Palm Beach County NOW

WASHINGTON — Throughout 2018, women across the country have experienced several highs and lows. NOW and its allies have refused to sit quietly and watch those who attempt to turn back the clock on women’s rights. We have been tested, but we have risen to the challenge and continued to speak truth to power. Though we recognize there have been many threats to women’s rights, as well as notable victories worth celebrating – below are just some highlights from this past year.

2018’s WORST OFFENDERS OF WOMEN

5. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos

Betsy DeVos does not care about protecting students – especially the women and girls who are the targets of sexual harassment and violence.  Her proposed changes to regulations of Title IX would make schools more dangerous for all students – especially survivors of sexual misconduct. Under these rules, schools would be encouraged (and even required) to be complicit in sexual harassment and violence, prioritizing the accused over the victim.

4. CBS Corporation

The network has come under fire for protecting abusers and fostering a toxic culture. Reprehensible behavior has been found to extend throughout the organization with abuses of power demonstrated by several men from Charlie Rose to Jeff Fager – and of course at the very top with CEO Les Moonves. Though the network has made some right moves, from recent pledges to donate to women’s rights groups to ensuring Moonves will not receive a $120 million payout – they should have taken action much sooner to ensure they were not enabling this sort of abuse and misconduct for so long.

3. The National Football League (NFL)

In the NFL, a culture of misogyny and violence against women is acceptable, so long as the perpetrator contributes to the bottom line. Led by commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL continues to demonstrate they value profits over people, and they have no desire to implement real change.

2. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

An example white privilege and the product of a culture of toxic masculinity, nominee Kavanaugh demonstrated he was unfit for the bench with his temperament and his horrific background of sexual aggression.  His appointment is a stain on the judicial system and with the repeal of Roe now a possibility, he could have a lasting negative impact on women’s rights for generations to come.

1. President Donald J. Trump

The assaulter-in-chief has been publicly accused by 19 women of sexual misconduct. Beyond his own rhetoric and behavior, he has appointed other offenders to positions of power within his administration and he continues to promote policies (from separating families to denying access to healthcare) that demonstrate he does not care about women or any marginalized communities. He earns the title of NOW’s worst offender of women.

2018’s TOP VICTORIES FOR WOMEN

5. Enough is Enough Congressional Briefing & Summit

NOW convened a coalition of major feminist organizations to develop survivor-centric solutions to the rampant epidemic of sexual violence in our society. Coming together to share first-hand stories, activists worked to take tangible actions that would influence meaningful changes on the ground, in the courts, and in Congress.

4. The Sentencing of Bill Cosby

Despite dozens of women publicly sharing their stories of how Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted them over his decades-spanning career as a powerful media figure, Cosby had long escaped any punishment for his crimes. The first celebrity to go to prison in the #MeToo era, this landmark case demonstrates no one is above the law.

3. State Victories (ERA and Equal Pay)

From Illinois becoming the 37th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signing the strongest state pay equity bill in the country, women saw several victories at the state-level – which will hopefully lead to momentum with other states and ultimately at the federal level as well.

2. The 2018 Midterm Elections

In what some dubbed as the “pink wave,” women were at the forefront of this year’s midterm elections. From record voter turnout to a record 102 women elected to Congress, women made sure their voices were heard. We made it known that women demand to be represented, and we put them in leadership roles and positions of power.

1. The Momentum of #MeToo

Survivors of sexual violence have often hesitated to come forward due to fear of reliving the trauma among other potential consequences that would disrupt their lives, but 2018 has shown that the #MeToo movement is here to stay. More and more women are following in the footsteps of heroes like Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to demand justice and that their voices be heard.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – Last week a seven-year-old Guatemalan girl in Border Patrol custody died of dehydration and shock at the U.S. border.  8 hours after being taken into custody, she began suffering seizures and spiked a fever of 105.7 degrees Fahrenheit when she was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

A White House spokesman reacted by denying responsibility for the girl’s death, issuing a statement that contained Donald Trump’s favorite false accusations, linking  “those types of deaths, those types of assaults, those types of rapes, the child smuggling, the human trafficking” to this tragedy. Despite “condolences” from Homeland Security, the department that oversees the Border Patrol, they claimed they “were unable to stop this tragedy from occurring” while essentially blaming the father for the death of his daughter. The White House has failed to express sorrow for the child’s loss, sympathy for her family, or resolve to protect the health and safety of migrants.

This reprehensible border policy is now taking the most dreadful toll. This child’s death is part of a continuum of cruelty. It has taken the life of a transgender woman who died in ICE custody after being savagely beaten during her confinement. It has injured a Guatemalan mother who was impaled in front of her children while attempting to climb the border fence. And elsewhere, we have seen tear gas used by the U.S. government against children and families. Meanwhile, asylum seekers who are domestic violence survivors will no longer be granted asylum in the U.S.

The courts and the Congress must step in to stop the human rights abuses that are taking place at the border.  We are all in mourning over this senseless, tragic loss of life—but we know it won’t be the last unless we stop Donald Trump’s cruel and hate-filled policies of border separation and detention.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – Congress has finally passed legislation to reform the way sexual harassment cases are handled in the House and Senate. Members will now be held liable for all forms of harassment as well as retaliation against whistleblowers, and they will also be required to reimburse the Treasury for harassment settlements. Finally, members of Congress will be held accountable for their actions—they will no longer be able to use their enormous power to silence survivors and avoid transparency.

But there’s more work to be done. NOW supports Rep. Jackie Speier’s (D-CA) legislation to strengthen this new policy to protect against discrimination as well as harassment, and to require members to pay judgments and settlements out of their personal funds, not through the taxpayer.

A provision in the original House bill that required Members to be held personally liable for discrimination claims as defined by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was removed by the Senate, which also struck language requiring an investigation by an independent third party when a victim comes forward. Additionally, the Senate did not agree to adopt the House rule that passed in February and provides House staff with legal representation.

It’s important to remember that every step towards reform of workplace harassment and discrimination policy is an interim step. This work will not be finished overnight. What’s needed is nothing less than a change in the culture of men protecting men, of survivors being marginalized and of abusers escaping justice.  This is a change that’s urgently needed on Capitol Hill—and in every workplace in America.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669