vote imminent on women's rights

I know, I've not been posting much -- there's been lots going on, including something Jolly Exciting about which I hope to be obnoxiously smug in all directions soon: You Have Been Warned.

However, this came in from Amnesty today, and I think should be distributed as far and wide as possible:

Dear Paul,

A vote before the House tomorrow could decide the fate of a key provision of the International Violence Against Women Act that you and I have been fighting to get passed for the last two years.

The vote would greatly restrict the activities of the new Office of Global Women's Issues. If the House votes to restrict the work of this new office, we'll lose our chance to move forward on this key component of the International Violence Against Women Act.

Oppositional groups are spreading misinformation about what this office would do. They claim that this legislation would hurt women's rights, more than help. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This new office is about:

• helping the U.S. meet its foreign policy goals of economic stability and poverty reduction
• advancing the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other health crises, and
• pushing the United States to finally take a leadership role in the fight to end violence against women and girls globally

We have to fight back if we're going to swing Wednesday's vote back in our favor.

Please pick up your phone RIGHT NOW, dial 202 224 3121, ask to be connected to your Representative, and tell them this one thing:

"Hi, I'm calling in support of an Office for Global Women's Issues – without restrictions – because I want a better life for women worldwide."

We're down to the final stretch. Congress needs to hear that you care about this issue. Please call your Representatives now and help make a difference in the lives of women worldwide.

Thanks for standing with us.
Katie, Betsy, Jen, Meredith and the rest of the IVAWA team

(In general, I think it's about time our representatives were reminded of our existence. They seem so often to forget -- as with the current discussions on healthcare, where the views of some 50% of Americans are being kept off the table as "fringe".)