reforms that
prioritize prevention of workplace
harassment and discrimination, leading to
strengthened workplace protections.
References:
A Call to Legislative Action to Eliminate Workplace Harassment
(ACLU et al)
Fair Food Program 2017 Report
Now the Fear is Gone: Advancing Gender Justice through
Worker-driven Social Responsibility (Worker-Driven Social
Responsibility Network)
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Theory of Change:
This policy will contribute to the safety and
wellbeing of women in interactions with the
state in myriad ways, including creating a
public dialogue and elevating the issue of
sexual violence and law enforcement
misconduct that it will be a significant
expansion of the discussion of police violence,
which often lacks a gender-informed lens. This
policy would, for the first time, also explicitly
demand prohibition of a form of state violence
which is currently ignored, and it would
encourage states to invest in community-
based reporting systems and solutions,
thereby expanding an understanding of justice
from exclusively criminal-legal-centered
models and uplifting the possibility of
community accountability and oversight for
law enforcement.
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Theory of Change:
This policy establishes protections at the
federal level for LGBTQIA+ youth and
young women and girls that prioritizes
LGBTQIA+ youth, girls with disabilities and
girls of color to disrupt the school-to-prison
pipeline that leads to disproportionate
discipline, criminalization and expulsion.
References:
“Like Walking Through a Hailstorm”: Discrimination Against LGBT
Youth in U.S. Schools (Human Rights Watch)
On A Mission for Girls of Color: Injustice and the Justice System
(YWCA)
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Theory of Change:
This policy will eliminate existing student debt
through loan cancellation and the regulation of
loan providers, leading to expanded economic
opportunity for college graduates and creating
salutary effects for the economy as a whole.
References:
U.S. Student Loan Debt Reaches a Staggering $1.53 trillion
(Washington Post)
Women’s Student Debt Crisis in the United States (AAUW)
The Student Debt Crisis, Labor Market Credentialization and Racial
Inequality (Roosevelt Institute)
The Macroeconomic Effects of Student Loan Cancellation (Levy
Economics Institute)
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Theory of Change:
This policy will expand and protect workers’ right to collectively bargain by
overriding right-to-work legislation leading to more equitable workplaces, fair
wages, and a voice on the job. Raising wages will move more women and their
families out of poverty.
References:
Unions help narrow the gender wage gap (EPI)
Women, Working Families & Unions (CEPR)
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Theory of Change:
Women’s wages are key to their families’ economic security. Mothers are primary or
sole breadwinners in half of U.S. households with children, and just over one-quarter
of female-headed households have incomes that fall below the poverty level. As a
group, the wage gap costs women who are employed full time in the United States
more than $900 billion every year. These lost wages mean families have less money
to spend on goods and services that help drive economic growth and less money to
save for education, home ownership and retirement.
References:
Paycheck Fairness Act (National Partnership for Women and Families)
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Immigrant Rights
Committee
Relevant Unity Principle
Rooted in the promise of America’s call for huddled masses
yearning to breathe free, we believe in immigrant and refugee
rights regardless of status or country of origin. It is our moral duty
to keep families together and empower all aspiring Americans to
fully participate in, and contribute to, our economy and society.
We reject mass deportation and incarceration, family detention,
violations of due process and violence against queer and trans
migrants. Immigration reform must establish a roadmap to
citizenship and provide equal opportunities and workplace
protections for all. We recognize that the call to action to love our
neighbor is not limited to the United States, because there is a
global migration crisis. We believe migration is a human right
and that no human being is illegal.
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THEORY OF CHANGE:
This policy will create a safer, more welcoming, and more just America by granting
immigrants their rights.
References:
New American Dreams Platform (National Partnership for New Americans)
Sanctuary City Toolkit (National Immigration Law Center)
Border Manifesto (Southern Border Communities Coalition)
2016 Hispanic Public Policy Agenda (National Hispanic Leadership Agenda)
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References:
Women and Children Seeking Protection are Not ‘Loopholes’ (Women’s Refugee Commission)
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LGBTQIA+ Rights
Committee
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Theory of Change:
The passage of the Equality Act will strengthen existing protections for the LGBTQIA+
community under federal anti-discrimination laws by codifying them in comprehensive
federal non-discrimination legislation that enables LGBTQIA+ persons to live full lives and
participate in society without fear of being discriminated and excluded based on their
identities.
References:
The Equality Act (Congress.gov)
New Congress Opens Door for Renewed Push for LGBTQ Equality Act (Rewire)
LGBTQ Elected Officials’ Letter to the 116th Congress (Victory Institute)
152 LGBT Elected Officials Sign List of Priorities for Incoming Congress (The Hill)
The Equality Act Primer (Human Rights Campaign)
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Theory of Change:
Adopting this policy proposal will enable
LGBTQIA+ people to lead safer, more
fulfilling lives by reducing the extent they
are targeted within the criminal justice
system and brutalized within the system of
mass incarceration.
References:
Unjust: How the Broken Criminal Justice System Fails LGBT People
(Center for American Progress)
Recognizing the Violence and Other Challenges Faced by
Transgender Women of Color in America (Congress.gov)
Hormone Therapy for Inmates: A Metonym for Transgender Rights
(Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy)
HIV Criminalization in the United States (The Center for HIV Law
and Policy)
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RACIAL JUSTICE
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Theory of Change:
Ending family separation must begin by
affirming the universal right to having a
family and recognizing that families should
not be separated. We must then address
the underlying conditions that exacerbate
separation in the United States: access
and availability of childcare (particularly
among low-income families), inequalities
and unjust practices within the criminal
legal and immigration systems and racism
that pervades state institutions.
Resources:
Girls of Color and Trauma (YWCA)
How Incarcerated Parents are Losing Their Children Forever
(Marshall Project)
Foster Care as Punishment: The New Reality of ‘Jane Crow’ (The
New York Times)
For Women of Color, the Child Welfare System Functions Like the
Criminal Justice System (The Nation)
Prison, Foster Care and the Systemic Punishment of Black Mothers
(UCLA Law Review)
Disproportionality Rates for Children of Color in Foster Care
(National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges)
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition
How New ICWA Guidelines, Regulations Support Native American
Children (The Chronicle of Social Change)
Youth Prisons Don’t Work. Here’s What Does (Time)
End the War on Black People (The Movement for Black Lives)
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Theory of Change:
Viewing hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric as part of a larger system of
racism and xenophobia is critical to addressing the root causes. Community data
collection is crucial to understanding the magnitude of hate violence and xenophobic
political rhetoric. By mandating the collection of hate crimes data on the local level,
our government can be more responsive to the reality marginalized communities face.
Resources:
Communities on Fire: Confronting Hate Violence and Xenophobic Political Rhetoric (SAALT)
Living Histories of White Supremacist Policing: Towards Transformative Justice (Cambridge University Press)
FBI warned of white supremacists in law enforcement 10 years ago. Has anything changed? (PBS NewsHour)
FBI sets eyes on black freedom of speech (Baltimore Sun)
U.S. Law Enforcement Failed to See the Threat of White Nationalism. Now They Don’t Know How to Stop It. (New York Times
Magazine)
FBI Surveillance of Black Lives Matter (The Intercept)
We Deserve Safety: Ending the Criminalization of Women and Girls of Color (YWCA)
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
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Theory of Change:
Ensuring that the primary source of energy comes from clean, renewable resources will
reduce our country’s ecological footprint and slow environmental degradation, thereby
reducing the impacts of climate change, pollutants and toxins on communities across
the world. Providing a path for workers within the energy sector to be transitioned to
pollution-abating industries will give them a stake in the transition toward clean energy
and a healthier future for all.
Resources:
Just Transition: A Framework for Change (Climate Justice Alliance)
Climate Change ‘Impacts Women More Than Men’ (BBC News)
Why Renewable Energy Is Not as Clean as You Think (Ozy)
Women and Climate Change: Impact and Agency in Human Rights, Security and Economic Development (Georgetown
Institute for Women, Peace and Security)
Native Americans Most At Risk From Impacts of Climate Change (Voice of America)
Native American Sovereignty: Should Indians Have More Control Over Their Land? (CQ Researcher)
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Theory of Change:
Stemming the direct causes of climate change and pollution in addition to
addressing its impacts on our planet and society will increase equity across the
population. In addition, increasing the level of autonomy local authorities are granted
over land use will promote community buy-in for industrial and energy development.
Resources:
Cultural Heritage, Environmental Impact Assessment and People (Living Landscape Observer)
Native Americans Enjoy Autonomy, but Land Use, Sovereignty Questions Persist (Voice of America)
A Year in Review: Progress Getting Toxic Chemicals Out of Personal Care Products (U.S. PIRG)
Polluter Fines Drop 60 Percent Under Trump (Washington Post)
How Toxic Soil Has Become a Public Health Issue at Home and Abroad (Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public
Health)
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN)
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ENDORSERS
Endorsement of the Women's Agenda is an indication of solidarity within our movement
and a recognition of the urgency of these policies for marginalized and vulnerable
communities. Endorsement does not necessarily mean that organizations approve
of or are actively working towards each priority listed in the Agenda
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Acknowledgments:
The Women’s Agenda was created by over 70 organizations working collaboratively to
identify policies. There are many people to thank but this project would have remained
an idea without the hard work and principled organizing of Cassady Fendlay, who was
also an original Women’s March on Washington 2017 organizer and contributor to the
Women’s March Unity Principles. Cassady was supported by five graduate students from
New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service: Rebecca Miller, Cameron King,
Lucas Lopes, Katie Hayden and Renee Vanamburgh. We thank them for their work and
dedication.
This document is rooted in the framework of the Unity Principles, created under the
direction of Carmen Perez-Jordan, with the work of the original authors:
Finally, none of our accomplishments would be possible without the visionary leadership
of our board of directors, Bob Bland, Breanne Butler, Carmen Perez-Jordan, Linda
Sarsour and Tamika Mallory. We thank them and our Chief Operating Officer Rachel
O’Leary Carmona for her vision in conceptualizing this policy platform and supporting
its creation.
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