YOU ARE INVITED TO
Join U.S. Women Connect (USWC) and help us connect
women's networks and coaltions in all 50 U.S states!
USWC was founded in 1996 to monitor
American women’s progress following the 4th
World Conference on women in Beijing. We are now
on the next path creating a national women’s
action network of coalitions, consortiums, alliances
and individuals from all 50 US states to restore
and reaffirm the US Women's Agenda. See our progress
on the USMap
OUR GOAL: is not to create a new organization, but to link
organizations that already exist in all the states into a
US network where women can share ideas, increase cooperation,
avoid duplication, support collective action and carry the
grassroots U.S. women’s agenda - with input from all
participating states - to the new administration in January
2009 and on to the next international UN women’s conference
in 2012. We are a network that organizes - not an organization
that networks!
LINK WITH WOMEN ACROSS OUR COUNTRY: If your state is NOT already
linked to USWC,
we invite your organization to consider becoming a state hub
linked to this growing national network. If you have the energy
and vision to create a women’s network in your state,
we can help. If you are part of a unique population of women
who are working together across state lines, we hope you will
consider participating with USWC. Individuals are encouraged
to click on their state network to find a contact person or
organization.
ORGANIZED BY REGIONS: USWC is organized around the federal
model of 10 US Regions with a Hub in each Region. We will
soon have a state hub leader in all 10 districts. Currently
our largest network member is the California Women’s
Agenda (CAWA) with
700 partner organizations. Another dynamic network is the
Minnesota Women's Consortium
of 120 paid women’s organization members. Our most unique
network is Fuetsan Famalao’an -- which means “Strength
of Women” in the historic indigenous language in Guam.
Women in Guan, which is a protectorate not a state, have organized
to protect women in their island community as the U.S. military
begins to relocate 8,000 troops and personnel to Guam from
Japan. We want to hear about your state!
TIME COMMITMENT: The time commitment can be a little or a
lot. It can be as little as attending quarterly USWC Conference
Calls and sharing updates on your state. - (These updates
can be shared in our e-newsletter “Connecting Women.”)
Or you may provide a bigger effort where a member of your
board joins the USWC board to help build and maintain the
50-state network and help gather and shape the U.S. Women’s
agenda..
MONTHLY CONFERENCE CALL MEETINGS: Currently the USWC monthly
board Conference Calls and the Quarterly Report Calls are
on the third Thursday of the month and begin at 9:15 a.m.
Hawaiian time, which is 2:15 EDT Eastern time. (which means
Guam gets on the call Friday at 5 a.m.)
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE CALL MEETINGS replace the board meetings
four months during the year; January, April, July, and October.
Coordinators are invited to attend any regular Conference
Call meeting with all privileges except voting. However, Coordinators
are especially invited to make a short state report state
at the Quarterly Conference Call meetings and to recruit an
alternate to speak on these conference calls IF they cannot.
attend. These quarterly meetings are about sharing news, sucesses,
barriers, best practices and sister-support between the states.
