Founding of the Women’s Rights Information Center:

In October of 1971, a Bergen County Conference on Women brought 300 women together for the purpose of founding a Women’s Center.  This Center did not happen in 1971, but it did happen in 1973, when the Women’s Rights Information Center came into being.  In 1995, at our 25th Anniversary party, the Staff and Volunteers of WRIC received our Service Award.

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Fight for Rape Victims:

In 1973 our Chapter Rape Task Force announced that the county was asking rape victims to take a lie detector test!  Also in 1973, Northern NJ NOW and the Women’s Political Caucus of Bergen County filed a complaint against the Bergen County Freeholders for discrimination against women.  The charge was filed with the NJ Division of Civil Rights and with the EEOC and alleged that the freeholders had demonstrated a pattern of discrimination against women on hiring and promotions.

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Founding other Feminist Organizations:

Throughout the years, our members were involved in the founding of many other feminist groups in the County, including Salute to Women in the Arts, the Women’s Rights Information Center, and the Rape Crisis Center.  New Directions for Women was originally published out of a chapter member’s home, and brought feminist news to a national and international readership till it ceased publication in 1993.
 

Establishing a Buffer Zone for Metropolitan Medical Associates Clinic in Englewood:

In 2014 came one of our greatest challenges, because it was local and we never should have won. The abusive behavior of protesters at the Metropolitan Medical Associates Clinic came to our attention. It was becoming a growing problem and made the newspapers. We worked with the Clinic, Mayor Huttle, the town officials, the Englewood Council President at the time, and the escorts.  As a chapter, we decided to demand a buffer zone. We also wanted to make filming or photographing patients, volunteers, escorts, and staff workers illegal. The Council was sympathetic but mindful of the Supreme Court’s upcoming buffer zone decision. After a long time of deliberations and discussions, only an 8-foot buffer zone was introduced, just as the Supreme Court was striking down Massachusetts’ far bigger zone. The Englewood Council meeting on the buffer zone was packed with NOW members, escorts, and women’s rights supporters, with a minority of protesters and their grotesque signs.  Our NOW NJ President drove 2 1/2 hours to come and speak up for the women.  A buffer zone was passed into law with applause and tears!

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Liberty Sail:

In October 1986, at the Centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty, the chapter sponsored a boat ride which commemorated the New York Women’s Suffrage Association’s political action of a century before.  In 1886, they had joined the parade of river craft and denounced the statue as a travesty, because that statue of a woman symbolized freedom and women were still oppressed.  In memory of that action, and in dedication to the daughters of 2086, feminist leaders of NJ and NY circled the statue and the harbor wearing period costume and purple ribbons, singing suffrage songs.  We listened to speakers Betty Friedan and Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner.