Day 59: Vermont Commission on Women Needs our Help

For the past 50 years the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) has been working on advancing the rights and opportunities for women in Vermont.  Their mentoring and advice has been helpful in many TechSavvy Girls projects.  But they will need our help to continue their work as one of the proposed budget cuts is to totally eliminate VCW.




As stated on their website VCW

• Acts as advisor and information source for legislative and executive branches and other policy makers on issues affecting women
• Serves as an educational resource by conducting research, producing publications and coordinating conferences and workshops
• Brings together diverse groups and engages in partnerships to consider issues of interest to women and take action
• Provides the most local and most appropriate information and referrals to the public on matters related to women and families

It would be a shame for VCW  50th anniversary in 2014 be their last year.  Here's what you can do to help VCW continue its work. 

 

--------------------------------------------------------

From VCW Executive Director Cary Brown:

 

To close a budget shortfall, the legislature and administration have released a list of suggested cuts, which includes the complete elimination of the Vermont Commission on Women. In our 51 years we have faced this threat before, but we had professional lobbyists working for us - now, with a unique prohibition written into our statute in 2002 that prohibits us from employing lobbyists, we need our friends to help out.

 

If you live in Vermont, and you feel that the Commission's work to secure women's economic, legal, and social equity is not yet done, please consider telling your legislators right away. They really listen to those calls and emails! If you don't live in Vermont, please help spread the word, as we may need support beyond the state lines down the road.

 

Here's what you can do:

 

Call or email your legislators right away, now, while they're home on Town Meeting break, to tell them NOT to eliminate the Vermont Commission on Women. You can find all of their contact info here: http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/all/2016

 

Contact members of the House Appropriations Committee to let them know that you want them to keep the Vermont Commission on Women in the FY2016 state budget:

Rep. Mitzi Johnson, Chair

Rep. Peter J. Fagan, Vice Chair

Rep. Kathleen C. Keenan, Ranking Member

Rep. Robert Helm

Rep. Martha Feltus

Rep. Mary S. Hooper

Rep. Diane Lanpher

Rep. Anne Theresa O'Brien

Rep. Albert Pearce

Rep. Catherine Toll

Rep. Matthew Trieber

 

If you attend Town Meeting, talk to your legislators in person to let them know that the work of the Commission is important to you and you don't want them to eliminate it.