NOW-NYS Congratulates NYS Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

First Woman to Lead the NYS Senate Democratic conference

ALBANY, NY (12/23/2012)(readMedia)-- NOW-NYS Congratulates Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins as the first woman to lead the NYS Senate Democratic conference

The New York State National Organization for Women (NOW-NYS) congratulates Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins who was voted by her Democratic peers to be the first woman to lead the New York State Senate Democratic conference.

"We have not been this excited about women in the NYS legislature since 1990, a year known as the Year of the Woman in New York State's legislative bodies, as 27 women were elected then." said Zenaida Mendez President of NOW-NYS.

"We at NOW-NYS will work with Senator Stewart-Cousins as she continues her progressive legislative efforts in support of women's reproductive rights, workers rights through increasing the minimum wage, and voter protection and campaign reform initiatives. She is a proven leader and will bring the NYS Senate Democratic Conference to a new level."

"I am happy to say today New York can now join the 34 states who have women positioned in state legislative leadership," added Zenaida Mendez.

New York State was one of 16 states who are lagging in female representation in their state legislatures. In 1990, twenty-seven women were newly elected to the legislature in that year. Women have been present in the state legislature since 1919, the year before the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women's suffrage was passed.

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NOW-New York State (NOW-NYS) is the statewide Chapter of NOW in New York State. It is the largest women's political action organization in New York, representing over 14,000 women and men in 24 chapters. We are dedicated to fighting for women's equality and to improving the status of women in New York.

NOW-NYS is governed by an Executive Committee and a State Council. Officers include:

President: Zenaida Mendez

Executive Vice President: Barbara Kirkpatrick

Legislative Vice President: Heidi Siegfried

Secretary: Gaby Moreno

The National Organization for Women is a national organization with chapters in each of the 50 states. NOW is an activist rather than a direct services organization. This simply means that NOW seeks to effect change through lobbying, advocacy, education and protest, and does not serve clients.