Starts:

Friday March 06, 2026

    11:30 AM

Ends:

    2:00 PM

Let’s bring the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into the Constitution. Join us to hear an inspiring panel of leading advocates to discuss where we are now—and how we move the ERA forward. 

Women’s right to vote required more than a century of relentless advocacy before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, and today, that hard-won progress demands continued protection. The ERA is needed now more than ever to ensure that full equality under the law—including voting rights—is never rolled back. Having met all constitutional requirements for ratification, the ERA stands as the 28th Amendment awaiting formal recognition. 

We’ll learn more from former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, sponsor of the ERA Ratification Act; Kim Villanueva, president of the National Organization for Women (NOW); Kathy Bonk, activist and writer; and Jeryl Schriever, author. We are honored to welcome a special guest: Ellie Smeal, founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation and a pioneering leader in the feminist movement. Be part of the conversation. Be part of history! 

EVENT DETAILS: 

• Remarks and Q&A, in-person and via Zoom. 

• 11:30 a.m. cash bar opens, 12:15 p.m. lunch (optional), 1–2 p.m. program. 

• $10 lecture or Zoom only, $30 members and $40 guests for lunch (plus tax). 

Maloney is the Eleanor Roosevelt Distinguished Leader in Residence at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. She represented New York in Congress from 1993 to 2023, where she was a leading advocate for the ERA, women’s rights, consumer protection, and government accountability. She was the first woman to chair both the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Joint Economic Committee, and authored landmark legislation including the Credit CARD Act and the Debbie Smith Act. She now leads ERA advocacy efforts through ERA NOW and serves as NOW’s New York State president. 

Villanueva is a longtime feminist leader who, over nearly four decades, has served as NOW’s president, Illinois state president, and chair of its National Elections Committee. She co-founded NOW’s Asian-American Pacific Islander Caucus, helping to advance landmark legislation including ERA ratification, reproductive health protections, and marriage equality. In July 2025, she was elected president of NOW by one of the largest margins in the organization’s history. She is NOW’s first Asian American president and first out lesbian CEO. 

Bonk is a communications strategist and women’s rights advocate. A founding member of JAWS and co-founder of the Communications Consortium Media Center, she has advanced media and policy change initiatives for decades. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, written for Ms. magazine, and co-authored "The Jossey-Bass Guide to Strategic Communications for Nonprofits." 

Schriever is an automotive historian and who authored "Driving the Vote for Women: An American Journey for Suffrage." which chronicles the first women to drive across the country and back.  

For non-member event reservations: please email pfitzgerald@democraticwoman.org or telephone 202-232-7363 Ext. 402 (voicemails will also be accepted).

*Please note: Guests, with the exception of members’ spouses and domestic partners, may attend a maximum of three paid events from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. After the third event, they must join the Club to continue attending events.* 

Please note: By attending a WNDC event, participants agree to being recorded and/or photographed, and the resulting assets may be used for promotional purposes. Should you wish not to be recorded or photographed, please notify a member of the WNDC staff on site.