Feminist Majority Foundation

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The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) is a feminist non-profit organization dedicated to “women’s equality, reproductive health and non-violence”^[1]. The name, Feminist Majority, comes from a 1986 Newsweek/Gallup public opinion poll in which 56% of women self-identified as feminists. President and founder Eleanor Smeal chose this name as a way to raise public consciousness that feminists are the majority of constituents.

Contents 1 History and Infrastructure 2 Research, Programs, and Educational Outreach 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History and Infrastructure

FMF was founded in 1987 by Eleanor Smeal, who served three terms with the National Organization for Women before founding the FMF and still is the president of the FMF. The Foundation is a research organization, a political body, and the publisher of Ms. magazine. The organization has offices in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, California.

[edit] Research, Programs, and Educational Outreach

Research is a key goal of the Feminist Majority Foundation. The Foundation supports, conducts, and publishes research pertaining to women, especially information relating to reproductive health rights, crimes against women domestically and abroad, and obstacles hindering women’s equality. It is the research-action model of the foundation that guides program development and success.

Several programs boast the FMF as their base including the National Center for Women and Policing & the FMF Education Equity Project. The National Center for Women and Policing (NCWP) promotes increasing the number and advancement of women in all ranks of law enforcement. The NCWP also strives to reduce domestic abuse against women, police brutality, use of excessive force and strengthen community policing. The FMF Education Equity Project provides resources about gender equity in sports and education as stipulated by Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. The Campus Choices program mobilizes young feminists by way of Feminist Majority Leadership Alliances (FMLAs). The FMLAs serve as networking and organizational tools for young feminists. The Campus Choices program centers around four choices that women have: Reproductive Choices, Career Choices, Leadership Choices, and Saving Choices. The FMF has programs on several hundred campuses which are coordinated by FMF Regional Coordinators.

The FMF has several campaigns and programs that deal with women’s reproductive rights domestically and abroad. They include the National Clinic Access Project, Campaign for Mifepristone, Campus Campaign (College and University Women), Global Reproductive Rights Campaign, Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls, Campaign to Get Early Contraception over the Counter, and Rock for Choice. Most notable among these campaigns is the 2004 March for Women’s Lives which boasted around 100,000 pro-choice demonstrators.

The FMF has led several successful political action campaigns, including their website which serves as an online source of feminist news and events. The site features opportunities for feminists to support local, national, and even international issues of social injustice effecting women. In addition to activism opportunities, the site also posts information to encourage feminists to network both for political action and in their careers.

The FMF became the publisher of Ms. magazine in 2001. Founded in 1972 by political activist and feminist Gloria Steinem, Ms. has produced pertinent and timely articles on the conditions of women in the United States and Abroad. Most notably, Ms. produced information on the situation of women in Afghanistan before the US invasion, as well as the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito amidst the resignation of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and contributed to pressure surrounding the resignation of former Senator Tom DeLay.

[edit] See also

• Feminism

[edit] References