Attendees to the AAUW-PA annual state convention were treated to an invigorating dinner presentation by Susan Frietsche, J.D. of the Women’s Law Project, a state-based project dedicated to the fight for issues affecting women’s legal status, health and economic security through high-impact litigation, policy advocacy and community education. Ms. Frietsche is a Senior Staff Attorney for the WLP and a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Temple University Law School. The WLP has offices in Western PA and Philadelphia.

The WLP obtains funding from Legal Advocacy Fund of AAUW and are the ‘de facto’ legal arm of the women’s movement in state courts. The WLP represented AAUW-PA in the paid sick days case in PA Supreme Court, and also represents reproductive health care providers in PA for women’s services, including choice, and TRAP laws (Targeted Regulations on Abortion Providers) which seek to limit the types of providers who can provide these services to women.

The Women’s Law Project also provides free legal services on women’s law issues, especially in areas of pay equity and sexual harassment, especially for women who find it difficult to obtain proper legal representation. Many firms are “conflicted out” of providing representation due to having worked with many organization where these women work.

During the dinner presentation Ms. Frietsche discussed a number of key issues, but her main theme was the ‘Dismantling Gender Oppression in the Era of Trump,’ most notably attempts to gut Title IX regulations and how the new legislation and initiatives being proposed seek to eviscerate original protections. The WLP is working with other organizations to find the “crevices” in law to keep the vision of Title IX protections viable. The good news is that PA now has a very progressive State Supreme Court which could help to ensure protections for the issues that are important to AAUW members and the Women’s Law Project.

Message: It’s important to recognize that even though the initiatives and pronouncements coming from the federal level are counter to AAUW’s own positions, and the current administration’s leadership antithetical to our organization’s policies, we cannot give ground on what is considered “normal.”  Members of AAUW and other women’s advocacy organizations must take every opportunity to shift the culture towards more equity and dignity for women, continue to dream of a better world and act with conviction and vigor to make these things happen in order to elevate the lives of all.

AAUW Makefield Area Board Secretary Patti Reali-Santoro attended this year’s state convention on behalf of the branch and prepared several reports on the highlights.