Released on February 8, 2021

Historic Legislative Package to End Maternal Mortality and Close Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Outcomes 

NOW is proud to endorse the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, a historic legislative package unveiled today by Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Alma Adams (NC-12), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. 

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 will build on existing maternal health legislation, like policies to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage, with 12 bills to comprehensively address every dimension of America’s maternal health crisis. It makes investments in social determinants of health, community-based organizations, the growth and diversification of the perinatal workforce, improvements in data collection, and support for moms and babies exposed to climate change-related risks. In addition to direct efforts to improve Black maternal health outcomes, the Momnibus focuses on high-risk populations, including veterans, incarcerated people, Native Americans, and other women and birthing people of color. 

The United States has the highest pregnancy-related death rate in the developed world and the only rate that is rising. The maternal mortality rate is significantly higher among Black women, who are three to four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related complications. Other birthing people of color, including Hispanic, Native American, and AAPI women, also suffer from disproportionate rates of adverse maternal health outcomes. 

“Black and Brown mothers have been suffering at the hands of an inequitable American health care system for centuries, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made this painful fact clearer than ever,” said Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women. “This is a crisis we cannot ignore a moment longer, and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act will begin the work of closing the maternal health care gap and getting all moms the medical care they need and deserve.” 

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act is composed of 12 individual bills. The legislation will provide funding to community–based organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity, invest in programs to support maternal mental health, and much more. 

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,

Released on February 4, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of National Organization for Women (NOW) co-founder Betty Friedan. Her groundbreaking work as the “mother” of the modern women’s rights movement includes her seminal book, The Feminine Mystique, and her election as NOW’s first president.  

An author, journalist, educator, and activist, Friedan launched NOW on June 30, 1966 while at the Third National Conference of Commissions on the Status of Women. Many women at the conference were frustrated by the lack of true inclusion of women’s voices and realized they needed a platform of their own. Betty Friedan wrote three letters on a paper napkin: N O W. Then, co-founder Catherine Conroy put a five-dollar bill onto the table and said, “Put your money down and sign your name.” In that moment, NOW was born.  

NOW’s founders, inspired by the Civil Rights movement, sought a parallel effort to demand equal treatment of both sexes. Early efforts included plans to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on sex, race, color, nationality, and religion. One of NOW’s first victories was ending the segregation of “women’s” and “men’s” help wanted ads in newspapers. Friedan co-organized the Women’s Strike for Equality, published six books, taught at New York University and the University of Southern California, and lectured widely at women’s conferences around the world.   

NOW continues Friedan’s tireless commitment to her ideals, and we build on her vision with an intersectional feminist movement that addresses marginalized and under-resourced populations, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ communities. Her legacy continues to inspire us as we work on these vital issues every day. 

To honor Friedan’s legacy NOW President Christian F. Nunes is speaking at tonight’s Veteran Feminists of America’s celebration: “Betty Friedan’s 100th Birthday: Moving the Legacy Forward.” Join her, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, Gloria Steinem, and many more amazing feminists, at 7:00 p.m. eastern. You can register for the event here.

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,