Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 6, 1991 TAG: 9104060184
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BECKY HEPLER/ SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The local organization "died out with the death of the ERA [Equal Rights Amendment] movement," said member Nancy Feuerbach of the former Virginia Tech area NOW. "With a more conservative government, . . . we're seeing issues that are beginning to spark some interest, and thus spark an interest in this group.
"People are concerned about parental notification; they're concerned that choices regarding abortion are going to be limited; they're concerned about child care issues, gay rights issues, equal opportunity - issues that NOW can address."
Address them it has - with letter and phone campaigns, lobbying trips to the state capitol, political-education seminars and a number of other activities. The chapter has been busy in its two years.
"We're a political organization," said member Karen Novak. "We lobby, take stands and work hard to get things done through the system."
While NOW has sometimes been characterized as radical, its political style is strictly mainstream. Members stay in touch with their legislators and monitor the legislature when it's in session, marshalling support for bills they like or opposition to bills they dislike.
"Maybe if we were 18, we would be more impatient, but at our age, that's the way we have to work," Feuerbach said. "I guess we've learned to temper our expectations."
Empowerment is as important as the political successes. "People have either forgotten or have gotten so cynical they don't think they can have an effect," said Feuerbach. "The good thing about a group like NOW is that it's a real grass-roots movement and it can give people an opportunity to take control and change their environment."
An important function for the chapter is political education for the public. The group sponsors talks, seminars and events that help people learn how to be more successful in achieving political goals.
NOW has grown from 17 members in 1989 to more than 40 this year. "And it's a diverse group - young and old, a good mix of the community," said Irene Peterson, chapter coordinator.
"Basically, we're former Girl Scout leaders," said Feuerbach, "and church members and mothers and very ordinary. We've just become aware of the way the world is and the way we'd like it to be."
The way they'd like it to be is to continue to have plenty of opportunities for women. For that reason, the chapter has worked hard on the abortion-rights issue to forestall limitations. In January, eight members went to Richmond on Pro-Choice Lobby Day to express their opinions on the the parental notification bill.
The chapter also sponsored two of the speakers during Women's Week on the Virginia Tech campus: Patricia Hussey and Barbara Ferraro, former nuns who have campaigned vigorously for greater debate on abortion and other women's issues within the Catholic Church.
Violence directed at women is another issue for the group, one of several that sponsored a Take Back the Night rally and march Wednesday evening.
"Part of the problem is that crimes against women tend to be underreported, and thus women are deprived of important information," said Novak. "They can't protect themselves by being alert. So right now the group is trying to get better reporting measures in place as well as better protection.
"I think one of the most important things we need to do is to make people realize that feminism is not a dirty word," she said. "We don't hate men and we're not exclusionary. What we're working for are goals that enhance the self-worth of individuals, not just women or just men, but everybody."
by CNB