The New Face of the Women's Movement: UniteWomen.org

I wrote my first blog ( http://matawan-aberdeen.patch.com/blog_posts/american-women-and-contrace... ) in February 2012 because, as I said in a reply to a comment:

“I started doing this research due to a personal identity crises I was going through and my curiosity to find out what other women are actually doing.”  “I was looking to see if I was the only woman who felt this way and trying to find
a place where I belonged without feeling like a liar. I found out that I was not alone, but mostly through the research.” 

Coincidentally, my article was published the same day as the now infamous “all-male” panel at the Full Committee Hearing on Contraception.  Only one brave woman came forward to share her opinion on my post, Peggy Devlin Blazewicz.  All the other comments were made by men. 

I was disappointed because I was hoping to connect with more women. I am active with the U.S. Committee for UN Women, however, their and my focus has primarily been on women in other countries.  I felt very isolated at this time and frightened by the amount of restrictive anti-choice legislation (by the thousands) being introduced (and now law) in so many states and the lack of response to these attacks.  What I didn’t know, at almost that exact time, another woman in Michigan felt like I did.  

 
UniteWomen.org was created on February 19, 2012 by Karen Teegarden out of her frustration from legislative attacks across the country targeting women.   When a hearing on birth control was convened and not one single woman was on it, that was the last straw for Karen.  She created the group “Unite Against the War on Women” and groups for every state across the country.  In just ten weeks, the frustration of thousands and thousands of women and men culminated in 55 protest marches and rallies across the country on the same day.

Since then, those groups have become the newest face of the women's movement.  UniteWomen.org is the first women's movement in the U.S. to be born on Facebook with a reach of over 20 million people and has more than 250 Facebook groups where they work, strategize, and organize.  They utilize Google Hangout for their board, executive, regional and state meetings as well as training and every day tasks. They also have monthly awareness campaigns, register voters, provide voter education, and fight back in state legislatures across the country as well as the U.S. Senate and House to bring the voices of millions to the halls of our Legislative Branch.

In addition, women from UniteWomen.org groups across the country have moved on to become Representatives in their state legislatures, like the amazing Jan Schmidt who won the election in New Hampshire and was the former UniteWomen.org State Director of New Hampshire.   Allison Tant Richard, who is part of UniteWomen.org – Florida, has just been elected Chair of the Florida Democratic Party.  UniteWomen.org has women who are gearing up to run for office all over the country in local and state elections, and they are working on finding women for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.  They have activists who spend hours each week calling and meeting with legislators across the country and they are a force to be reckoned with on Twitter through their various Twitter Bombing campaigns they unleash on politicians to hold them accountable for what they say and do.

While many see Social Media as just a passive tool to post kids pics on or those of cute little kittens and puppies – UniteWomen.org has very effectively leveraged Social Media as the tool of a Revolution. 

In July of 2012, I was looking to form my own group.  While searching Google to see if the name I came up with was already taken, I came across UniteWomen.org.  I couldn’t believe my luck!  UniteWomen.org is way beyond what I was looking to create, already up and running, and more importantly, effective!   I signed on to the New Jersey Facebook group.  Shortly after, I was asked to be the State Director for New Jersey, and later Regional Director for the Northeast.  I found a place where I belong and feel empowered to help make the changes needed to ensure my daughter will grow up to have at least the same rights I was entitled to.   Recently, when I became the National Director of Outreach, I was asked to name my replacement for State Director.  I did and was delighted when Peggy Devlin Blazewicz accepted!   

To learn more go to http://www.unitewomen.org

If you would like to join UniteWomen.org-NJ go to: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/UniteWomenNJ

You can also follow us on Twitter: @UniteWomenOrg  (National)

                                                   @UniteWomenNJ     (New Jersey)

You can watch us on YouTube: UniteWomen