Mainely NOW Vol. 1, No. 1 (August 1973)
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The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Maine Women's Publications - All Publications Spring 8-1-1973 Mainely NOW vol. 1, no. 1 (August 1973) Mainely Girls Staff Mainely Girls Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/maine_women_pubs_all Part of the Women's History Commons Repository Citation Staff, Mainely Girls, "Mainely NOW vol. 1, no. 1 (August 1973)" (1973). Maine Women's Publications - All. 506. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/maine_women_pubs_all/506 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine Women's Publications - All by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MAINELY NATIONAL organization NOW FOR WOMen Vol. I, no. 1 August 1973 Coalition Builds Equal Rights Day Governor again proclaims for ERA Aug. 26 Equal Rights Day CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER Festivities sponsored by Maine To press for ratification of the NOW Chapters will be held at Equal Rights Amendment which lost the new air-conditioned Civic last year in Maine by one vote In Center ( immediately visible the Senate, a coalition of citizen when you take the Augusta- groups is being formed. On Aug. 5 Belgrade exit on the Turnpike) representatives from several organ from liOO to 5*30» Aug. 26. izations met with the Maine NOW State Steering Committee in Augusta Art work and crafts will be to plan a State ERA conference in exhibited in the lobby and halls September. (bring "S* hooks for hanging). To reserve tables for displays Ratification details, speakers, (doors open at noon for exhibi workshops, literature, and strate tors) please phone 772-87^3« gy were discussed in an effort to Participants may opt for $5 a avoid duplication. table or 10^ of sales paid to Maine NOW ERA. The Informal coalition presently includes contact with the following At 3i00 p.m. in the auditorium groupsi Common Cause, League of the MYTH AMERICA Contest will Women Voters, Maine Women's Poli feature take-offs or put-ons of tical Caucus, Business and Profes advertisements (Ultra-brlte) and sional Women, Association of Ameri common stereotypic attitudes can University Women, Maine Civil (women are bad drivers) depicted Liberties Union, Equal Opportun in costume and sign. Prizes award ity for Women, Unitarian-Universal1st ed» detailst 772-87^3. Ministers, Church Women United, Re publican and Democratic Parties, A DIAMOND IS A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND? Bath-Brunswick Women's Center^ Bangor WomenCenter, Human Rights Commis At 5«30 an all-state women's team sion, and the Governor's Advisory will meet the Augusta JayCees in Council on the Status of Women. a seven inning softball thriller at the Mount Vernon Field (one mile A further meeting was scheduled for towards Augusta from the Civic Aug. 26, 12i00 a.m., Civic Center Center-same road). Donation« $1 auditorium, Augusta. per person; kids free. Savings and Loans and other mortgage lenders generally refuse to count even part of a married GRA DAY woman’s Income when considering a home mortgage. The theory is that the wife might get pregnant COMMITTEE or, for other reasons, decide to quit work, leaving her husband unable to meet the monthly pay Co-ordinators ;Marily n Andersen- ments. The fear is not support Richard; Linda Hamelin, So. ed—in fact, it is contradicted— Windham. by studies of mortgage delinquen Contest; Bobby St. Jean, Gorham cies. Exhibition; Rommy Brown, Stratton; Marti Strunk, Farmington Auto Insurers often refuse to Publicity; Alysan Delaney, Port sell collision Insurance to land. divorced women, not because they have higher acoident rates— they don’t—but because the companies believe, without see it NOW any factual evidence, that juries will vote against dlv- vorcees In accident cases. The following areas of discrim The Armed Forces require ination are reprinted from the women recruits to be better New York Times, July 29» 1973« educated, on the average, than men, and to score higher on The two-mcome married couple various tests. But once they pays more in Social Security are in the service, women get £axes than the one-worker fam fewer promotions and less ily with the same income, but specialized training. it gets less back when the hus band and wife retire. The tax laws discriminate against the working couple, Only 48 per cent of the back pay when compared with a one-in that has been found to be owed to come family with the same in women because of violations of come, or when compared with the Equal Pay Act has ever been two single persons with the paid, partly because courts have same combined income. sometimes reduced the awards, but mostly for reasons Govern Unemployment compensation can ment officals could not explain. not be paid to pregnant women in most states, even If they On the average, women live siU are laid off for reasons un years longer than men. But the related to the pregnancy, and insurance industry charges women are still willing and able to for life insurance as if they work. only live three years longer. The office of Federal Contract Compliance, which is supposed to make sure that Government con tractors do not discriminate against women or minorites, has Euwpe? S/ick^r no women in professional posi tions, in any of Its fields. "ERA for Me.!" 3 The survey is a first step towards the preparation of a booklet to be published on task force/ women's health services. The questionnaires are also avail able for anyone who might want to make a similar survey in The National NOW Task Force on another county. MARRIAGE, FAMILY RELATIONS & DIVORCE is urging chapters to Contact! Audrey Isakson make a survey of the marital RFD #1 Box 164 courts in their state showing Wells, 04090 the ratio of divorces to en forcement matters. “As all unsupported divorced and separ ated women know, the states are forcing them onto AFDC because divorce and enforce tyfatle-On ment are going in opposite directions. ** Anyone interested in partici Why ERA died in the Senate pating in such a survey please As everyone knows, the Maine Senate failed to pass contact the Bangor Chapter for the Equal Rights Amendment for the third time. I was a detailed plan of procedure. present in the Senate each time it was debated, and I Natalie Smith (945-5030) thought your readers might be interested in the reasoning of opponents of the bill. SPORTSi Greater Portland NOW The primary reason seemed to be that, although has challenged the Little League’s women are soft warm, gentle creatures whose only desire right to federal funds and has in life is to raise babies, they will immediately upon monitored the sports expendi gaining equality, change into raging caricatures of men, throwing their children into day care centers while they tures in Portland public schools. make a frenzied stampede to get the almighty dollar, tak Further Information is needed ing jobs away from poor helpless men who couldn’t hon from all parts of Maine. orably fight back because women are ladies. Another reason was that the Senate was tired of it The chapter is also looking for all. Women wrote too many letters, but didn’t write students and parents willing to enough. They telephoned too much, but they should have challenge the distribution of taxes, called more. They lobbied in Augusta so little that the unequal facilities, and exclusion Senators hid when they saw the women coming. They were far too radical in their demands, but they weren’t of women from some sports, eg. radical enough. At the same time they were much too cross-country, under Title IX of ladylike while not acting like ladies. They were much too the Higher Education Act of 1972. loud, but they should have been louder. The fourth reason was the old standard,.. .God made Contact« Lois Reokitt woman from Adam’s rib, etc. 38 Myrtle Avenue So the Senate in its wisdom elected to protect society So. Portland 04106 from the unmentionable horror of equality for women. 799-8744 Besides, think of all the work involved in changing the 16 odd Maine Laws (as stated by a gentleman proponant in HEALTH! The Kennebunk Chapter the House) that would be affected by this Amendment! It would be too much to ask! Pennsylvania has some 300 has developed a questionnaire laws to change, but they are already working on it. in order to survey the health I’m sure my great-grandchildren will dissolve into services available, or not avail tears of laughter as I tell them how Maine almost gave able, to women in York County. Any its women the right to be a person. I hope I’ll be able to one wishing to fill out a question laugh, too. naire or to distribute them, particu FRANCES CAREY-HARRIMAN larly in the western part of the Scarborough county may call Audrey Isakson, 646-7431. MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM July 15, 1973 now Qi ■h'ttf.A 1869 "At the time statehood (Wyoming) was applied for, a determined opposition was made in Congress to the admission of a territory with a woman suffrage clause in its Constitution. So violent was the feeling, that the territorial delegate in Congress, Joseph M. Carey, now Governor of the State, telegraphed the Leg islature that he feared statehood would not be granted if the suffrage clause were not abandoned. The Legislature which was then in session, telegraphed backi ’We will remain out of the Union a hundred years, rather than come in without woman suffrage*•* p.