Women eye advocacy agenda

Access to health care, pay equity and aging are the most important issues facing women in the county, according to an agenda passed by members of the Orange County Women's Agenda Assembly on Thursday night.

Representatives from organizations in the county and surrounding areas attended the assembly at Cedar Ridge High School to look at issues presented in the draft agenda of N.C. Women United, a statewide advocacy organization supporting equal rights for women.

Those in attendance at the assembly decided on the three most important issues out of the 13 addressed in the organization's draft agenda.

"The agenda assembly is an opportunity for women of Orange County to come together and discuss women's issues, and specifically how they affect the women of Orange County," said Caroline Wood, vice chairwoman of the Orange County Commission for Women.

The assembly was an inviting way for women to get involved at the most local level, she added.

Wood said women often get diverted by what is happening nationally and forget they have a voice at the local and state levels.

The assembly began with a speech from Ann Johnson, an advocate on issues related to aging.

"To see the kind of cooperative activity of women representing a variety of issues come together and fashion a priority agenda was a very rewarding experience," she said.

Various experts spoke to the crowd about each of the issues listed in the agenda.

After a vote yielding the assembly's top five issues, members broke into small discussion groups, each led by a facilitator. Another vote then was held, narrowing those issues to the top three.

The group's picks reflect new attitudes about the broadening definition of women's issues, Wood said, as well as the belief that women have the power to create change.

A generation ago, not many women thought it was in their power to effect change in these issues, she said.

But today, Wood added, women are increasingly aware of their power to bring about change.

"I think that so many of the issues we are dealing with tonight are related to each other," said Margaret Barrett, executive director of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center.

The assembly was a great way for people with different perspectives on issues to come together, and provided women with a greater awareness of how they can affect public policy, she added.

Emily Adams, director of education for the central North Carolina chapter of Planned Parenthood, said that the event involved many issues that affect women and families and offered participants the chance to hear other people's opinions.

"I think what's really great about the assembly is it allows us to delve a little bit deeper in the issues," Adams said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.