Cincinnati All-Women Town Meeting - Sept 29th!

Media Contact:
Robin Scullin (202.835.2358); rscullin@ywca.org
Amber Taylor (703.201.4893); amber@sambertaylor.com

YWCA USA Conducts First All-Women Town Meeting in Cincinnati
Convened by the YWCA USA and AmericaSpeaks,
Women Will Discuss Their Political and Economic Priorities, Sept. 29th

Cincinnati, Ohio – Two hundred local women will convene next month for a first-of-its-kind Town
Meeting hosted by the YWCA USA, along with the YWCA of Cincinnati and AmericaSpeaks. The
women in attendance will represent the political, economic and racial demographic mix of the
Cincinnati area and will spend the day discussing issues and policies important to their lives and
solutions relevant to their communities.

”As an organization dedicated to empowering women, we were surprised to learn that there has
never been an event like this - with only women at the table,” said Gloria Lau, CEO of the YWCA
USA. “We all know how important women’s voices are in the upcoming election, so we want to
hear directly from them on their priorities and concerns.”

The Town Meeting will follow the release of What Women Want 2012: A YWCA USA National
Survey of Priorities and Concerns which will offer women’s perspectives on the issues that most
matter to them.

The nonpartisan Town Meeting will be led by AmericaSpeaks, an organization that aims to
reinvigorate American democracy by engaging citizens in the public decisions that most impact
their lives and to ensure that the diverse voices in the room are all heard. AmericaSpeaks conducts
large-scale 21st Century Town Meetings® across the country to support civic engagement and
facilitate civic input via technology. This will be the first women-only meeting they have conducted.
With the support of trained facilitators, women of the Cincinnati community will discuss the survey
findings, focus on the important issues that surface and their implications for the election and
national and state policies. A final report with lessons learned and policy recommendations from
the participants will be prepared and delivered to policy-makers and candidates running for
national, state and local leadership positions.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 29th at the National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center in Cincinnati, an organization that has a museum devoted to the Underground
Railroad and programs that educate the public about modern slavery and human trafficking.
Women interested in participating should visit: www.ywca.org/townmeeting.
About the YWCA USA

The YWCA is the voice for every woman. For over a century, the YWCA has spoken out and
taken action on behalf of women and girls. The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism,
empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Over 2 million
people participate each year in YWCA programs at more than 1,300 locations across the U.S.
Worldwide, the YWCA serves more than 25 million women and girls in 125 countries.