Virginia NOW - Who We Are
For more than four decades Virginia NOW - the Virginia chapter of the National Organization for Women - has been at the forefront of women’s advancement in Virginia. We are a non-profit feminist membership organization composed of chapters, members and supporters across the Commonwealth and we advocate for and actively welcome women and men of all ages, races and ethnicities, without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability, and marital and economic status.
As the grassroots arm of the women’s movement in Virginia, VA NOW’s main purpose has been to champion women’s rights in a politically conservative state. Our efforts have been effective in defending our current rights and achieving greater legal and political equality for all women.
Some people think the struggle for women’s equality is over. The truth is that discrimination based on sex and gender continues to limit all women, rich and poor alike. Opponents of women’s reproductive, economic and political equality are still working to undermine our rights, not only in Virginia but also across the nation.
Join us today if you share our goals to: promote feminist ideals, lead societal change that puts more women in political posts; increase educational, employment and business opportunities for women; and enact tougher laws against violence, harassment and discrimination, to eliminate all forms of discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.
Membership in national NOW is on a sliding scale and includes state and chapter membership. Join our mission to empower women and strengthen equality within Virginia by becoming a member today.
Please note that Virginia NOW and its local chapters are not equipped to serve as a crisis hotline or provide emergency resources.
The Virginia NOW Political Action Committee (PAC) expands women's participation in Virginia politics and civil life through direct political work with feminist candidates, both male and female, for office.
Mission Statement
Virginia NOW is a non-profit feminist organization whose purpose is to bring women into full participation in society --- sharing equal rights while living free from discrimination. We promote awareness of issues that impact women economically, legally, socially, and personally. Our chapters across Virginia work in their local communities and cooperate at the state level to promote feminist values and a progressive vision for a prosperous, thriving, and robust future for women and Virginia.
Collectively, we work towards these goals by raising and maintaining awareness of feminist responses to women's issues through education of the public at large via old and new media. We also strive to expand women's participation in Virginia politics and civic life through direct political work with feminist candidates, lobbying the state legislature, and collaborating with our allied organizations across the social spectrum.
The purpose of Virginia NOW is to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.
GOVERNANCE: Read more here.