ATLANTA – State Representative Regina Lewis-Ward (D-McDonough) recently served as a guest speaker for the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) annual conference earlier this month in Chicago. Rep. Lewis-Ward addressed hundreds of attendees and highlighted the role women have in protecting democracy.
“Women have suffered a net loss of 5.4 million jobs during the recession created by the pandemic,” said Rep. Lewis-Ward. “We are battling rising housing costs. We all watched many of the states that we live in roll back the clock on reproductive rights when the U.S. Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson. Needless to say, the attack on women’s lives is unprecedented. Saving democracy means saving women, and saving women will require each of us to step into our individual power to grow our power as a collective. We must not be deterred by the challenges that face us. We must support women at every level – women who have demonstrated they are willing to create a democracy that includes all of us.”
Rep. Lewis-Ward spoke during a PAC luncheon. She was joined by NOW President Christian F. Nunes, Vice President Bear Atwood, Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and others. The conference theme was “Save our Democracy – Vote for Womxn’s Lives,” and this is the first in-person convening for NOW in more than two years.
During her remarks, Representative Lewis-Ward called attention to the obstacles women face in the workforce, the adverse impact of the pandemic and efforts to protect reproductive rights. She challenged attendees to uphold the legacy of women activists of the past by continuing to fight for democracy and create progress for women. She also encouraged attendees to support women who can lead policy change within the halls of government.
The National Organization for Women is a membership-based advocacy group dedicated to defending women’s rights, advancing equality and combating injustice in all aspects of social, political and economic life. Since its founding in 1966, NOW has been on the frontlines of nearly every major advancement for women’s rights.
Representative Regina Lewis-Ward represents the citizens of District 109, which includes portions of Henry, Newton and Rockdale counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Banks & Banking and Interstate Cooperation committees.
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