Monthly Archives: October 2020

November Program – California Women’s Well-Being Index

November Program – California Women’s Well-Being Index By Gloria Yost

November Program to spotlight policies affecting welfare of California women
Saturday, November 14, 2020, 10 a.m. – noon, free on Zoom
Speakers: Sarah Jimenez & Kristin Schumacher

Learn how California’s budget and economic policies are affecting women and families in Sacramento County and statewide during our Nov. 14 branch meeting.

Kristin Schumacher and Sarah Jimenez of the California Budget & Policy Center will update us on the status of women as reflected in the California Women’s Well Being Index.

The Women’s Well Being Index, prepared by the California Budget & Policy Center, is a multifaceted composite measure looking at five dimensions of women’s well-being by county: health, personal safety, employment and earnings, economic security and political empowerment. Schumacher and Jimenez will offer their insights on how results of the Nov. 3 election might affect women and families.

Schumacher, a senior analyst at the center, created the Women’s Well Being Index. Before joining the center in 2013, she taught public policy and public administration in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver, and held a research position with the university and the Feminist Majority Foundation. She also worked in fundraising and development with the Colorado AIDS Project in Denver. Schumacher has a PhD in public affairs from the University of Colorado Denver and a Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis in policy and administration from the University of Texas, Austin.

Jimenez joined the California Budget & Policy Center in 2019 as Director of Strategic Communications. She previously worked for Paschal Roth Public Affairs in Sacramento where she was involved with communications and public policy campaigns, including passage of two statewide housing bonds as well as efforts to improve California’s childcare system. She also has worked for the County Welfare Directors Association of California and the California State Association of Counties. Jimenez received degrees in print Journalism and Gender Studies from the University of Southern California. She was a television news producer for Fresno’s CBS affiliate before becoming a reporter for The Fresno Bee.

The California Budget & Policy Center (calbudgetcenter.org), formerly the California Budget Project, was founded in 1995 to provide an independent source of information on how budget and tax policies affect low- and middle-income Californians. The center provides analyses and commentary on issues including tax policy, economic trends, health and criminal justice.

This meeting is open to the public, so please share this notice with friends,neighbors, and young women. Guests who join AAUW on November 14^th will receive a discounted membership.

Register with EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aauw-sacramento-branch-program-on-ca-womens-well-being-index-tickets-126923237821

The Zoom link will be sent out two days before the event to all registered members and guests.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

Dear Members,
As I sit here at my computer, Karen Burley, our intrepid Communications Director, reminded me that we had our monthly newsletter coming up. I would be remiss in not mentioning that we have an incredibly important election nine days from now (it’s Oct. 25, 2020, as I write this). If you are paying attention to the news like I am, you know the Senate is pushing through Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg. This rushed appointment may rightly concern some folks, as it has the potential to impact this election’s outcome if contested, health care, women’s access to birth control and abortion services, the presence of guns in school, and LGBTQ rights, to name a few.

At nearly 48, I stand among our younger members. I know how easy it can be to let specific societal issues slide as they no longer directly impact my life. I recently had the opportunity to attend a branch public policy committee meeting, helmed by Arlene Cullum. We reviewed the upcoming slate of potential policy priorities for our state branch. Hearing other members support women and girls’ welfare and status not necessarily represented by our branch’s demographics inspired me and gave me hope. Holding space for others who aren’t necessarily at the AAUW table advances the three pillars of AAUW California’s policy mission: Achieving Economic Security for All Women, Supporting a Strong System of High-quality Public Education and Guaranteeing Equality, Individual Rights, and Social Justice for a Diverse and Inclusive Society. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Arlene.

Our Oct. 14, program, co-sponsored with AAUW CHAR, was well attended. The students from the McGeorge School of Law presented each ballot initiative’s pros and cons. As expected, many AAUW members had penetrating questions about the initiatives on the ballot. The presentation helped inform my decisions when I voted this past week (yay, early voting!). I also appreciate the opportunity to deepen our relationship with CHAR.

In November, we will visit a topic we had to abandon when the COVID-19 pandemic caused our initial shelter-in-place position: the California Women’s Well-Being Index presented by the California Budget & Policy Center (https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/womens-well-being-index/). This event will be held on Zoom on Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. I encourage everyone to come and reach out to a fellow member or friend to go and listen to the program. Perhaps you could even have a post-meeting chat and coffee?

As always, please feel free to reach out to me via phone or email. My information is in our branch directory.

Warm Regards,
Angela Scarlett, AAUW Sacramento Branch President

AAUW Membership Matters

AAUW Membership Matters By Jan Stuter & Bonnie Penix

PANDEMIC PONDERINGS By Jan Stuter

As I sit back and consider the impact of the pandemic on AAUW members, particularly the loss of social contact with compatible, educated people at branch and interest group meetings, I ask

Janice Stuter

myself why should anyone join? Then I remember the overriding principle our joining represents: EQUITY for women, which will lead, eventually, to all people enjoying respect and dignity in our world.

Our membership supports a wide variety of initiatives and programs in the social, political, cultural and educational realms. In short, joining AAWW Sacramento is an investment in positive futures for girls and women everywhere.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TODAY:

THINK OF MEMBERSHIP AS A TANGIBLE ANNUAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE WELFARE OF GIRLS AND WOMEN EVERYWHERE.
GIFT A CHRISTMAS OR ANYTIME MEMBERSHIP TO A FRIEND OR RELATIVE.
INVITE A FRIEND OR RELATIVE TO A BRANCH MEETING WHERE THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR A REDUCED YEARLY MEMBERSHIP RATE.
INVITE A FRIEND OR RELATIVE TO AN INTEREST GROUP MEETING TO SAMPLE WHAT TANGIBLE LOCAL EXPERIENCES WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE THEY CAN ENJOY AS A MEMBER.

ISSUES ON MY RADAR

Why are people, mainly women, whose principal roles are to raise children (they will become our future citizens) and run households (allowing other adults who live with them to pursue financially rewarding careers) not accorded a specific economic value in our culture? Let’s talk!

WOMEN ARE CAPABLE OF MANY DIFFERENT ROLES IN LIFE

Susanna Madora Salter (1860-1961) was a U.S. politician and activist. She served as mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman elected as mayor in April 1887 at age 27. She was one of the first women to serve any political office in the United States. She attended Kansas State Agricultural College, married and birthed nine children in her 101-year life. Google her!

May all our members experience a thankful and restful Holiday season!

What Ruth Bader Ginsburg Did For You By Bonnie Penix

Interest Groups & the Value of AAUW Membership

Interest Groups… and the Value of AAUW Membership By Vicki Nicholson

AAUW National is once again asking members to consider eliminating a degree requirement for membership, a bylaws change which will be subject to vote by the entire membership in April, 2021.

Most often individuals join an organization because of personal invitation. Some members join to support AAUW’s mission. I joined soon after college because I proudly COULD support an organization that promoted education and equity. But, regardless of the motivation to join, most of our branch members retain membership because of friendships and bonds created when working toward shared goals.

“It is who you know” matters in social as well as business relationships. Make an effort to get involved in at least one interest or book group or perhaps even widen your circle during this period of restricted contacts. Connections are important and will strengthen a sense of well-being.

Interest group leaders may opt to utilize Sacramento Branch’s paid Zoom account for meetings. Contact Karen Burley for details or assistance. Contact information for Karen or Vicki can be found in the Sacramento Branch Membership Directory & Handbook. Direct any other queries to sacramento-ca@aauw.net.

Sacramento AAUW Public Policy Update

Sacramento AAUW Public Policy Update By Arlene Cullum

The AAUW California Initiative Forum held on Oct. 14 was a resounding success! Many thanks to Charmen Goehring for organizing the event and to CHAR for co-hosting with our branch. The 153 attendees heard the in-depth review and public policy analysis of our ballot initiatives from Associate Dean Moylan and students from McGeorge Law School. Students and their professor responded to the many questions of the audience and provided additional clarity on the background, including supporters and opponents of each initiative.

Our dedicated Public Policy Committee met in October with the purpose of continuing our planning for the December district visits and completing a composite survey of public policy priorities to the State committee. Our district visits to the offices of Pan, McCarty and Matsui will be open to all committee members, utilizing collateral from our websites, including the AAUW California State Public Policy Priorities.

The committee came to consensus on submission of general comments and changes to the priorities as follows:

The definition of all women should be inclusive of race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation and gender identification
Policies that support working families, including medical leave, family leave, quality and affordable child and dependent care
The vigorous enforcement of Title IX including Gender Equity in Education Act
Increase in access to quality, affordable health care services, including comprehensive family planning, prenatal care and postpartum mental health services
Freedom from violence and fear of violence shall include domestic violence
Support for United Nations programs should include principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

The five legislative priorities submitted were economic security for all women, reproductive health, equitable health care, affordable housing and anti-racism.

At our next meeting, the committee will be reviewing talking points and collateral for the district visits.

SB 973 Signed by the Governor!

SB 973 Signed by the Governor! By Kathi Harper, AAUW California Public Policy Co-Chair

In 2018, AAUW co-sponsored a bill requiring companies with more than 100 employees to collect and report to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing data on:

The number of employees by race, ethnicity and sex for 10 job categories
The number of employees by race, ethnicity and sex, whose annual earnings fall within certain pay bands
The total number of hours worked by each employee counted in each pay band during the reporting year

The purpose of the bill is “to allow for designated state agencies to collect wage data to more efficiently identify wage patterns and allow for targeted enforcement of equal pay or discrimination laws.” The bill failed in 2019 and was re-introduced last year by the same author, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), and was signed by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30 – the last day in the last hour!

Fifteen other AAUW California-supported bills were also signed by the Governor, including: improved medical care for incarcerated pregnant women (AB732); protection for women testifying in sexual assault cases from having their testimony of alcohol or drug use at the time of the assault used against them in a separate prosecution (AB1927); addition of “sexual harassment” as a form of prohibited sex discrimination in higher education (SB493); and expansion of the California Family Rights Act to require any employer with five or more employees to grant a request by an employee to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid protected leave during any 12-month period to bond with a new child or to care for themselves or a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner (SB1383).

Finally, as part of our “white allyship” posture, we are proud to have supported six bills that were enacted to address racial injustice and/or to enhance opportunities for Black women: AB979, requiring corporations to include a specified number of members from underrepresented communities on their boards of directors; AB1196 and AB1506, regulating police use of force; AB1460, requiring ethnic studies as a graduation requirement in CSU schools; AB3070, addressing discriminatory use of peremptory challenges in jury selection; and AB3121, establishing a task force to study and develop reparation proposals.

You can find additional information on these and all our 2019-20 bills on “Capitol Track” on our website, which you can link to here.

Living Our Mission of Equity

Living Our Mission of Equity By Charmen Goehring

2020 has certainly been an interesting year — between a pandemic, increased racial tensions and now mail-in ballot drama, it’s been a year of stepping back and re-evaluating how we address issues in our nation.

Charmen Goehring

Our branch board has been talking about diversity and equity in our branch and AAUW as an organization. We hope you will join us in a monthly equity conversation looking at our own biases and what actions we can take to attract diversity to our branch and become better people in the process. We are reading the book, “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo and discussing what we have read, along with exploring other issues related to race and equity.

We will meet the second Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780 or you can join using this link. We will discuss the intro and chapters 6 & 7 on Nov. 11 at 7pm. If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

AAUW Funds / Legacy Circle

AAUW Funds & Legacy Circle By Charmen Goehring

October was a month full of AAUW Funds activities. Members in California enjoyed two online Funds events, previously the Funds Luncheons, each of which highlighted nine CA-based recipients of AAUW grants and fellowships. Their topics of study were diverse and fascinating!

While many missed the in-person opportunity to see friends and meet the recipients, dozens of

Charmen Goehring

members who might not otherwise have attended a lunch in the past were able to participate on Zoom. It is always inspiring to see how our contributions have provided support for these young women, some of whom might change the world!

About a dozen AAUW Sacramento members answered the call to make a special donation to the Greatest Needs Fund prior to the Funds events and in appreciation, I delivered homemade scones and jam to the contributors to enjoy while they watched the Oct. 10 speakers. Thanks to these women, and all the previous donations our generous members have made this past fiscal year, we have made our 5 Star Branch goal of a minimum of $30 per member. Thank you for supporting AAUW and our mission of equity for women and girls!!

We have just a few weeks left for the California Is In It To Win It Legacy Circle contest! The branch that adds the most new Legacy Circle members during the contest period will win a special Zoom session with AAUW Development Director Heather Miller, AAUW CA State President Dianne Owens, AAUW CA Funds Chair Judy Cavin Brown and other possible special guests.

The Legacy Circle is composed of dedicated AAUW members who have included AAUW in their estates in order to ensure the organization is healthy and able to help women and girls far into the future. If you have been a member of AAUW for 30 years or more, you are passionate about AAUW. Why not take the simple step of joining the Legacy Circle? You can join online at www.aauw.org or contact me for a brochure.

AAUW Sacramento member Hedda Smithson recently made the decision to commit to supporting AAUW by joining the esteemed group. She joins Marty McKnew, Kathy Asay, Alicia Hetman, and me. I look forward to awarding more AAUW Sacramento members with their special Legacy Circle Pin!

Speech Trek Gears Up for February Contest

Speech Trek Gears Up for February Contest By Ann Arneill

Speech Trek is now in full swing with our fall busy season. We work with all nine campuses in the Elk Grove Unified High School District participating in our public speaking contest. Now is the time to recruit students to participate by distributing our promotional materials, and students have started to sign up.

We have scheduled our workshops, which Shari Beck, Kathleen Deaver and Ann Arneill will be conducting. At these workshops, we inform students about the contest rules, present the topic, give them resources for researching the topic and provide public speaking tips. Once the students who decide to participate have completed their speech drafts, we will give them feedback on their speeches.

The topic this year is “Has social media helped or hindered the breaking down of barriers for women and girls?” The contest will be held virtually this year on Feb. 20, 2021. Look for the EventBrite invitation in January to get the Zoom link.

Branch Birthdays, Book Groups, Printable Articles, Scholarships & Branch Position Available

Branch Birthdays, Book Groups, and Printable Newsletter Articles

Click here for Branch Birthdays
Click here for Book Group books for November
Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles

Scholarships

The scholarship application for the 2021-22 academic year is now posted! See the Branch/Outreach Programs drop-down menu on the branch website home page.

Membership-Treasurer Position Available By Sharon Anderson

After 12 years in the Membership-Treasurer position, I am finally ready to relinquish it to someone else! I’ve stayed so long because I enjoy it so much, but it’s finally time to pass it on to someone else. So if you might be interested, notify our finance director, Liz Jordan, by email.

Here’s what I like about it: I get to 1) play around with a database (currently, Excel), 2) keep membership data and membership dues and donations sorted out and accurate, 3) work with the finance and membership directors on matters of mutual involvement, 4) keep our National membership records accurate by way of our roster with the National organization, 5) produce (accurately, hopefully) our yearly Directory, 6) have a little envelope-stuffing party for membership renewals in April, 6) hand off our renewal letters and Directories to the bulk-mail post office in West Sac, 7) use the Intelligent Mail Small Business tool to produce the mailing labels for our mail-outs, 8) answer members’ questions within my area of information, 9) process new member applications, 10) attend board meetings once a month to provide any relevant information or advice and keep abreast of what’s happening in the branch. And in case you’re worried about it, only simple arithmetic is required!

This job might be for you if you enjoy working on a computer, are good with attention to detail, have some experience with a database, especially Excel, and enjoy responding to questions within your area of expertise. If you like these things, I’m pretty sure you’ll really enjoy this job. I sure do, thus the 12 years that have inexplicably rolled by so fast.

Anyone who’s interested can request from me an emailed copy of the job duties, and I’ll send it right out. Contact information for Sharon can be found in the Sacramento Branch Membership Directory & Handbook.