Feminist Leader Eleanor Smeal To Keynot At Legislative Briefing

Header--Montgomery County, Maryland. Press Releases

Ba/cfwlegispr 99-14

Contact: Judith Vaughan-Prather, 301-279-8301
For Immediate Release: January 21, 1999

FEMINIST LEADER ELEANOR SMEAL
TO KEYNOTE AT LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING

Former NOW President Eleanor Smeal and channel 9, WUSA TV news anchor Andrea Roane will be featured at the 19th annual Regional Women's Legislative Briefing, to be held on February 7 at the Natcher Conference Center on the Bethesda campus of NIH, from 12:30 to 5:45 p.m.

Smeal will deliver the keynote address and Roane will serve as emcee for the opening ceremonies and keynote address.

Legislative initiatives upcoming in the 1999 Maryland General Assembly affecting women will be discussed in workshops which will cover: civil rights, economics/education, domestic violence/family law, effective advocacy/lobbying, and health. A plenary session on Women's Issues at the National Level will follow the workshops. The event will conclude with a reception for briefing participants and County and State elected officials.

Smeal, who served as president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) for three terms in the 1970s and '80s, was the first person to identify and popularize usage of the term "gender gap" when referring to the difference in the way women and men vote.

In 1987, she co-founded and became president of The Feminist Majority Foundation, which encourages feminists to win equal representation for women in decision-making positions.

Local officials participating include Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and County Councilmembers Nancy Dacek, Betty Ann Krahnke and Marilyn Praisner. Eighth District Congresswoman Connie Morella will deliver a charge to action.

Hosted by the Montgomery County Commission for Women, the Legislative Briefing is co-sponsored for the first time by the Commissions for Women from eight counties, plus the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland.

"We have sponsored this event for many years," said Judith Vaughan-Prather, executive director of the Montgomery County Commission for Women, "but County Executive Duncan expressed interest in making it more regional by encouraging our neighboring jurisdictions to participate.

"This approach allows us to jointly to address issues that affect us all," Vaughan-Prather said.

Persons may pre-register for the free event until January 29. On-site registration will be held from 12:30 to 1 p.m. on the day of the event.

Interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing are available with 10 working days' notice.

The snow date is February 21. To receive recorded information on cancellation, call 301-217-8800.

For more information or to request an interpreter, call 301-279-8301; TDD, 301-279-1034.

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