This comes from the Global Fund for Women:

Upcoming Events with City Winery and Global Fund for Women

In honor of International Women's History Month, NYC's City Winery is hosting a month-long party to celebrate the women who inspire us everyday! The winery is featuring women wine makers from around the world, as well as several evenings of special performances. City Winery is a dedicated supporter of the Global Fund for Women (GFW) and will be graciously donating proceeds from some of the events to GFW. A limited label of Global Fund for Women Cabernet will also be sold throughout the month.

Event Schedule

Thursday March 17th, 7pm - Dirty Wines Done Dirt Cheap
Saturday March 19th, 8pm - Lisa Loeb
Tuesday March 22nd, 8pm - Paula Cole
Wednesday/Thursday March 23/24th, 8pm - Lila Downs
Sunday March 27th, 8pm - Kathy Mattea
Wednesday March 30th, 7pm - Wines of Argentina

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.citywinery.com/events/132359

We hope to see you there!

City Winery
155 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 608-0555
info@citywinery.com

This is one of those things that make me SO glad that Obama is our President. And it is the kind of thing that most people won't even be aware of, but it will help some of America's most victimized people.

Most Americans barely realize the levels of rape and domestic violence directed against Native American women. In some cases it is violence committed within the tribal community. But all too often it is rape committed by outsiders, a major problem that Amnesty International drew our attention to some years back. Too often the criminal justice system makes it impossible for rapists from outside the tribal community to be brought to justice. From Amnesty International:

"Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA"

A Summary of Amnesty International's Findings  read more »

Brooklyn-Queens NOW PAC has released its endorsements for the September 15th Primary election. Here they are:

Council District 23: (Hollis Hills, Queens Village, Little Neck, Douglaston, Bayside, Bellerose, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park, Hollis, Hollis Park Gardens, Holliswood, Fresh Meadows). MARK WEPRIN currently serves as a NYS Assemblymember. His votes in the Assembly speak volumes. Contact information for Mark Weprin: www.markweprin.com; Office: 73-20 Bell Boulevard Oakland Gardens, phone: 718-468-4208.

Council District 29: (Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens; parts of Maspeth, Richmond, Elmhurst) - Michael Cohen, Karen Koslowitz, and Heidi Harrison Chain. All were excellent on our issues. We voted to endorse KAREN KOSLOWITZ, a proven fighter and previous Council Member. Contact information for Karen Koslowitz: www.karenforcouncil09.com. Address: 72-50 Austin Street, 2nd Floor, Room B, Forest Hills NY 11375. Phone: 347-722-6923. Fax: 718-268-7363.

Council District 33: (Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint; parts of Williamsburg, Park Slope, Boerum Hill) - Ken Diamondstone and Jo Anne Simon. Both were excellent on our issues. We voted to endorse JO ANNE SIMON, a longtime advocate for disability rights and civil rights. Contact information for Jo Anne Simon: www.joanneforcouncil.com. Address: 75-B Hoyt Street Brooklyn, NY 11201. Phone: 718-852-8183.

Council District 39: (Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Prospect Park). Candidate JOSH SKALLER is running for the seat vacated by Bill DiBlasio. Unlike his opponents, Skaller accepts no money from developers and is upfront about his support for our issues. Contact information for Josh Skaller: http://skaller09.com; phone:(718) 568-9699; email: community@skaller09.com.

Council District 49: (North Shore Staten Island). DEBI ROSE is running against Kenneth Mitchell. Mitchell, in his short stint (since February) in the council, has already disappointed on healthcare, voting against a bill to protect women from being harassed during visits to reproductive health clinics. Contact information for Debi Rose: www.votedebirose2009.com. Address: 552 Richmond Rd, Staten Island, NY 10304. Phone: 347-855-2968. Email: info@votedebirose2009.com.

Council District 51: (South Shore, Staten Island). JANINE MATERNA has only Republican incumbent, Vincent Ignizio to face. His allegiances are not to our issues. Materna is excellent on repro rights, education and domestic violence. In her district, it's not easy to be outspoken on women's rights, but she is. Contact information for Janine Materna: www.janinematernaforcitycouncil.com. Address: PO Box 90673 Staten Island, NY 10309. Phone: 718 408-1420. Email: janine.maternal@gmail.com.

All our endorsed candidates support NOW issues and have, in their interviews and statements, demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of repro rights, civil rights, economic impact, marital and healthcare issues. We encourage you to get involved in their campaigns. Canvassing, phonebanking, hosting fundraisers, and contributions are most needed. Primary Day is September 15th. ***VOTE! ***VOTE!*** VOTE!***

According to their website:

The Brooklyn-Queens Chapter has its own Political Action Committee (PAC) which allows us to endorse candidates for local offices.

We examine their positions carefully and interview them to make sure that they actively promote legislation which furthers the goals of women's equality.

From the President of NARAL-ProChoice New York:

Yesterday the New York City Council voted by an overwhelming majority to pass the Clinic Access Bill (Prop. Int. 826), which provides much needed protections for women’s access to reproductive health clinics across the city.

Even New York City is not immune to anti-choice protests. There are women who visit reproductive health care clinics in our own community who are regularly confronted by protestors who band together to harass, intimidate, and block access to basic reproductive health care services. New Yorkers won’t stand for such barriers to access—and now, we don’t have to.

Yesterday’s vote was the culmination of work that began a few years ago when NARAL Pro-Choice New York recognized the need to strengthen the law protecting access to clinics across the city. We have worked hand in hand with the City Council ever since and were proud to stand with Speaker Christine Quinn and our other allies in the City Council yesterday as they passed this important law.

The Clinic Access Bill passed 40-8, with Councilmembers Tony Avella, Simcha Felder, Vincent Ignizio, Kenneth Mitchell, Eric Ulrich, James Vacca, Peter Vallone, and James Oddo voting against it. We urge you to take this opportunity to either thank your Councilmember for supporting this bill or to express your disappointment that he or she voted against it. Find your Councilmember’s contact info here.

Thank you for standing with us throughout this process, and here’s to more pro-choice victories to come!

For Choice,
Kelli Conlin
President  read more »

Bumped. MB

As Sarah Palin enjoys being able to weather the affects of the financial crisis through shopping sprees that are large enough to be considered economic stimuli in themselves, many women (who still on average only make 79 cents for every 1 dollar their male counterparts earn) are suffering. This issue is not a rant, its not a movement, it is a disparity in our country that still has not been dealt with. People should be rewarded for their work not their gender. Its not just the $150,000 dollar wardrobe, the fact that she bases her foreign policy on being able to see a foreign nation from her window or that she couldn’t name any of the major newspapers that she reads. Instead the biggest problem is that she was selected by the McCain camp in a rushed attempt to secure potential dissenting Democrat women who saw their dreams of President Hillary Clinton vanish after the primary elections. Bad move. They banked on exploiting the female vote without really taking a stance on issues important to women.  read more »