AGENDA #3a(2)

2006 WOMEN’S AGENDA ASSEMBLY

On October 12, 2006, the Orange County Commission for Women (CFW) and the Department of Human Rights and Relations, in collaboration with North Carolina Women United and other Orange County women’s organizations, hosted the 2006 Orange County Women’s Agenda Assembly at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

This event was open to residents of Orange and surrounding counties and provided a venue in which issues affecting women were discussed and prioritized.  Speakers addressed six major topics and they were as follows:

Rep. Verla Insko addressed Access to Health Care
Ms. Katushka Olave addressed Child Care
Ms. Molly Beachum addressed Civic Participation and Equality
Ms. Erin Byrd addressed Economic Self-Sufficiency
Dr. Barbara Chapman addressed Education
Ms. Chimi Boyd addressed Violence Against Women

The Assembly was an open forum and participants were asked to discuss and prioritize the aforementioned topics.  Once prioritized, the prioritized list will be submitted to North Carolina Women United for presentation to the North Carolina Legislature during Advocacy Day 2007.

Eighty-five (85) people (including speakers and staff) attended this event.  The attendees prioritized the topics in the following descending order of importance:

#1 = Economic Self Sufficiency
#2 = Access to Health Care
#3 = Education
#4 = Child Care
#5 = Violence Against Women
#6 = Civic Participation & Equality

From Evaluation Form responses regarding the Assembly, the attendees voiced appreciation for the Assembly, i.e., an opportunity to discuss women issues; found the facility (Southern Human Services Center) an ideal venue to host the Assembly; was pleased with the organization of the Assembly; and thought the food was a palatable delight.