| National Foundation for Women Legislators
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| | problem solvers, and are not afraid to
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| Hones Leadership, Governing Skills
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| | compromise, they have the informed,
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| 30th May 2006
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| | goal-oriented leadership skills that are
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| Author: Kris Nickerson
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| | essential in times of crisis. For this
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| "The greatest rising force in American
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| | reason, the NFWL recently partnered with
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| politics is not the influence of
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| | the National Association of Counties in
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| lobbyists or a single political party. It
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| | the Call to ACTION (Assign, Communicate,
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| is women," says Robin Read, President and
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| | Train, Initiate, Oversee, Network), which
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| CEO of the National Foundation for Women
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| | encourages elected officials at all
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| Legislators ( "Women hold 1,686 seats in
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| | levels of government to take pre-emptive
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| state legislatures, eight governorships,
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| | action and communicate before a crisis
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| 15 lieutenant governorships, and 81
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| | occurs.
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| congressional seats."
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| | This pre-emptive action involves
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| These powerful women also comprise the
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| | assigning an official in each state and
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| membership base of the NFWL, which may be
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| | municipality to work with local
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| the most powerful organization you've
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| | organizations and corporations to
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| never heard of. The NFWL is a
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| | coordinate donations, thereby creating an
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| non-partisan non-profit organization that
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| | environment that fosters corporate
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| provides sitting women legislators with
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| | responsibility; setting up an exchange of
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| strategic resources to hone their
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| | cell phone numbers among business
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| leadership and governing skills. "We
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| | leaders, agency officials, and elected
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| present local, state, and federal
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| | leaders that will only be used during a
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| policymakers - who happen to be women -
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| | crisis; training government staff and
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| with information they can use to
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| | volunteers to assist emergency personnel;
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| introduce legislation about topics of
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| | initiating the creation of an Emergency
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| concern to all Americans," says Read.
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| | Task Force for crisis coordination;
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| For example, NFWL legislators were
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| | overseeing resources for emergency
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| invited to take part in the 2004 National
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| | management and preparedness; and
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| Training Conference on Human Trafficking.
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| | regularly networking with officials to
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| Key team leaders from the NFWL Crime,
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| | ensure that emergency preparedness plans
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| Justice, Terrorism & Substance Abuse
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| | are up-to-date.
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| Committee attended the conference and
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| | Thanks to the NFWL, legislators are
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| discussed the issue with President George
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| | taking the initiative to pursue
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| W. Bush, the U.S. Attorney General, and
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| | legislation on a wide range of issues ( A
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| Florida Governor Jeb Bush. These
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| | delegation of NFWL legislators visited
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| legislators have since been instrumental
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| | Taiwanese elected officials and business
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| in introducing legislation against human
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| | leaders in December 2005, leading to the
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| trafficking in Florida, Texas, Missouri,
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| | introduction of several state resolutions
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| Washington, South Carolina, and Kansas,
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| | calling for opening a dialogue between
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| among others.
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| | the U.S. Trade Representative and
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| Read cites the threat of terrorist
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| | Taiwanese officials who are interested in
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| attacks and natural disasters like
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| | pursuing a Free Trade Agreement with the
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| Hurricane Katrina as two instances where
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| | U.S. After Mary Wilson, formerly of "The
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| women policymakers are uniquely
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| | Supremes," spoke at the 2005 NFWL annual
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| positioned to foster communication and
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| | conference about the negative impact of
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| forge coalitions. "Studies conducted by
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| | imposter entertainers posing as
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| the Center on American Women in Politics
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| | legitimate music groups, Representative
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| at Rutgers show that women elected
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| | Karen Yarbrough of Illinois introduced
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| officials are more connected to their
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| | the Truth in Music bill this spring, and
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| communities than their male
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| | many other states are following suit.
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| counterparts," says Read. Likewise,
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| | The NFWL plays a crucial role in
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| studies show that their constituents
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| | informing women policymakers, in
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| perceive women legislators as being more
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| | providing them with a forum in which to
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| trustworthy and credible than men.
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| | network, and in nurturing future leaders
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| "Communicating up-to-the-minute
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| | through their scholarship program. While
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| information and reassuring the public are
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| | it may not be a household name, elected
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| important roles of women legislators, as
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| | women in local, state, and national
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| they are the perfect conduit for
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| | offices are using the NFWL to inform and
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| information and reassurance."
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| | reaffirm the increasingly influential
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| Because women leaders think
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| | role of women in governance.
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| strategically, forge coalitions, are
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|
