Annual Meeting 2025
Join us in Newport, October 3rd to 5th, 2025. Board elections, social events, and a focus on one of our core issues: violence against women.
NOW Condemns Missouri Health Department Clinic Decision
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) rejected the license application of the only abortion provider in the state. Judge Michael F. Stelzer of the Missouri Circuit Court in St. Louis then ruled that his preliminary injunction to allow the clinic to continue to provide abortions remains in
Rhode Island Makes It Clear — Abortion Care Is Health Care
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt and Rhode Island NOW President Hilary Levey Friedman: WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Rhode Island legislature’s passage of a bill to codify Roe v. Wade, and Gov. Gina Raimondo’s swift signing of the measure, puts Rhode Island in the vanguard of states that are confronting the real threat to reproductive rights and
NOW Commemorates Juneteenth, Asserts Importance of Intersectional Feminism
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the National Organization for Women celebrates Juneteenth, commemorating the day 154 years ago when Texan slaves learned that the Civil War was won and they were free. On June 19, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Major General Gordon Granger and his
Commercialized Surrogacy Exploits Women
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON, D.C. — Altruistic, non-commercial surrogacy is often utilized to help LGBTQIA+ couples and women struggling with fertility to build their families. While this practice has the support of NOW, we caution against legalization of commercialized surrogacy, which is currently being considered in New York State Assembly. Commercial surrogacy
Abortion Care in Missouri is Protected For Now
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Judge Michael F. Stelzer of the Missouri Circuit Court in St. Louis issued a preliminary injunction allowing the only remaining clinic providing abortion care in the state to continue operating through June 21st. NOW celebrates this victory for abortion rights, which, at least temporarily,
National Organization for Women Observes Moms Equal Pay Day
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON, D.C. — This June 10th, NOW recognizes both the 56th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act as well as Mom’s Equal Pay Day. While the Equal Pay Act helped to narrow the wage gap, the data still demonstrates that women face pay discrimination, especially if they are
Joe Biden Must Renounce His Support for the Hyde Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Biden likes to say that he “gets it,” but he’s way out of touch when it comes to the Hyde Amendment. His shocking announcement that he still supports Hyde is unacceptable and unsupportable. He needs to renounce his past support for the Hyde Amendment and put forward policies to correct the
NOW Demands Access to Abortion Care For Women in Missouri
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt and Missouri NOW President Freda Mckee: WASHINGTON, D.C. — The draconian abortion ban signed into law by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson would criminalize abortions performed during or after the eighth week of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. As we’ve seen in other states where anti-abortion
NOW Denounces Health Care Rule, Urges Protection for LGBTQIA+ Patients
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON, D.C. – In yet another alarming proposed rule from the Trump-Pence administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks to gut portions of the Health Care Rights Law, otherwise known as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. This was the the first law to prohibit
State-by-State Attacks on Women’s Constitutional Rights Must Stop; National Organization for Women Launches Petition
Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt: We’ve seen the frightening headlines from around the country, with state after state enacting 20- week abortion bans, six-week abortion bans and egregious laws that harm women’s health clinics. A legislator in Texas went to the most extreme measure of proposing a bill that would actually give women the death