[Wording taken from twitter — watch for official announcement.]

I can’t get to the News and Observer site for details, but heard that the Healthy Youth Act passed yesterday! All children in NC will have access to comprehensive sex ed. Watch for more details!

The group met in Cary on May 29. Representatives from USCRI, Ipas, UNIFEM/USNC, UNA-Wake, Human Rights Coalition of NC, NC CEDAW/CSW Committee attended. Here’s an (edited) report on that meeting:

Following introductions, the status of CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) was discussed. It was agreed that additional information about CEDAW would be helpful, including the original Convention (which may be proposed by Senator Boxer) and the version in the Senator Foreign Relations Committee (which contains a number of RUD’s - (Reservations, Understandings and Declarations).

Action items assigned: initiate come research on CEDAW,  identify groups working for United States ratification of CEDAW, and preparing a petition in support of CEDAW ratification, which would be available for the collection of signatures at the Peace Booth of the North Carolina State Fair in October.

The group also discussed was the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Following discussion, the Committee decided to focus on a project aimed at providing financial support (approximately $1000 per person) for North Carolina women college students to attend and participate in the next annual meeting of the Commission to be held at the United Nations in New York City in March 2010. It was reported that the Wake County chapter of the United Nations Association had recently set aside $1000 for that purpose.

Overall, participants were very enthusiastic about the proposed goals of the Committee.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 in Cary. If you would like to represent AAUW NC in this effort, please contact president Millie Hoffler-Foushee or Public Policy Chair Elaine Ostrowski (see contacts list).

NCVCE will hold its Voter-Owned Elections Lobby Day, an advocacy day at the NC General Assembly in Raleigh, on Wednesdy, June 17.

Read more information about the day here: http://www.ncvce.org/index.php?page=LobbyDay2009

For more about AAUW NC public policy priorities see http://www.aauwnc.org/about/aauw-nc-public-policy-priorities/

Here is a copy of the full proclamation.

Want to do more?

• Download and review AAUW’s Pay Equity Resource Kit for information and ideas on how to get the word out
• Drill down into the statistics by state
• Read more about how the pay gap looks in different fields — 1 and 10 years out of college
• RSVP to the Facebook Equal Pay Day event — and post your story or tell what you’re doing to raise awareness

This bill has been approved by three separate committees and the next step is the House floor. Please write your representatives in support of this issue.

• See www.ppaction.org/campaign/House_vote/ for a quick “write your representative” form.
• See http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=H88 for the details on the bill - particularly to see if you legislator is one of the sponsors or co-sponsors.
• See www.aauwnc.org/about/aauw-nc-public-policy-priorities/ for a summary of issues of particular concern to AAUW NC.

AAUW members Elaine Ostrowski, Sue Mengert, Mary Fran Schickedantz and Sandra Abromitis in front of the NC Legislative Building on April 1. They and other members Mari Pino del Rosario, Evelyn Lynge, Mary Peterson, and Nancy Shoemaker joined about 75 other advocates at the annual event that hightlighted several issues in front of the General Assembly. Branches represented included Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh/Wake County, Twin Rivers/New Bern and Jacksonville Regional.

• NC Women United list of issues
• AAUW NC list of issues 

There is still time to join the virtual advocacy campaign in support of these issues. Click here to participate. [If the campaign is closed by the time you read this, follow the NCWU links to get the current status of the bills and information on how to contact your legislators. Personal letters may be even more effective.]