New BNOW Vision

Berkeley National Organization for Women embraces three key values in our fight for equality.

First BNOW is passionate about young feminism and campus community. As the multi-issue, multiethnic feminist group on campus, we strive to be diverse and inclusive of all. Our major focus is to broaden the definition of feminism, because feminism truly is for everyone. Furthermore, we break our membership into committees for parts of our meeting, so that everyone can work on an issue that personally interests them. In terms of our role as a student group on the Berkeley campus, we have sought to reach out to other student groups and share in our resources and ideas. There are a number of like-minded ethnic groups and political groups on campus, and we have made it a goal to befriend and collaborate with these other activists, with the result of strengthening Berkeley activism as a whole. Most importantly, Berkeley NOW aims to create a warm, welcoming community for all women on campus. As a club, we've participated in campus women's mixers, and internally we want to be a social support network for each other- socially, academically, and emotionally. We begin each meeting with a "check-in", allowing each member the opportunity to share personal details and find support from the greater group. Furthermore, we kicked off the semester with a "Cuntail Party" to socialize and develop meaningful friendships; and in the near future we aim to have an event to focus on academics (bring in women's studies professors and study abroad advisors) and share favorite classes, professors, and study habits.

Secondly, BNOW strives to approach feminism with an international vision. As Berkeley students, we all tend to have a global perspective and have an interest in international issues, especially women's issues. Consequently, we are currently partnering with a number of international women's group (like Madre), to plan a service trip to work with a women's community in Mexico over Spring Break. Furthermore, we are collaborating with a group called the Students Emancipation Network, which creates the opportunity for victims (or people at high risk) of sex and labor trafficking to make crafts and have them sold on college campuses. Our group sells these hand-crafted purses, necklaces, scarves, journals, etc. at UC Berkeley, raising awareness of these issues, and splitting the profits between the craft-makers and our group. Our international vision is reflected in the composition of our members; racial diversity is a crucial element to our group, and we aim to reach out and collaborate with communities of color.

Finally, BNOW believes that together with action and awareness anything is possible. We continue the tradition of Consciousness Raising events, believing that when we inform ourselves and others than we can act towards greater change. Last semester we had a wonderful CR on transnational feminism, and this semester on choice. Furthermore, political activism is important to BNOW; for this reason, we have fully participated in the Voter Registration Coalition on campus and the No on Proposition 85 campaign.