SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Now in its fourth year, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) will again bring together over 200 young women from San Francisco’s underserved neighborhoods with mentors to offer workshops and resources at an all-day conference with the theme “OWN IT! Your Body, Mind & Life.”
WHAT: All-Day Young Women’s Conference “OWN IT! Your Body, Mind & Life.”
WHEN: Friday, November 16, 2007
TIME: 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
WHERE: Hiram Johnson State Building, 455 Golden Gate Ave.
“Every year we hold this event, I come away more motivated and inspired than ever by the talented and strong young women who attend this conference,” said Leno. “Each one of them holds enormous promise and the power to transform the world around them. I hope that each of the young women who attend come away empowered to lead social change as well as get practical advice from women mentors.”
“We look forward to being part of what Assemblyman Mark Leno has put together for young women in the Bay Area community each year,” said Marlene Sanchez, Executive Director for The Center for Young Women’s Development, which produces a workshop on empowerment for the conference each year. “I applaud the Assemblyman for taking the time to invest in young women. It’s a natural partnership for us to work with Mr. Leno on this conference.”
"We are extremely proud to co-sponsor this special event with Assemblymember Leno," said Dian J. Harrison, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Golden Gate. "Planned Parenthood works hard every day to empower young women to maintain control of their bodies so that they can lead healthy, productive and happy lives. That's what today's conference is all about, enforcing the message that young women have the power to chase and achieve their dreams and that there are resources here in San Francisco to help them do so," added Harrison.
Two-hundred high school aged women from 10 area schools and local non-profit organizations will attend the conference. Participants will engage in a variety of workshops on self-esteem, self-defense techniques, grief & loss, how to draft a resume, finances 101, college preparation and much more. The conference will also feature a resources fair and an original production of Rhodessa Jones’ and The Medea Project.
For those joining in gay marriages today, the road from outlaw status to respectability was paved in the Legislature over three decades.
From decriminalizing sex between same-sex couples, to outlawing job discrimination against homosexuals, to adding gay members to the legislative roster, the government has been taking steps, measure-by-measure, that have led to gay couples joining hands in marriage ceremonies across the state.
