A Message from AAUW-WI President, Deb Thiel
As fall approaches, let’s remember the progress we’ve made individually and as a community. Beyond political angst, division, and fear our focus should be on building stronger and better communities. Over time, there is more forward progress than we realize. Readjusting our perceptions is often needed to renew our hope and motivation. It is crucial to long term success. Never doubt setbacks are part of life. Never forget success comes to those who persist. And like advice to anyone driving, keep your eyes on the road ahead!
We celebrated the 19th Amendment’s 104th anniversary this year, promising suffrage for women. Unfortunately it did not provide actual safe access to the ballot box for women of color, nor did it include nationwide suffrage for Native American women. It took the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 to finally outlaw discriminatory voting practices that were hijacking our democracy from BIPOC communities. However, these rights have been and continue to be under siege. Pushback is alarming, but today, let’s use that vote to further our causes.
AAUW-WISCONSIN endorses a NO vote to the change to our Constitutional Amendment on the eligibility to vote, which offers a one-word change: every to only.
Shall section 1 of article III of the constitution, which deals with suffrage, be amended to provide that only a United States citizen age 18 or older who resides in an election district may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum?
Why vote No? It is not only unnecessary for ensuring that just citizens have the right to vote; it opens the potential for others to create additional hoops and barriers to exercising that right. Civil rights are at the heart of democracy and fundamental for a just and equitable society. We should want ALL to freely exercise their right without restriction or undue burden.
Don’t take your voting rights for granted. VOTE! Consider helping others to exercise their rights and encourage robust participation in the upcoming election by checking out our Election 2024 Ambassador page.
We persist!
Deb Thiel
AAUW-Wisconsin State President
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AAUW Strategic Mission
To advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.
AAUW Vision
Equity for all.
AAUW Values
Nonpartisan. Fact-based.
Our mission is bold― to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. We are not satisfied to simply document and discuss the inequities women and girls face. AAUW aims to achieve equity through practical solutions in education, workplaces, and communities. AAUW Welcomes New Members Who Want to Advance Women’s Equality.
Founded in 1881, the history of the American Association of University Women mirrors the progress of women in the United States. As the number of women graduating from college grew, so did our membership.
We’ve published hundreds of research reports, from an 1885 paper disproving a prevailing myth that college impairs a woman’s fertility to, most recently, a study documenting the economic impact of workplace sexual harassment. We have supported the academic achievements of many thousands of scholars, from scientist Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, to astronaut Judith Resnik, the second woman in travel in space.
Our advocacy efforts have propelled countless new laws, including the Equal Pay Act, first proposed in 1945 and finally passed in 1963; the Title IX amendment in 1972; the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993; the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009; and the Paycheck Fairness Act, which was passed by the U.S. Representatives in 2019 but is awaiting action in the Senate.
Causes:
Women’s Equality; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I); Scholarships for Women; STEM Education; Economic Security for Women; Public Policy Issues; Leadership Development for Women.