Oct. 16-22 National week of demonstrations, protests and rallies to Defend Women’s Rights
Oct. 16-22 National Week of Action
Join the protests outside the presidential debates
in Hempstead, N.Y. Oct. 16 and Boca Raton, FL Oct. 22
and protests in cities nationwide!
Click here to see a Calendar of Actions
All over the country, politicians are running for office and asking women to vote for them.
They want women to support them at the voting booth, but the first question is whether they will support women and women’s rights, including the right to abortion, and women’s access to health care services.
The Republican Party is openly running on a program to strip women of our rights. But will the Democratic Party guarantee that they won’t surrender women’s basic rights as they have consistently done, acting as if we were simply a bargaining chip in the game of politics? This keeps happening and women’s rights are being destroyed step by step at the federal, state and local level.
Why support any politician who won’t pledge to aggressively defend women’s rights that are under attack? In fact, WORD and other organizations are planning to challenge every politician in the country during this election cycle with the direct question: Will they or won’t they sign the Women’s Rights Pledge.
The Women’s Rights Pledge is very simple. It reads:
"I pledge to never vote for any legislation that limits or restricts women's right
to abortion or attempts to circumvent women's full access to healthcare."
Wherever politicians are campaigning, speaking or holding debates in the next two months, the issue of women’s rights will become front and center because women will be challenging every one of them, regardless of political affiliation, with the simple, direct question: will they or won’t they sign this Pledge. Don’t let any politician who wants women to vote for them get away without answering the question. Will they or won’t they sign the Pledge?
Join or organize a protest in your area during October 16-22
“Defend Women’s Rights” protests will be held in cities and towns throughout the country during the week of October 16-22. Some of the protests will be held outside the presidential debates.
Mitt Romney wants to strip women of the right to abortion and President Obama doesn’t want to talk about it at all. That’s a recipe for disaster for women.
This is exactly what has been going on for three decades. The right wing openly attacks abortion rights and the Democratic Party just wants the issue to go away. They act like the words “abortion rights” are too hot to handle. So the right-wing offensive keeps successfully chewing up our rights, and the “progressive” politicians keep bending and capitulating. Soon we will have no rights left.
That’s why women of all ages are going back into the streets.
WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) is organizing protests on October 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York and October 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida outside of the presidential debates. During the week of October 16-22, women in cities across the United States will hold local demonstrations to make their voices heard.
Women refuse to be excluded from the decisions that affect our lives. As the candidates debate domestic and foreign policy for an audience of millions, we will demand full abortion rights, end budget cuts, affordable healthcare, childcare and maternity leave, equal pay, and more.
If you can’t make it to protest at the debates, join or organize a protest in your community. Stand up and make your voice heard at the debates or in your city!
There is a long, proud tradition of women in the United States mobilizing and fighting to win equality and respect. We are carrying on that tradition by building a new, fighting women’s movement to defend the rights we’ve won and resist attempts to push us back into inequality.
Tuesday, October 16
Outside the second Presidential Debate
Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (Long Island)
Gather at 5:00 pm
Corner of Hempstead Turpike/Fulton Ave. and California Ave./Hofstra Blvd.
Download flyer
View Facebook event
Friday, October 19
San Francisco, California
Powell & Market, 5:30 pm
Download flyer
View Facebook event
Saturday, October 20
Los Angeles, California
Wilshire & Western, 1 pm
Download flyer
View Facebook event
Saturday, October 20
New Haven, Connecticut
College & Chapel, 12 noon
View flyer
View Facebook event
Saturday, October 20
Chicago, Illinois
Counter Protest; Stand up to the anti-women bigots in Chicago
12noon at Federal Plaza (Adams and Dearborn)
View Facebook event
Monday, October 22
Outside the third Presidential Debate
Boca Raton, Florida
Gather at 7:00 pm
At the "Peace Corner" on Glades Road and St. Andrews Blvd.
March to Lynn University (site of the debate)
Download flyer
View Facebook event
How will you participate?
- RSVP to attend one of these actions
- Organize transportation to one of these actions
- List an event taking place in your city during the National Week of Action Oct. 16-22
- Endorse the National Week of Action
 |
Was this email forwarded to you by a friend? Sign up to receive occasional email updates from WORD.
WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) is a new grassroots, feminist organization that is dedicated to building the struggle for women’s rights and equality for all. Learn more at DefendWomensRights.org.
 |
 |