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Interview with the National Organization for Women Executive, Director Sonia Ossorio, May 20, 2010
Q: What is the history of NOW-NYC, how did it get started?
A. The National Organization for Women, New York City chapter, was founded in 1966 as a part of the second wave feminist movement and was a premier organization of its kind. It was created to be a voice for women and has been here in New York City lobbying for women and girl’s rights since its start.
Q: What services does NOW-NYC provide?
A. NOW-NYC and its charitable sister organization, the Service Fund, advocate for the women of New York City to promote reproductive health, secure women’s economic empowerment, and end violence and discrimination against women. The organization delivers educational programs across these areas. They also provide women with a call-in help line and monthly legal clinics. The help line was created to assist women and girls to locate the right resources for their needs in the NYC area and acts as a tool for those to voice their concerns on pressing issues. The monthly legal clinics they run cover divorce and separation and employment discrimination, both functioning as a form of affordable legal help.
Q: What is your position within NOW-NYC?
A. Sonia is the Executive Director of NOW-NYC.
Q: Who is your target market?
A. NOW-NYC’s target market is men and women interested in feminism and promoting equal rights, as well as women in need of low-cost legal help.
Q: What is the biggest challenge in running an organization like NOW-NYC?
A. The biggest challenge for NOW-NYC is to convince people that there are still lots of issues for women and girls that need advocacy, from the number of women being promoted in their professions, to teenage girls being exploited in NYC.
Q: How does your company promote its services?
A. Their services are promoted through their website, helpline, and word of mouth.
Q: Where do you see NOW-NYC going in the next few years?
A. NOW-NYC wants to continue to be a strong voice for women in New York. They will continue to shame advertisers who photoshop already skinny models, making unattainable beauty standards, in turn making girls feel less beautiful. They also plan to continue to fight to improve divorce laws to ensure fair settlements for women, as well as laws that will strengthen penalties against abusers in situations of domestic violence.
Q: What are you working on right now, any new projects or developments?
A. NOW-NYC offers donation-only Yoga classes every Wednesday of the week, serving survivors of violence and their advocates, as well as NOW-NYC members. They also have monthly educational programs focused around women’s needs. These programs range from promoting social awareness through film screenings to improving one’s professional career through business coaching.
Q: How has the economy affected NOW-NYC?
A. NOW-NYC has certainly suffered from a loss of donations during these difficult financial times. Charitable donations seem to be the first thing that people are cutting when times get tough, but it is also a time that more then ever, women need a voice as budgets are being cut and women are out of work. NOW-NYC needs to be that voice making sure that with the budget cuts, women’s groups aren’t being slashed.
Q: What is your inspiration for entering this field of work?
A. Sonia’s inspiration for entering this field of work was that although many steps forward for women’s rights have been taken, lots of steps backward have come with this advancement. There is still so much work to be done for women’s rights, and that’s what continues to motivate Sonia in her day-to-day at NOW-NYC.
Q: Does NOW-NYC have any existing relationships with other Dezer tenants?
A. NOW-NYC hopes to create more relationships with Dezer tenants. Other Dezer tenants in their building have brought holiday donations for the annual gift drive they hold for sexually abused and exploited girls in NYC.
*Please keep NOW-NYC and girls in need on your mind this holiday season. NOW-NYC will be accepting and donating your gifts to local girls. We accept items such as journals, craft kits, games, scarves and gloves, bath and body products, and jewelry. All gifts and donations are greatly appreciated!