CWI programs focus on public policy issues of concern to women. Each meeting is devoted to a specific topic, presented by two or more speakers drawn from the wealth of expertise in the Washington DC area and beyond. 

Meetings usually take place on the 4th Tuesday of every month from noon – 1pm except July, August and December.

Informal Q & A follows presentations. Speakers may include representatives from academic, government, professional and advocacy organizations.

Past Programs Video and Supporting Materials:

October 25: “Our Endangered Voting Rights – Protecting, Strengthening and Expanding” with Dr. Kimberly S. Adams, Meredith Sumpter, Cynthia Richie Terrell, Joan Porte

• Resource – PDF of Powerpoint Presentation “Controversies in Voting Rights with works cited slide”: by Dr. Kimberly S. Adams

June 2025 – “Understanding and Counteracting Threats to Reproductive Rights” with Laurel Sakai and Kirsten Moore

• Resource – video “Abortion Pills: U.S. History and Politics” – Author Carrie N. Baker

April  2025 – “What are we losing in the federal cuts and how can we get it back?” with Sue Klein, Nancy Altman, Leighton Ku

• From Leighton Ku:
  How Potential Federal Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP Could Trigger the Loss of a Million-Plus Jobs, Reduced Economic Activity, and Less State Revenue (Commonwealth Fund, Mar. 2025).
• The Cost of Eliminating the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits: Economic, Employment, and Tax Consequences. Commonwealth Fund. Mar. 3, 2025

February 2025-“Attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): Efforts to Maintain and Fight Back” with Jeanette Lim Esbrook, Jocelyn Samuels, Janice Mathis

Press release: EEOC Commissioner Samuels filed a lawsuit challenging her removal. 

October 2024 – “Building Feminist Political Power” with @emilyslist Christina Reynolds, @RepresentWomen Tamaya Dennard, @FemMajority Linda Berg, @NWPCNational Karen Humphrey

• From Karen Humphrey – Resources to “Do Something” for Feminist Women Candidates
• Overview for CWI – Building Feminist Political Power – Sources

 September2024 – “ARE WE READY FOR THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION?” with ALICE CLAPMAN @BrennanCenter and COLIN SEEBERGER @amprog

From Liz Howard – 2024.09.24 – CWI Presentation.pptx

From Colin Seeberger – Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues Project 2025

June2024 – “Changes and Challenges in the 2024 Title IX Regulations”
With Rebecca Amadi @GLSEN, Shiwali Patel @NWLC, Karen Truszkowski @ssaisorg, Jeanette Lim Esbrook #TitleIX

Summary and chart of the Title IX rule changes that NWLC developed

May2024-“Celebrating Sex Ed for All Month: Getting the Facts of Life” with @SIECUS Christine Soyong Harley and @AdvocatesTweets Nora Gelperin

Sex Ed Resources and Toolkits for K-12 students:

The Truth about Sex Education – What’s Actually Taught and When
https://futureofsexed.org
https://amaze.org
https://3rs.org
https://siecus.org/action-center/
https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/

Apr 2024-“Why Feminists Should Fight Christian Nationalism”with @kathsstewart Katherine Stewart and @americansunited @AndrewLSeidel, who are both featured in @godcountrymovie

Resources from Presenters and Attendees:

1. From Katherine Stewart : BJC summary with report link & release event links about Christian Nationalism & the January 6, 2021 Insurrection  
2. Andrew Seidel’s reading list to help people understand Christian Nationalism
3. Recent Movies about Christian Nationalism:  
   Bad Faith
   God & Country  – The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism by Katherine Stewart formed the basis of God & Country, produced by Rob and Michele Reiner. Stewart’s forthcoming book will be published by Bloomsbury in January 2025.
4. Organization that supports healthy discussions across the “aisle.” https://braverangels.org/

Mar 2024-Celebrating 50th Anniversaries: Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues, Ms. Magazine & Other Feminist Orgs with Eleanor Smeal, Katherine Spillar, Anne Martin, Estelle Mitchell, Melvina Ford, Marty Langelan, Karen Humphrey, and more of our sisters

*Affirming known sister orgs also celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2024 ! @WomensSportsFdn @EqualRightsAdv @womensday @MANANational @APAdiv35 @AFGENational

Feb 2024-Rethinking Women’s Political Power: Recognizing and Overcoming Challenges to Incumbents, Candidates, Voters and Election Officers with Dr. Kelly Dittmar and Dr. Maya Kornberg

• PDF version of Kornberg’s presentation
• PDF version of Dittmar’s presentation

Resource Sheet For Fighting the Intimidation of Voters and Election Officers:

1. Brennan Center Reports on Intimidation of Office Holders, Election Workers and Voters 
   Intimidation of Voters and Election Workers Resource Guide- https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voter-intimidation-and-election-worker-intimidation-resource-guide
2. Another Barrier to Latino Representation: Intimidation of Election Officials—https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/another-barrier-latino-representation-intimidation-election-officials
3. Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders  https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/intimidation-state-and-local-officeholders 
4. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Know Your Rights: Voter Intimidation https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_pdf_file/kyr-voterintimidation-v03.pdf 
5. Georgetown Law School, Fact Sheet: Protecting Against Voter Intimidation https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/10/Voter-Intimidation-Fact-Sheet.pdf
6. Advancement Project, What to Do if You Experience Intimidation at the Polls https://advancementproject.org/what-to-do-if-you-experience-intimidation-at-the-polls/
7. United States Election Assistance Commission, Security Resources for Election Officials https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-official-security
8. Brookings Institution, One Way to Protect Female Election Officials from Harassment https://www.brookings.edu/articles/one-way-to-protect-female-election-officials-from-harassment/

Jan 2024 Meeting: Reforming the Federal Judiciary: Expand the Supreme Court, Limit Terms, Restore Legitimacy with Chris Kang and Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza

Oct 2023 Meeting: “The National Women’s Health Network with a focus on Mifepristone”with Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth, Kristen Batstone, and Laura Tucker

• PDF version of Mifepristone presentation
• https://www.chatwithcharley.org/
• https://www.plancpills.org/

Sep 2023 Program: “Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Centennial Convention: A Multigenerational Push in Seneca Falls” with Zakiya Thomas, Lisa Sales, Claudia Nachega and Connie Cordovilla, Holly Joseph. Thank you Loretto Gubernatis for over 20 hours of videography and editing!

June 2023 Program: “When Will Women’s Voices Be Heard? When Will the Equal Rights Amendment Be Implemented?” with Holly Joseph, Eleanor Smeal, and Nicole Vorrasi Bates

• Shattering Glass recommended actions
• Seneca Falls Centennial Convention July 21-22, 2023 
• National Women’s Political Caucus Biennial Convention Aug 10-13, 2023
• Sign the Petition for ERA! (sign4era.org)
• Sign another Petition for ERA! (eracoalition.org)

May 2023 Program: “The Importance of the Separation of Church and State for Feminists”  Co-sponsored with Americans United

April 2023 Program: “Fighting Attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” Co-sponsored with African American Policy Forum (AAPF)   

• FREEDOMTOLEARN.NET

March 2023 Program: “Updates on DC Women’s History Museums and Sites to Visit in the DC Area”

• Information about March 30, 2023 exhibition opening of National Women’s History Museum: https://events.womenshistory.org/even…
• New US quarter coins feature women – https://www.womenshistory.org/search?…
• Women’s History Tour of Washington, D.C. sites (Walking tour) – https://www.theclio.com/tour/386
• Book – 111 Places in Women’s History in Washington, DC that You Must Not Miss (www.111places.com)

February 2023 – “Impacts of COVID-19 on Women’s Employment and Their Work Life Balance”

Resources mentioned by presenters:

• The Effect of COVID-19 on Women’s
  Employment and Their Work-Life Balance Presentation Slides
• BEARING THE COST: HOW OVERREPRESENTATION IN UNDERVALUED JOBS
  DISADVANTAGED WOMEN DURING THE PANDEMIC

January 2023-“Identifying and Protecting U.S. Reproductive Rights After the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision”

Resources mentioned by presenters:

• Different state laws in an ‘Interactive Map: US Abortion Policies and Access After Roe’ 
• PPAV LinkTree

October 2022 – “Having a Say in Federal & State Policies: Strategies to Elect Feminists” 

Resources mentioned by presenters:

• 2022 Asian American Voter Survey
• Women’s survey from the National Asian Pacific American women’s forum
• Abortion and Equal Rights Are Top Drivers of Young Women’s Vote in Battleground States 

Resources for the AA & NH/PI community for voting – 

• Multilingual voter hotline or Call 1-888-API-VOTE (1-888-274-8683)
• APAICS In Conversation with League of Women Voter’s CEO Virginia Kase Solomón 

June 2022 – “The Future of Gender Equity in Education After 50 Years of Title IX”

Resources mentioned by presenters:

• NWLC Fact Sheet about Inclusion of Trans & Intersex Students in School Sports
• NWLC Disinformation Fact sheet about Title IX & Sexual Harassment
• NWLC Explains Trump administration’s changes to the Title IX rule made in 2020
• NWLC Research on Racist and Sexist Dress Codes
• NCWGE Title IX at 50 Report
• Peltier v Charter Day School en banc opinion

May 2022 – “Urging Sport Governance to Develop New Structures for Transgender Athletes, While Prioritizing Competitive Fairness and Safety for Females” – Part 1   Part 2

• Women’s Sports Policy Working Group presentation link-Hogshead-Makar
• Ross Tucker presentation to CWI transgender sport 5 24 2022

Apr 2022-“Plugging the School-To-Prison Pipeline/Stopping School Push-out” 

• NWLC presentation deck

Mar 2022-“Women and the US Judiciary”   

• Supreme Court Nominations Process Flowchart (The Leadership Conference Education Fund)
• Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson fact sheet (The Leadership Conference Education Fund)

Feb 2022 -“Black Women’s Health, Wealth and Wellness”

Jan 2022 – “Combatting Women’s Health and Wealth Inequities”

Oct 2021 – “The Challenges and Future for Afghan Women and Girls”

• ICAN Clearinghouse on Womens Issues presentation deck

Sep 2021-Redistricting, Gerrymandering and Voting Rights

June 2021-Celebrate Title IX’s 49th Birthday-Reintroducing Gender Equity Educ. Act-in 117th Congress

May 2021-“Update on Global Gender Issues- a Strategy for Progress, D.C. for CEDAW: The Time is Now!”-

• The United Nations Association of the National Capital Area is collecting signatures until June 4, 2021 on behalf of an organization or as an individual.
• DC for CEDAW offers a pathway towards progress. Review the one-pager about the initiative & the national Cities for CEDAW movement here. 
• Review the sign-on letter here:
• We welcome your signature on behalf of an organization or as an individual; to sign, please fill out this form.
• Cities For CEDAQ Gender Equity Toolkit
• DC for CEDAW (UNANCA Vayser CWI presentation slides 5-25-2021)

April 2021-“First 100 Days of Biden/Harris Administration: Accomplishments, Challenges and Issues”

• Resources on the Title IX rule: NWLC’s explainer on the DeVos rule
• Resources on NWLC website about the rule
• Letter NWLC sent to the Biden-Harris transition team in December 2020
• IWPR Hegewisch Biden First 100 Days slides
• First 100 Days Presentation – Grimes-Festge

March 2021-“Next Steps in Creating the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum”

Feb 2021-“Wise Aging – Living with Joy, Resilience, and Spirit”

Jan 2021- “Successful Collaboration in Feminist Women’s Organizations: How Much Is Racism at Play?

Nov 17, 2020: Video version    AUDIO ONLY version: November 2020: Feminist Priorities in the Biden/Harris Administration (Audio only)

Oct 27, 2020: Video: “The Electoral College: Perils & Possibilities for the 2020 Presidential Election”

Sep 22, 2020: “Get Out the Vote Strategies for Special Constituencies to Promote High and Diverse Voter Turnout” with Christine Chen, Eleanor Smeal, Janice Mathis, Alice Cohan, Megan Corrado, RBG Tribute by Jeanette Lim Esbrook, Holly Joseph.

June 25, 2020:   Video: “How CWI Member Organizations are Changing with the Covid-19 Pandemic”

May 26, 2020:  Video:”Getting ERA in the U.S. Constitution” 

March & April 2020 canceled due to COVID-19

February 25, 2020: Video: “Does Gender Matter in Elections? Moving Beyond Gender Bias in Electing Feminist Candidates”  with Elyse Shaw @IWPResearch , Monique Alcala @RockTheVote , Janice Mathis @NCNWHQ    Mathis’ Powerpoint: Women of Color in Politics

January 2020: Video:  “Views of Prostitution in the U.S. from the Civil War to Today-Sheryl Williams”, Video:  Soiled Doves  Video: “Views of Prostitution in the U.S. from the Civil War to Today-Toni Van Pelt”

YouTube PLAYLISTS FOR CWI Programs

1. Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues (CWI) Programs includes 107 videos as of September 2025 including post 2020
2. CWI Tribute to Dr. Bernice Bunny Sandler
3. Herstory includes videos about Women To Know, Produced, filmed, and edited by Loretto Gubernatis, including some of CWI’s Board members such as Jeanette Lim Esbrook and Sue Klein
4. CWI PRESENTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CWI by Hanburycross – (includes 34 videos as of September 2025) contains pre-2020 videos Produced, filmed, and edited by Loretto Gubernatis, including Seneca Falls ERA convention from 2023
5. CLEARINGHOUSE ON WOMEN’S ISSUES presents over 40 years Strong (includes 50 videos as of September 2025) contains pre-2020 videos Produced, filmed, and edited by Loretto Gubernatis, including Seneca Falls ERA convention from 2023 

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