With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Women Resume 30-Year-Old Agenda in Time for 2008

More than 600 people gathered in New York a few days ago to mark the 30th anniversary of a landmark women's activism event that left a long, unfinished agenda. A 10-point plan for the 2008 election campaigns looks to restart the momentum.

The Freedom on Our Terms conference at Hunter College in New York this past weekend drew about 600 people from 21 states and offered a glimpse at what a difference three decades can make.

Sponsored by more than 60 women's organizations, it was the first women's gathering to look back at Houston '77, the landmark National Women's Conference.

Held at a high point of the women's movement in the United States, Houston '77 marked the only time the federal government ever sponsored a gathering of women for equality. With $5 million in funding from Congress organizers drew more than 20,000, including three first ladies--Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.

This time only a few politicians made the event.
Read entire article at http://www.womensenews.org