On March 12, 2011, The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology presented the first Brigit Award for Excellence in the Arts to Layne Redmond at their East Coast Symposium. The goal of the organization is to promote scholarship and arts dealing with aspects of sacred female myths and archetypes.

Layne Redmond is an internationally recognized percussionist known for performances, teaching, and scholarship of the frame drum. As Andy Doerschuk says of her work  (Drum! Magazine, Feb. 2000):

"From ancient times and distant civilizations, drumming and chanting have been bundled together as one of the single-most potent ways to reach spiritual transcendence. Few Westerners have studied and refined these practices with the fervor shown by Layne Redmond's work as a performer, ritualist and historian.

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Sociologist Meg Bowman was named the "Humanist Heroine of the Year" by the American Humanist Association at their annual conference in June. You can hear part of Meg's speech in this AHA podcast. Look for episode #52.
Be sure to check out her new book, "Courageous Women," in our Store!

December 3, 2010

There are significant “if’s”, but I feel hope that the Senate’s “lame duck” session could find enough bi-partisanship to ratify the women’s treaty, after 30 years of us working on this!  Since WOMUUNWEB has given continuing coverage of this issue throughout the years, I will only add that it looks like we women of the United States would most gain clout to close the pay gap, reduce domestic violence and stop trafficking if CEDAW, the U.N. Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women treaty, were ratified for our use.  We would gain more strategies from the blueprint this women’s treaty gives.  Now, as we follow the news of this treaty going to the Senate floor for a vote, we must keep in mind that the Senators have to deal with the START treaty ratification first.

November 18, I was so glad I put in the effort to travel to the Dirkson Senate Office Building for the CEDAW hearing,   Arriving off the elevator into the large crowd (in two halls of the hearing room floor), delighted me almost to tears.  Such happily pitched music from female talk greeted me.  So many were so young!  And they all seemed to be excitedly expectant of the best outcome from the hearing.  I believed I truly belonged to the crowd’s flow of positive energy when I was given my “CEDAW 2010” sticker to wear.

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General Assembly 2008
Many of us were at the GA in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Here are some photos of our booth and from the Annual Gathering. Rev. Addae Watson conducted the opening service and Rev. Shirley Ranck was our keynote speaker.

We passed a budget, honored the women of Florida District in solidarity with their memorial to the Clearwater family's tragedy, and elected new co-conveners. We are seeking a Secretary to round out our core group. Contact me if you are interested in working in this volunteer capacity.

-- Gretchen


The purple banner at the bottom of the booth is the memorial to the Clearwater family. It will soon become a traveling memorial to raise awareness about issues related to domestic and sexual violence and violence against women. Stay tuned.

GA2008 Photo album HERE.

There is a short video from our GA2008 booth HERE.

Do you have photos to share? Please send them to our \n webweaver This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
GA2007 photos HERE.
GA2006 photos HERE.

November 17, 2010

Through two active memberships I have long held in the International Association of Liberal Religious Women, IALRW, and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, UUSC, I have had years of exposure to the importance of CEDAW in women’s lives around the world. My country of the United States’ needs for the CEDAW investment of fairness may have different realms of focus such as the pay gap between men and women’s work, but this women’s treaty’s definition for what discrimination against women is rings just as true.

[Helen Popenoe near photo center in red and gold] (photo copyright 2010 Jim Wells Phtotgraphy)

As I understand it from UUSC’s curriculum, “Gender Justice: Women’s Rights are Human Rights”, the definition is that it is any distinction or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rights.  Article Two mandates governmental condemnation of discrimination against women in all its forms and to ensure that national legal frameworks embody the principles of equality between men and women.

I will stand proud as a U.S. citizen when Senate ratification and the President’s signature shows the world how much we value women’s ability to contribute to the betterment of the lives of  humankind.

( IALRW, at age 100 years, is the oldest active, interfaith religious women’s organization in the world and UUSC, at age 66 years, is active in the world confronting political, cultural and economic oppression.)