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Barnard College Hosts Discussion October 27 on Young Women and Voting
New York, NY-- What issues must the presidential candidates address this election season if they want to reach young unmarried women, 22 million of whom did not vote in the last presidential election? This important and timely question will be the subject of discussion on Wednesday, October 27, by political experts hosted by the Barnard College Center for Research on Women.
Sponsored by The Barnard Center for Research on Women, The National Council for Research on Women and The White House Project, the panel on "Young Women and the Election" will include New York City Councilwoman Annabel Palma, Tracy Sturdivant of The White House Project, April Osajima of Girls, Inc., Kalpana Krishnamurthy of the Third Wave Foundation, Jamia Wilson of Planned Parenthood, and Gigi Georges of the Glover Park Group. The discussion will be moderated by Alison Brower of Glamour magazine and will take place at 7 p.m. in the Altschul Atrium . The Barnard campus is located at 3009 Broadway at West 117 th Street.
A recent study conducted by the polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research Inc. showed that there were almost 22 million unmarried women who were eligible to vote in 2000 but did not. The same poll also showed that unmarried women have the power to decide elections: if unmarried women had voted at the same rate as married women, there would have been six million more voters.
The discussion will explore what issues are important to young women in this election, and how the candidates can direct their campaigns to address the concerns of young women. Other questions that will be addressed: What are the obstacles that prevent young people, particularly young women, from becoming involved in politics? What can activist young women do to mobilize their peers across the nation?
Alison Brower is deputy features editor at Glamour , and has provided editorial direction for articles about women and politics, including the magazine's efforts to highlight the problem of young women's poor voting record through a study by pollster Anna Greenberg, who found unmarried women think of themselves as "individually powerful, not collectively powerful." Glamour also hosted an event last spring on this topic, featuring Alexandra and Vanessa Kerry, daughters of John Kerry; John Edwards' daughter, Cate Edwards; Senator Joe Lieberman's daughter, Rebecca Lieberman; and Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter, Liz Cheney.
Gigi Georges is president of The Glover Park Group's New York office and has an extensive background in political strategy and education policy. She most recently served as communications director for the New York City Department of Education. Georges has worked as state director for Senator Hillary Clinton (2001-2002) and as a Special Assistant to the President in the Clinton/Gore Administration. Georges was also Executive Director for the New York State Democratic Committee and has worked on a number of political campaigns.
Annabel Palma was elected to the City Council to represent the 18 th Council District in the Bronx in September 2003. A single mother, Palma began as a certified nursing assistant and in 1994 was elected union representative by her coworkers. In 1999, she became a full-time union organizer at the healthcare union 1199/SEIU where she trained union members on health and safety issues. She is a member of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus.
Tracy Sturdivant , national organizing director of The White House Project (WHP), helps coordinate WHP's "Vote, Run, Lead" initiative, an effort to increase the number of women who run for political office. Before joining WHP, Sturdivant managed the signature outreach programs of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
April Osajima is public policy director of Girls, Inc., a national research, education, and direct advocacy organization for young women. Girls, Inc. creates programs that encourage girls' participation in sports, leadership, and education.
Kalpana Krishnamurthy , co-director of the Third Wave Foundation, helped plan the fifth annual Making Money Make Change Gathering (MMMC), a program that helps young activists direct their financial resources toward programs for progressive social change. She also served as the national organizer for the Ms. Foundation's Take Our Daughters to Work Program.
Jamia Wilson , an outreach associate for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, graduated from American University in 2002 and now works with Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood, a program encouraging social engagement of young pro-choice Americans. She was involved with April 2004's March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C., which drew over a million people. Wilson focuses on campus outreach and collaborates with many colleges and universities nationwide.
Contact: Petra Tuomi, 212-854-7907, ptuomi@barnard.edu
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