Maine Women's Lobby

The Maine Women's Lobby is a nonprofit public-policy advocacy organization established in 1978 to represent the interests of women and girls in Maine legislative affairs. Its work is grounded in the view that women and girls should have economic security, access to health care, and freedom from violence and discrimination. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing brand, the organization functions as a civic and policy institution: it monitors legislation, communicates with lawmakers, mobilizes supporters, develops policy positions, and works with allied organizations on issues affecting gender equity and the safety and economic well-being of women and girls. The organization emerged from a practical lesson during the 1978 Maine legislative session. Its founders supported funding for battered women's shelters, but the proposal failed to receive an appropriation. The group was subsequently told that it had not been represented during the relevant legislative vote. The experience led the founders to establish a permanent presence in the policymaking process and to commit to ensuring that women’s concerns would not again be absent from legislative debates. The founding group included Patricia E. Ryan, Linda Smith Dyer, Lois Galgay Reckitt, and Janet T. Mills, among other women. Over time, the Maine Women's Lobby broadened its policy agenda beyond shelter funding. Its stated concerns include economic security, health-care access, protection from gender-based violence, and opposition to discrimination. Its policy work has included support for protections affecting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as family-leave policy. One cited result of advocacy in this area was the 2007 expansion of Maine's Family Medical Leave law to include domestic partners. In 2015, legislation identified as L.D. 921 strengthened workplace protections for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including consequences for employers who dismiss workers needing time away for court appearances, medical appointments, and related obligations. The Maine Women's Lobby also uses public education and electoral information to help voters evaluate candidates. In 2010 it launched the She Decides campaign, which collected and presented political candidates' answers to questionnaires concerning women's issues. This initiative complemented the organization's legislative advocacy by connecting policy priorities with elections and civic participation. A related organization, the Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund, was founded in 1990 and was formerly known as the Maine Women's Policy Center. The Education Fund serves as the sister organization to the Lobby and focuses on developing Mainers' knowledge, skills, confidence, and opportunities to participate in feminist and anti-oppression-based public-policy advocacy and civic life. Its activities have included community-building and organizing programs, Girls' Day at the Maine State House for eighth-grade students from across Maine, a biennial Policy Roadmap, and the Maine Women's Summit on Economic Security, which alternates with Girls' Day on a two-year cycle. The Lobby has also had connections with prominent Maine public officials. Janet T. Mills, one of the organization's founders, joined its board in 1998 while serving as Maine attorney general and resigned after winning election as governor in 2018. The organization remains best understood as a Maine-focused advocacy and policy network whose principal outputs are legislative action, voter information, coalition work, public education, and civic-engagement programs rather than commercial products.

The Maine Women's Lobby was founded in 1978 by nine women after an unsuccessful effort during that year's Maine legislative session to secure funding for battered women's shelters. The founders learned after the vote that they had not been adequately represented in the legislative process. They responded by creating an organization dedicated to maintaining a consistent voice for women and girls in state policymaking. Among the founders were Patricia E. Ryan, Linda Smith Dyer, Lois Galgay Reckitt, and Janet T. Mills. The founding experience shaped the organization's long-term operating model. The Lobby concentrated on legislative action, public education, coalition work, and direct engagement with policymakers. Its policy framework has emphasized economic security, access to health care, and freedom from violence and discrimination. The organization has also worked on laws affecting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and on family-leave protections. A notable policy development associated with the organization's work was the 2007 expansion of Maine's Family Medical Leave law to cover domestic partners. In 2015, L.D. 921 was enacted to provide stronger workplace protections for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The measure increased penalties for employers who dismissed employees needing time away from work for court proceedings, medical appointments, and related needs. The Lobby expanded its civic and electoral work in 2010 with the She Decides campaign. The campaign gathered candidates' responses to questionnaires focused on women's issues, giving voters a way to compare positions and making electoral participation part of the organization's broader advocacy strategy. The organization has also been associated with a separate but related educational institution, the Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund. Founded in 1990 as the Maine Women's Policy Center, the Education Fund was established to improve the economic, social, and political status of women and girls through public-policy education and leadership development. It later operated under the Education Fund name and developed programs centered on community building, organizing, and civic participation. These programs include Girls' Day at the Maine State House, which brings eighth-grade girls from throughout Maine to the state capitol, a biennial Policy Roadmap, and the Maine Women's Summit on Economic Security, which alternates with Girls' Day. Janet T. Mills represents an important leadership connection in the organization's history. She joined the Maine Women's Lobby board in 1998 while serving as Maine attorney general. She resigned in 2018 after becoming governor of Maine. The available reference material identifies Eliza Townsend as an executive director in a 2018 account, but does not establish a complete chronology of the organization's executive leadership. The Maine Women's Lobby is therefore best characterized as a long-running Maine advocacy organization whose institutional identity is based on legislative representation, public-policy development, voter information, and civic education.

• 2018

  Janet T. Mills resigns from the board

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  Mills left the board after being elected governor of Maine.

• 2015

  L.D. 921 strengthens workplace protections

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  Legislation expanded protections for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking and increased penalties for certain employer retaliation.

• 2010

  She Decides campaign launched

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  The organization began compiling political candidates' answers to questionnaires addressing women's issues.

• 2007

  Family Medical Leave law expanded to domestic partners

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  The expansion of Maine's Family Medical Leave law to include domestic partners was cited as a significant policy achievement in an account of the organization's work.

• 1998

  Janet T. Mills joins the board

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  Janet T. Mills was elected to the Maine Women's Lobby board while serving as Maine attorney general.

• 1990

  Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund established

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  The sister organization was founded to support policy education, leadership development, and civic engagement; it was formerly known as the Maine Women's Policy Center.

• 1978

  Maine Women's Lobby founded

  [1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  Nine women established the organization after advocacy for funding battered women's shelters failed during the Maine legislative session and the group concluded that women needed a permanent legislative voice.

A Maine-focused, feminist public-policy advocacy organization working through legislative action, coalition building, voter education, and community engagement to advance economic security, health-care access, and freedom from violence and discrimination for women and girls.

• Voter education campaign · 2010

  She Decides

  A campaign launched in 2010 that gathered political candidates' responses to questionnaires focused on women's issues. It connected the Lobby's policy priorities with electoral participation by giving voters comparative information about candidates' positions.

• Policy education and advocacy program

  Policy Roadmap

  A biennial policy-planning and public-education resource associated with the Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund. The available reference material identifies it as a vehicle for developing knowledge, skills, and opportunities for participation in public-policy change.

• Policy summit

  Maine Women's Summit on Economic Security

  A convening focused on economic security for women and girls in Maine. It is organized by the Education Fund and alternates on a biennial schedule with Girls' Day at the Maine State House.

• Civic education program

  Girls' Day at the Maine State House

  An Education Fund program that brings eighth-grade girls from communities across Maine to the state capitol to develop civic knowledge and encourage participation in public life and policymaking.

• 2010She Decides

  Maine

  The Maine Women's Lobby launched She Decides to compile candidate responses to questionnaires concerning women's issues and to provide voters with policy information.

  Outcome. The campaign became a documented part of the organization's electoral and public-information work; broader outcome metrics are not specified in the reference material.

  Source

• 2010

  Add candidate-information work through She DecidesStrategy

  Background

  The Lobby sought to connect its policy agenda with voters and electoral decision-making.

  Action taken

  It launched a campaign that collected candidates' answers to questionnaires about women's issues.

  Aftermath

  She Decides broadened the organization's public-facing work beyond direct legislative advocacy to include structured voter information.

  Source

• 1978

  Create a permanent legislative advocacy organizationStrategy

  Background

  After funding for battered women's shelters failed during the 1978 legislative session, the founders were told that they had not been represented during the vote.

  Action taken

  The founders formed the Maine Women's Lobby and committed to maintaining representation for women and girls in future legislative proceedings.

  Aftermath

  The organization developed into a continuing Maine-based advocacy institution focused on legislative action and public policy.

  Source

• 2018

  Janet T. Mills leaves Maine Women's Lobby board after election as governor[1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Janet T. Mills resigned from the organization's board after being elected governor of Maine. She had served on the board since 1998 while previously serving as attorney general.

• 2010

  Maine Women's Lobby launches She Decides campaign[1]Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The organization introduced a campaign compiling political candidates' responses to questionnaires about women's issues, linking voter education with its policy agenda.

1. 1Maine Women's Lobbyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Maine Women's Lobby official websitemainewomen.org