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,

Released on January 21, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today is the 48th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade that recognized the Constitutional protection of an individual’s right to abortion care.  It’s up to us to ensure that today isn’t the last time we mark this occasion—before a new conservative majority on the Supreme Court strikes it down.   

In recent years, state legislatures have passed laws that impose medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion access—laws that are purposely designed to violate the standard set in Roe in order to reach the Supreme Court and serve as a vehicle for overturning the decision.   

Sixteen states have already passed laws that would immediately ban all abortions if Roe v. Wade was overturned. But states including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Vermont have passed laws that enshrine the right to an abortion in state law, effectively codifying Roe v. Wade. NOW calls on other states to follow this example, as we renew our commitment to defending Roe at the federal level.  

NOW looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to reverse any of these unconstitutional attacks on Roe. These are attacks on women’s autonomy, designed to take away their power and control over their own decisions and health. Abortion care is reproductive healthcare, and healthcare is a fundamental human right. This isn’t about politics – it’s about our lives.

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,

Released on January 20, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today’s inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will long be remembered by history, and by every one of us who worked so hard for this moment. 

Donald Trump has spent the last four years taking a wrecking ball to policies and laws that protect against discrimination, violence against women, and threats to women’s choice and autonomy.  But NOW members and feminist voters turned out in record numbers to reverse this dangerous course and elect the historic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 

And then, this powerful, unstoppable grassroots force did it again, in the Georgia Senate runoff.  

Representation matters, and from this day forward, Kamala Harris will exemplify that principle from the White House.  For too long, dated and repudiated assumptions, conventional wisdom, and unrepresentative politics have kept women out of power and taken away their rights and autonomy.  

NOW looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration on a feminist agenda for the first 100 days, and beyond.  

NOW congratulates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and we celebrate this historic day for our democracy. 

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,

Released on January 7, 2021

Charge Violent Perpetrators as Domestic Terrorists & Institute a  

National Day of Apology for Peaceful Protestors Who Were Excessively Policed in the Past 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Make no mistake. What we witnessed taking place in our Capitol yesterday was a painful dichotomy of restoring democracy and domestic terrorism. As the morning started, many of us were elated with happiness and celebrating the Georgia victory of Senator-elect Warnock and boldly anticipating the pending victory for Jon Ossoff.  By midday, the victory had come to fruition, but unfortunately, our joy was cut short. We were disrupted by our country’s live witnessing of calculated, propagated, and treasonous attacks on our Capitol by Trump supporters forcing their way onto Capitol grounds, with the only intent to damage and destroy. 

What the world witnessed yesterday is evidence that our country is extremely broken, because our systems are deeply entrenched in white supremacy. This is a system that allowed domestic terrorists cloaked in Trump paraphernalia to attack the Capitol, attack the police, hang nooses in the courtyard, and then be casually escorted off the premises. It is also the same system that excessively polices peaceful protestors, particularly those from communities of color for far less aggressive actions.  

But more painfully, our BIPOC, Latinx, and marginalized sisters and brothers all witnessed that law enforcement is capable of grace and if “they want to,” not using excessive force. It is an insult to our communities, and it is an insult to our democracy. It is evident that we have failed to protect our people and make them feel valued and safe. 

There is so much work to be done to restore the damage of the Trump administration that made decisions based on their own interests and party affiliation — and not in the best interest of the people they are meant to represent. What we saw happen over the last four years in our grassroots movements makes me hopeful, but we must still center ourselves away from idol-based political rhetoric and return to servant leadership. 

Before that can occur, we must see accountability. We must invoke the 25th amendment and Trump must be removed immediately from office for his role in inciting this violence. All individuals involved in the insurrection must be charged as domestic terrorists for their crimes. NOW also urges the Biden-Harris administration and the Department of Justice to begin an investigation on all the contributors that helped orchestrate this coup, and NOW calls for a National Day of Apology to all peaceful protesters who were excessively policed because their values or color didn’t conform with our structurally racist system. 

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,