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Pass the Women's Equality Agenda

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Tell your representatives: support the

Women's Equality Agenda!



In his State of the State address on January 9, 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced the omnibus Women's Equality Agenda, a groundbreaking agenda to break down barriers to women’s full participation in society and advance their health and well-being. A central component of the Women’s Equality Agenda is ensuring that New York’s abortion law guarantees all the protections in federal precedent and reflects current medical practice in New York. The Women’s Equality Agenda will ensure that a woman can make her own health care decisions during pregnancy, especially if her health is in danger.

The 10 points of the Women's Equality Agenda include:

  • Protect a Woman’s Freedom of Choice by Ensuring that New York’s Abortion Law Reflects Federal Protections and Current Medical Practice
  • Achieve Pay Equity
  • Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces
  • Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees in Employment and Credit and Lending Cases
  • Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws
  • End Family Status Discrimination
  • Stop Source-of-Income Discrimination
  • Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of Domestic Violence
  • Stop Pregnancy Discrimination Once and For All
  • Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by Strengthening Order-of-Protection Laws

The Women’s Equality Agenda would align New York law with federal law and current practice in New York. We can do this by:

  • Moving the regulation of abortion out of the criminal code and into the Public Health Law, where it belongs. This will clean up the way New York made abortion legal back in 1970, three years before Roe v. Wade;
  • Making sure that a woman’s health is front and center in every decision that a health care professional makes, as recognized by federal law; and
  • Clarifying that New York law already regulates health care professionals and creates standards for what those medical professionals can and cannot do. Abortion services should be regulated in the same way that other medical procedures are regulated.

First TV Ad: If I Were A Man...



The New York Women’s Equality Coalition launched an ad campaign to support the passage of the Women’s Equality Agenda with this TV ad titled, "If I Were A Man..."

Our Second Radio Ad: Real Scandal: How Skelos Treats Women


On Wednesday, May 8th, our second radio ad exposing Senator Skelos' opposition to the Women's Equality Agenda began airing in Albany, and then expanded the next day to Long Island. Click the play button the the widget above to listen!


Our First Radio Ad




On Tuesday, April 16th, our first radio ad in support of the Women's Equality Agenda began airing in Albany. Click the play button the the widget above to listen! Read the press release about the premiere of this ad here.

Join the NY for Women's Equality Coalition!


Women's Equality Coalition backing Cuomo's gender equality agenda
Legislative Gazette
March 4, 2013
By Tanique Williams

More than 500 advocacy groups began Women's History Month by launching The New York Women's Equality Coalition to help push for many of the ideas outlined in the governor's State of the State including a 10-point agenda for gender equality.
Read the Full Story Here

Friend the coalition on Facebook.
Follow the coalition on Twitter.
Learn more at the coalition's website: NYWomensEquality.org. (And, if you're an organization, join the over 750 labor, business, civil rights, medical & religious groups that have already signed on in support of the Agenda!)

Support for the Women's Equality Agenda


As governors across the country continue their legislative attacks on reproductive health and rights, we are proud to have a governor who is clearly dedicated to helping women lead safe, healthy lives. Email Gov. Cuomo a thank you note today, and make sure he knows that we’re all looking forward to working with him on creating a more pro-choice New York in 2013!


Latest News


Women’s groups to kick off Equality Act campaign
Politics on the Hudson
April 4, 2013
By Jessica Bakeman

Women’s groups are holding six news conferences around the state Thursday to express support for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Act, a 10-point yet-to-be-introduced measure that includes an abortion codification bill as well as safeguards against human trafficking, pregnancy discrimination and pay inequity.
Read the Full Story Here

Affirming Abortion Rights
The New York Times
April 3, 2013
By Juliet Lapidos

Anti-abortion activists are nothing if not inventive. State legislatures sympathetic to the cause are constantly finding new ways to restrict the legality or availability of the procedure, passing bans on so-called "partial-birth” abortion, parental consent requirements, and, more recently, "fetal heartbeat” laws. Choking off money is also wildly popular. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 32 states and the District of Columbia prohibit the use of state funds except in cases where the woman’s life is at risk or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. Another eight states limit coverage in private insurance plans.

The pro-choice side, perhaps necessarily, is usually on the defensive. But active attempts to affirm reproductive rights are not unheard of.
Read the Full Story Here

Op-Ed: Empowering women
The Queen Courier
March 21, 2013
By Assemblymember Nily Rozic

Women’s History Month marks my third month as an assemblymember. It is a time to recognize the women who have come before to make this world a better place. While we have many great women to celebrate, we have more work ahead. At a time when polarization is defining many of today’s headlines, it is more important than ever to discuss how women’s voices alter the conversation. How can we work together to make our voices stronger? To borrow a phrase from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, how do we make sure that we are all getting off the sidelines? How do we make sure we are not waiting in a never-ending queue or that we are equal partners in the policy and decision making process?
Read the Full Op-Ed Here

Abortion rights get strong support in recent Siena poll
Legislative Gazette
March 18, 2013
By Josefa Velasquez

A Siena College poll released last Monday shows widespread support among New York voters for women's reproductive health issues.
Read the Full Story Here

Women's Equality Coalition backing Cuomo's gender equality agenda
Legislative Gazette
March 4, 2013
By Tanique Williams

More than 500 advocacy groups began Women's History Month by launching The New York Women's Equality Coalition to help push for many of the ideas outlined in the governor's State of the State including a 10-point agenda for gender equality.
Read the Full Story Here

On abortion, Andrew Cuomo emerges as women's champion
Newsday
February 20, 2013
By Bonnie Erbe

There are woefully few heroes in politics today. But two have emerged in recent weeks from my home state of New York: Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

I've written before about heroic efforts by Bloomberg -- an independent who left the Republican Party and was a Democrat before seeking elective office -- to take on and clobber the National Rifle Association.

Now Cuomo -- the scion of a family that is as Democratic and progressive as they come -- has proposed a 10-point bill to codify women's rights in New York State.
Read the Full Op-Ed Here

Reproductive Rights in New York
The New York Times
February 19, 2013

New York State once led the nation in advancing women’s rights. Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to re-establish that pre-eminence with an omnibus agenda on women’s equality. The most important piece of that agenda would essentially enshrine in state law existing federal protections for abortion rights.
Read the Full Editorial Here

Cuomo Bucks Tide With Bill to Ease Limits on Abortion
The New York Times
February 17, 2013
By Thomas Kaplan

ALBANY — Bucking a trend in which states have been seeking to restrict abortion, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is putting the finishing touches on legislation that would guarantee women in New York the right to late-term abortions when their health is in danger or the fetus is not viable.
Read the Full Story Here

A Senate snag on women’s rights?
Albany Times Union
February 3, 2013
By Jay Jochnowitz

Our opinion: Comfortable or not, a women’s rights agenda, including abortion rights, should come to the state Senate floor for a vote.

It’s hard to believe we’re arguing about things like equal pay for women, protection for victims of domestic violence, and abortion rights in New York in 2013. But here we are. It’s as good a time as any to reaffirm this state’s heritage as a bastion of women’s rights.

Denerstein knocks ‘wildly false info’ on Equality Agenda
Capitol Confidential
January 30, 2013
By Casey Seiler

Mylan Denerstein: "Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a bold 10-point Women’s Equality Agenda that promises just what the name of the bill would suggest: women’s equality. Among other things, the act would help ensure that women are paid equal wages to men for similar work performed and help protect women from discrimination in employment and housing due to domestic violence."

"The agenda also includes codifying in state law an important right—protecting a woman’s right to choose."

NARAL Pro-Choice New York Joins Hundreds Of Diverse Organizations In Support Of Women's Equality Agenda
Press Release
January 29, 2013

NARAL Pro-Choice New York is proud to join with nearly three-hundred labor groups, business associations, civil rights organizations, medical associations, and religious groups in vigorous support of Governor Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Agenda.

Cuomo Calls for State to Return to Progressive Ideals
The New York Times
January 9, 2013
By Danny Hakim

Few advocacy groups on the left found issues they could not applaud. Environmental Advocates of New York said Mr. Cuomo "showed true leadership” in his comments on climate change. Andrea Miller, president of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, said of his proposed women’s initiatives, "He heard the call and is a true leader.”
Read the Full Article Here

Governor Cuomo Announces Groundbreaking Proposal to Advance Women’s Equality
Press Release
January 9, 2013

"Today, with the entire state watching, Governor Cuomo vociferously declared that women’s equality, safety, and reproductive rights will be a priority for New York State in 2013,” said Andrea Miller, President of NARAL Pro-Choice New York.

 
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