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5 <br />citizens to learn from experts about important issues, discuss solutions with other citizens and <br />then vote on policy priorities for the year. <br />In 2008, Orange County's Women's Agenda Assembly (WAA) was the largest in the state, with <br />over 110 participants. The Latina community was well represented at the WAA, constituting an <br />entire small group of its own allowing conversation in Spanish. The assembly was titled, <br />"Women, Power & Change: Making a Difference Beyond the Election." <br />The assembly aimed to educate attendees about important issues affecting women and to provide <br />avenue in which participants could prioritize issues for state legislators and local leaders. <br />Speakers addressed seven major topics including Violence Against Women, Education, Access <br />to Healthcare, Immigration, Environmental Justice, Civic Participation and Equality, and <br />Economic Self-Sufficiency. <br />After presentations from the speakers, participants assembled into 7-10 small groups, discussed <br />the issues, and prioritized their top 4 issues for an Orange County Women's Agenda. The <br />prioritized topics in the following descending order of importance are as follows: <br />#1 =ECONOMIC SELF SUFFICIENCY <br />#2 =ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE <br />#3 =EDUCATION <br />#4 =CIVIC PARTICIPATION/ IMMIGRATION (TIED) <br />#5 =VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN <br />#6 =ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE <br />Evaluation Form responses regarding the Assembly rate the speakers, the small group discussion, <br />and the prioritizing process very highly (4 of 5 points). Attendees also expressed appreciation <br />for the diversity of the speakers and participants. Approximately sixty-eight percent (68%) of <br />agenda assembly attendees were White and thirty-two percent (32%) were People of Color. The <br />overwhelming majority of participants felt that the WAA gave them a good opportunity to <br />express their opinions and concerns. <br />Women's Advocacy Day <br />Women's Advocacy Day is the chance for Orange County Women to follow up on the agenda <br />assembly process by advocating for the prioritized policy agenda at the NC General Assembly. <br />The CFW is instrumental in organizing a delegation of citizens from Orange County to attend <br />this legislative day. <br />On April 1, 2009, members of the Orange County Commission for Women visited the North <br />Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh to participate in Women's Advocacy Day organized by <br />North Carolina Women United. These Orange County participants met with Senator Eleanor <br />Kinnaird and Representative Verla Insko to lobby for the North Carolina Women's Legislative <br />Agenda, which includes bills that address access to healthcare, economic self-sufficiency, <br />