As the AAUW CA President I also sit on the Board of Directors for EdSource.

I am at the annual EdSource Symposium in San Jose. This one-day event is being held in conjunction with the state PTA Convention. The morning panel is now talking about "The Impact of Governor Brown's Local Control Funding Formula---Will it Lead to Higher Quality Education for All?"

Fresno County Branch, our newest branch, consisting of less than 20 members, did their first informational outreach on the campus of California State University Fresno on April 9, 2013 celebrating the unhappy holiday of Equal Pay Day. Over 85% of their members participated in one way or other to make the event a success.

Members purchased PayDay candy bars (labeled with "not fun" facts about pay inequity) as their hook to get the passing students to stop and chat for a few minutes about what Equal Pay Day means and how it affects them.

Along with the on campus team, one member volunteered to handle the  publicity for the event. She was very successful - letter to the editor, large article in the Fresno Bee Business Section on the day of the event and, to top it off, TV news coverage on the most popular channel in the Fresno market!

As they were wrapping up on the day of the event, they were planning to do this event on an annual basis and expanding to their local community college.

 Roseville-South Placer branch leadership directors, Michele Stark and Sue Orvis, maintain AAUW visibility on campus at Sierra College as they continue their campus connections with the faculty, administrators. 

• Last fall they presented four $tart $mart workshops in Career Planning and Sociology classrooms. 
• Sierra College signed a 3-year contract with WAGE (Women Are Getting Even) which entitles the campus to unlimited offerings of $tart $mart.

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Jean Reed of San Jose reports that three members of the San Jose Branch Sports Equity Project provided Title IX training to about 30 guidance counselors and deans in the Campbell Union High School District in December. The presentation focused on the AAUW report Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at Schools. It was exciting to share this important information with people who can make a difference in the lives of teens. By the end of the meeting, we had been invited to share the presentation with another school’s PTA and Latina student group. We are offering to meet with other schools and parent groups.

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Phyllis Coven, the Director of District 23, US Citizenship and Immigration Service, was guest speaker at San Fernando Valley's September 15 meeting.  Coven spoke about the challenges of her position and the new Obama initiative, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which allows qualified undocumented immigrants to obtain work authorization for two years and be free of the fear of deportation during that period.

It's estimated that one-third of all such  potential applicants live in California. The branch honored Coven with national and state membership in AAUW.

 The idea of a "War on Women" has been much in the headlines in 2012. But is this hype or reality, and how will it affect this Fall’s elections? Join Lisa Maatz, the American Association of University Women (AAUW)  Director of Public Policy and Government Relations for a stimulating discussion about the gender gap and the role it's playing in both policy- making and campaigning.  

• Claremont McKenna Athenaeum as a guest of CMC’s Berger Institute on October 3, 2012 starting at 6:45pm.  
• Free and open to the public; seating for the talk is on a first-come basis. 
• Reception dinner at the Athenaeum prior to the talk starting at 5:30pm.  The cost of dinner is $15 and reservations must be made by September 21, 2012 through Gabriela Grannis, CMC Berger Institute at 909-607-2928.

 The Public Policy committee just completed our annual meeting.  We reviewed 35 California bills and got a legislative update from our advocate, Shannon Smith-Crowley. 

Members of the San Jose branch worked at the SJSU Women's Conference on March 17, registering voters and handing out information about equal pay.

One of the goals of CSW 56 is to set the theme for next year’s Commission.  The Preparatory Panel for 2013 met on Wed, Feb 29, to do just that.  Next year’s topic will be the Elimination and Prevention of All Forms of Violence Against Women. 

The Preparatory Panel Speakers are listed below with their topics next to their names.  
- Ms. Nduku Kilonzo, Liverpool VCT (Kenya): Provision of support services to women and girls victims/survivors of violence
- Ms. Marai Larasi, End Violence against Women Coalition (UK): Primary prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls
- Ms. Margarita Quintanilla, PATH-InterCambios (Nicaragua): Emerging practices in providing support services and primary prevention of violence against women and girls.

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Violence against Women seems to be an ongoing issue at every CSW meeting I have attended.  The United Nations has studied the issue for over 10 years in countries with UN peace keeping forces and many women’s groups have reported about on the ground situations. 

Representatives of countries like Rwanda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Argentina, India, Papua New Guinea, Nicaragua and many more countries report on gender based violence.  Again – women and girls always seem to be the first line of attack in any conflict, armed engagement or war.  They are the invisible casualty – and even when they are visible the world cannot find how to stop it. Look up words like fistula and genital mutilation.  Read about how women in war torn areas are surviving and in some cases thriving in the most incredible ways.  

In 2013, CSW 57 will turn its focus on that Violence as the theme will be “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls”.

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See Video about Oakland Suffrage Celebration!