The Long Island Women's Agenda is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan coalition of diverse women's groups and individuals on Long Island that takes leadership positions on issues important to women: family, health, environment, business and economic development, education and arts & culture. LIWA's many accomplishments include the following:
Some of LIWA's Accomplishments in its First 10 Years
EDUCATING OUR MEMBERS and THE PUBLIC
~Women's Health Seminars
* 2008: "Smart Students, Smart Health Wellness Conference: What Every Mother and Daughter Need to Know Before College” panels and breakout sessions, led by physicians, social workers. A related booklet was published and distributed for free to school districts.
* 2007: "Complementary and Alternative Medicine" speaker Dr. Mariana Markell, MD, Director of the Office of Complementary Medicine for the North Shore LIJ Health System.
* 2006 "What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex", featuring Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, Assistant Professor of OB/GYN at Columbia University Medical Center.
* 2005: "Demystifying the Myths of Menopause"
* 2002: "Breakthrough and Challenges in Women's Health, What the 21st Century Promises," with North Shore-LIJ Health Systems.
~The Early Years Matter Campaign:
* LIWA had adopted the issue of early childcare and education, and in 2005 partnered with the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls as it launched a 3-year initiative. Year One: a seminar series "The Early Years Matter: What Every Parent Needs To Know" was held in nine locations, including two in Spanish, to provide information and empower parents to advocate on behalf of their children. Year Two: with the Early Years Matter brand, the goal is to build new alliances and media coverage, with special focus on the importance of play in childhood. As Year-3 closes, the project will find a permanent home on Long Island at the new Early Years Institute.
~ Workshops
* 2001: LIWA hosted a day of educational symposiums: Women's Health & the Environment; Advocacy Made Easy- How to Sell Issues to Legislators; Women's Heart Health from the Inside Out; Women, Finances & Success; and Being a Parent, an Employee & a Person, too.
* Since 2000, LIWA has presented a number of workshops at the Work and Family Life Conference on Long Island, by the National Association of Mothers' Centers.
* 2005 and 2006: "Long Island Women in Conversation" - at a free monthly program at varying L.I. locations, a guest facilitator led interactive session focusing on topics related to women.
* 2001: LIWA's Health Committee presented a career day workshop to counsel teenage girls at a residential center.
~ Cultural Outreach
* LIWA's Arts & Culture Committee has long supported High Five Long Island, a program that makes the arts affordable and accessible to students ages 13-19.
* 2007 and 2008: LIWA presented its first Book and Author Tea featuring seven highly regarded published Long Island authors, and remarks from Rep. Carolyn McCarthy; the 2008 program features Long Island native author Alice Hoffman, and the married writing couple, Victoria Lustbader and Eric Van Lustbader; Debbi Honorof created and hosts the series.
* 2000: LIWA sponsored Women's Art exhibiting in Long Island's Town Halls.
~ Member Events
* 2006 and 2007: As free benefit to LIWA's not-for-profit member organizations, LIWA presented "The Pluses and the Pitfalls of Serving on Not-for-Profit Boards" led by Thomas Killeen (Farrell, Fritz) and "Finding Funds for Worthy Causes on LI" hosted by Newsday, led by panel of leading LI grant-makers.
* 2001: Spring Breakfast sponsored by SUNY Farmingdale, with issues briefings by LIWA's committees.
ENGAGING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS & ADVOCATING ON ISSUES
* 'Go Girl Govern': In 2007, LIWA and the Girl Scouts of Nassau County unveiled a new patch which encourages young women to learn about issues and speak with elected officials.
~ Legislative Forums
* January 2007, LIWA hosted a Legislative Breakfast with a panel of local and state representatives including Carolyn McCarthy, Patricia Eddington, Ginny Fields, Earlene Hooper, and Judy Jacobs with Joye Brown, Newsday, as moderator.
* 2004: Candidates Forum for US Congressional Incumbents and their opponents.
* 2003 luncheon to honor female elected officials serving in the U.S. Senate and Congress, New York State Government, the Nassau and Suffolk County Legislatures, as well as heads of Long Island Towns and Villages. CNN's Soledad O'Brien moderated a panel called, "Women in Politics: How and Why they Run and How they Govern." Cablevision provided support and taped the event for broadcast.
* 2002: Legislative Forum with members of the Nassau and Suffolk County Legislatures and Suffolk County Supervisor, Robert Gaffney in April 2002 to discuss issues.
* 2000: Legislative Breakfast featuring Long Island's delegates to the New York State Assembly and United States Congress
* 2000: Candidates Forum for US Congressional incumbents and challengers.
~ Advocacy-US-NYS-Nassau-Suffolk:
LIWA has collaborated with other organizations as an advocate for federal, NYS and bi-county legislation related to:
0 pay equity; women's representation on corporate boards and at all government levels
o paid family medical leave benefits for family caregivers for young and old;
0 women's health care access, research, and privacy; reproductive choice and access for women and teens; o The Healthy Teens Act of NYS moves closer to passage in 2007, allowing collaboration among organizations including LIWA;
o Women's Health and Wellness Act, signed into law in September 2002;
o strengthening early childhood education providers and services, and affecting policy change o a cleaner, safer, healthier and less-wasteful environment;
o initiatives against domestic violence o affordable housing initiatives;
o saving US Title IX's equity standard for female athletics programs in colleges and schools.
SPECIAL LIWA EVENTS & AWARDS
* LIWA's Inaugural Luncheon was held on April 20, 1999, with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as the keynote speaker. The other guests included First Lady of New York State, Libby Pataki, and the first ladies of our county executives.
* First Awards Luncheon on June 11, 2001, featured first-woman astronaut Sally Ride as keynote.
LIWA's Awards Events from 2001 through 2007 honored the following individuals and organizations.
ADVOCATES: 2001: Jane Gitlin, founder of The Women's Record, (Ms. Gitlin passed away in 2006); 2002: Marianne Garvin, Community Development Corp., L.I.; 2003: Roslyn D. Goldmacher; 2004: Sharon G. Grosser, Roslyn Savings Foundation. (After 2004, we began naming National and Community Advocates.)
NATIONAL ADVOCATES: 2005: Eileen McDonnell, President of New England Financial; 2006: Hon. Leslie Crocker Snyder, former NYS Supreme Court Justice; 2007: Sara K. Gould, President/CEO, The Ms. Foundation.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES: 2005: Dr. Joan Johnson, Islip Town Clerk; 2006: Linda Landsman, Vice President, Rauch Foundation; 2007: Betty Monroe, Director-DCMA-Long Island; 2008: Beverly Fortune, Associate Publisher and columnist, The LI Press, and VP, The Morey Foundation.
* HUMANITARIAN AWARD: 2002: "Salute to Long Island's Women Heroes of 9/11," Kathy Mazza-Delosh, in memorium; North Shore Univ Hospital's female rescue workers; FDNY's Emergency Service Workers; NYC Police Dept. officer.
* SPECIAL AWARD: 2003: Christie Brinkley, for advocacy on nuclear emergency evacuation; 2008: LIWA's First Board of Directors and Founding President Erica Garay.
* HONORABLE MEN-TIONS: 2005: Dr. Andrew Jacono; 2006: Warren Rosenfeld, M.D.; 2007: Larry J. Waldman; 2008: Ron Israeli, M.D.
* BUSINESS ADVOCATE: 2007: Anne Shybunko-Moore, President and Owner GSE Dynamics.
* ORGANIZATIONS OF THE YEAR: 2001: National Association of Mothers Centers; 2002: LI Center for Business & Professional Women; 2003: Women On The Job; 2004: Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coaltion; 2005: LI Fund for Women and Girls; 2006: Vicitims Information Services (VIBS); 2007: Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program; 2008: Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Planned Parenthood Nassau County.
NURTURING OUR SPIRITS and NETWORKING
* 2004: LIWA in collaboration with the Landmark on Main Street hosted a conference entitled "Women Thriving in a Changing World . . . Balancing Mind Body & Spirit" which also was featured on the WLIW Channel 21 program, TICKET.
* 2003: LIWA hosted a Networking Dinner for our Member Organizations to celebrate the accomplishments of women's organizations during Women's History Month.
* 2003 to 2005: LIWA introduced "Networking with a Twist." LIWA members and non members came together to network, explore various boutiques, shop for gifts, and enjoy free spiritual and physical services including tarot card readers, handwriting analysts, feng shui and massage.
* LIWA hosted a Summer Showcasing Expo, June 27, 2000, highlighting our organizational members and the missions of their respective groups.
COMMUNICATING
* Directory of All Women's Organizations' on Long Island, was published in hard-copy form each year 1999 to 2004 and distributed to media, libraries and elected officials; in 2005 it went "live" on the web available at www.liwa.org.
*The Agenda, LIWA's hard-copy quarterly newsletter, including the calendar of all our organizational members' events and meetings, was introduced in 1999. The bi-monthly e-newsletter, LIWAlert, introduced in 2006, keeps subscribers up to date on relevant issues and important time-sensitive events.
* Issues In Focus, LIWA's bi-annual newsletter-journal, since 2006, distributed to LIWA members and elected officials, explores the key issues important to LIWA and its member organizations.
* Interactive website,“ www.LIWA.org" since 2003, announces timely news from LIWA and provides a listing, home page and link for all Member Organizations to publish press releases and spotlight events.
* Public service announcement's , in collaboration with Cablevision, was aired in early 2005 on more than 40 cable networks reaching more than 777,000 households and businesses on Long Island.
* Walk Radio (97.5 FM) honored LIWA's at its 2002 event "Long Island Women Today: Creating Our Destiny." LIWA and 31 of its organizational members received complimentary booth spaces, with the opportunity to speak with the 600 attendees. Gloria Steinem was the keynote speaker during the day.
