Feminist Events Calendar

September: EC Back to School Campaign
-28th: 5 year Anniversary of FDA approval of Mifepristone (RU-486)

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month & Domestic Violence Awareness Month
-11th: National Coming Out Day
-15th: Love Your Body Day
-20th: National Young Women's Day of Action
-28th-29th: South Atlantic FMF Regional Conference

November:
-4th-5th: Midwest FMF Regional Conference
-7th-11th: EC Week of Action
-11th-12th: South Central FMF Regional Conference
-11th-12th: West Coast FMF Regional Conference
-25th:International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
-25th-Dec. 10th: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

December:
-1st: World AIDS Day
-10th: International Human Rights Day

Contact Us!

Call us toll free at either the East coast office (1-866-444-FMLA) or the West coast office (1-866-471-FMLA). You can also email us at campusteam@feminist.org. We are always happy to hear from you and answer any questions or concerns!

What do you think?

This is your E-zine, and we are always updating and changing to fit your needs, so please let us know what you think of our new format! Email campusteam@feminist.org with any suggestions, ideas, or comments.

Email us your pictures and stories that prove that feminists come in all shapes and sizes!

Welcome Back to Another Year of Feminist Activism!
We on the Campus Team hope that you have all had enjoyable summers and are all rested up and ready for a very full semester of feminist activism!

FMF's Current Campaigns...

NO on Roberts
Urgent Action Needed!
Call your Senators every day and tell them to Vote NO on Roberts.

For updates on the Supreme Court fight and much more, check out The Smeal Report!

FMF staffers protest the FDA's latest delay outside of the Dept. of Health & Human Services building in DC

Emergency Contraception Over-the-Counter (EC OTC)
The FDA Goes Back on its Word and Delays AGAIN!
On Friday Aug. 26th the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued the game of politics with women's lives and delayed its decision another 60 days on over-the-counter status for emergency contraception (EC) once again!

Senators Clinton and Murray had been blocking the nomination of Lester Crawford to serve as FDA commissioner until a deadline was set on the OTC status for EC.  The Senators only lifted their hold after receiving assurance from Human Health and Services Secretary Michael Leavitt that the FDA would make a decision on the over the counter status of Plan B by September 1st. Tell the FDA to stop playing politics with women's lives!

Regional Collegiate Global Women's and Human Rights Conferences
Register Today!
This fall the FMF will host four Regional Collegiate Global Women's and Human Rights Conferences to focus on campaign activism to build a national constituency to increase international family planning and health funding, ratify international treaties for the environment and human rights regarding sexual orientation and gender, combat sweatshops, and promote non-violence and peace.

Things to check out on FeministCampus.org
New Features:
• Health Center Network: A nationwide database of campus health centers, searchable by campus name and state. Here students and health center staff alike can find contact information and hours for health centers on over 500 campuses, as well as the status of EC on that campus. The Network also includes tons of resources for health center staff members and a mailing list of EC related information and action alerts.

• Women's Centers Searchable Database: A nationwide database of campus women's centers.

• Feminist Recommended Book List: Want suggestions for some good reading? Need to brush up on your feminist history? Just want a new book to read? Then check out our NEW Feminist Recommended Book List! In this new section you will find all types of great feminist books, and we are constantly adding new books, so make sure to check back often! The site also features book reviews by FMF staffers and readers like you, so if you have something to say about a book on the list you can submit a review.

• Student Leadership Guide: Student government organizations on college campuses wield incredible power – from determining the budgets of student groups to managing student relationships with the school's top administrators. Visit this new section to learn more about bringing feminist leadership to your campus!

• 2005-2006 Global Campaigns: Download step-by-step activism guides for organizing around global issues ranging from international family planning to the genocide in Darfur. Also make sure to go here and find out about how you can start an international book drive on your campus!

Old Favorites:
• Updated member pages
• Updated Faculty pages
• Updated Alumni Network
Check here soon for upcoming alum Q&A feature, Ask-a-Professional Feminist
• Fact sheets galore!
Find handouts on EC, global women's rights, women of color & reproductive justice, violence against women, body image, pay equity, women & the environment, and more!
• Updated Campus Action Directory
Find actions, events, and ideas from FMLAs from across the country!

Update Your Info on Feminist Campus!
Make sure to update your information on FeministCampus.org with this year's campus address! Just sign in at www.feministcampus.org and click on 'Update your Profile'

Materials for this Semester
The first batch of 2005-2006 program materials were mailed in August, if you haven't gotten your group's materials contact your Campus Organizer. The second half of this year's program materials (including the long-awaited Organizer's Binder) will be mailed this month. Make sure we have your correct mailing address by going to www.feministcampus.org and updating your information!

Austin Peay State University (TN)
Tamira Cole, a charter member of Austin Peay's FMLA, was chosen to be one of Glamour magazine's Top 22 College Women of 2005. Congratuations, Tamira! Read more about her selection.

New FMLAs!
We would like to welcome the Meredith College (NC) FMLA to the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance community!

Protesters say NO on Roberts outside of the Hart Senate Building in DC, where the confirmation hearings were held.

Roberts Continues to Stonewall in Supreme Court Hearings
September 15, 2005--On the third day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on John Roberts' nomination as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Roberts continued to stonewall Senators on issues important to women. In refusing to answer questions about end-of-life issues posed by Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), Roberts said that his consideration of those issues would not “be based on my personal views. They will be based on my understanding of the law.” Biden responded, “That's what I want to know about because without any knowledge of your understanding of the law, because you will not share it with us, we are rolling the dice with you, Judge.” More

Women, Children Most At Risk from Toxins in New Orleans' Water
September 15, 2005--A whistleblower with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that water is being pumped out of the flooded city in a way that increases the danger to human health. Hugh Kaufman, a 35-year EPA veteran and an expert on toxic waste and responses to environmental disasters — and a longtime whistleblower on EPA’s shortcomings — told London’s The Independent that the Bush administration was playing down the need for a cleanup, and that the EPA has been kept out of the core White House group tackling the problem. Said Kaufman of the agency, “Its budget has been cut and political hacks have been put in key positions,” The Independent reports. More

FDA Delays Decision on Emergency Contraception
August 26, 2005--For the third time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delayed its decision on making the emergency contraceptive Plan B available over-the-counter. This delay flies in the face of the deal between Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) and Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. The Senators had blocked Lester Crawford's confirmation as FDA Commissioner until a deadline was set for approval of over-the-counter emergency contraception. More

More Feminist News

Iraqi Women’s Minister Concerned About Women's Rights in Draft Constitution
September 15, 2005--Azhar al-Sheikhly, Iraq's Minister of State for Women's Affairs, expressed concerns on Tuesday about women's rights under the draft Iraqi constitution in a discussion on human rights and the constitution sponsored by the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Iraqi Women's Caucus. The discussion which was chaired by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, (D-TX) and also featured Iraqi First Lady Hero Ibrahim Ahmed. Dr. al-Sheikhly told the audience, “Iraqi women have a big job and deserve more interest from their government and from [the international community].” She said she was very worried that groups will follow their own religious rules instead of civil law. Dr. al-Sheikhly holds a Ph.D. in constitutional law and campaigned for inclusion of women’s rights in the constitution. More

More Global Feminist News

Register today for the Regional Collegiate Global Women's and Human Rights Conference in your area!
Visit the conference website to find out more about times and location of all four conferences, and register today!

Global Campaigns for the coming semester
At the National Collegiate Global Women's and Human Rights Conference in April 2005, speakers asked attendees to educate and activate themselves on a range of issues. We have chosen several projects that we feel reflect the interconnectedness of global women's and human rights issues. Some involve only a small amount of preparation, while others require long-term strategizing and planning. Don't reinvent the wheel—find out if other student groups, academic departments, campus centers, and/or community organizations are already organizing around these issues and collaborate with them! Discuss our suggestions with your membership, and decide which one(s) your group would like to pursue, this semester and beyond.

Take Action: International Wal-Mart Worker Tour
Sponsored by International Labor Rights Fund
To expose glaring examples of Wal-Mart's complete lack of corporate accountability, the International Labor Rights Fund is coordinating a Wal-Mart supplier factory and farm worker tour. This tour will highlight the gross injustices such as sexual harassment and forced overtime taking place in Wal-Mart factories and farms around the world.

ILRF hopes to feature workers from Nicaragua , Colombia , Swaziland , and Indonesia from the garment sector and the cut flower industry that exports to the US .

Dates are currently being reserved for events in fall 2005 and spring 2006. A Spanish translator will likely be necessary for each event. It is expected that the host group will pay for flights, meals, and lodging while the workers are in their community, as well as a $1000 honorarium to cover the costs of international travel as well as tour logistics. For groups who are interested in the tour but also have financial limitations, something may be able to be worked out. Please contact Trina.Tocco@ILRF.org or call 202-347-4100 x112 for more information or to include your community in the worker tour.

"I Was A Teenage Feminist"
The new documentary "I Was A Teenage Feminist" will be having its New York premiere on Sept. 28th, 2005. The film is a moving, funny and very personal journey into the heart of feminism, circa 2005. Armed with a video camera, an inquiring mind and an irreverent sense of humor, filmmaker Therese Shechter crisscrosses the country and her own psyche to find out whether feminism can still be a source of personal and political power.
Advance tickets for the Sept. 28th and 30th shows can be ordered at www.trixiefilms.com/teenfem. The director and others from the film will be at the screenings. Information on buying the DVD or scheduling a screening of the film can be found at www.trixiefilms.com.