2 Area Schools Join in Women’s Conference

Cal State Northridge and Valley College will take part in a national, satellite- and Internet-linked conference to discuss the advancement of women and girls one year after the United Nations’ International Women’s Conference in China.

The conference to take place Saturday will be sponsored by the President’s Interagency Council on Women, which was created last year by the Clinton administration to continue exploring issues raised in Beijing.

The local sites will be among six in Southern California and more than 400 nationwide. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala and U.N. Ambassador Madeleine K. Albright will be featured speakers at the conference, which will be moderated by Cable News Network anchorwoman Judy Woodruff.

“The objective is to engage people to act locally, to show them things they can do in their own communities,” said Barbara Perkins of the National Council of Negro Women, which is helping to organize the event.

“By making this a national event, we can reach hundreds of thousands of women at once.”

The conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a live national broadcast scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. A panel of experts will also be on hand at both local meetings to lead discussions on issues ranging from economic equality and health care to domestic violence and discrimination.

“This will be a two-way communication,” Perkins said. “We’re not going to be just sitting there listening to what the people in Washington have to say. It’s interactive. We’re going to be sending our concerns back and sharing information.”

At Valley College, the conference will be held in the Campus Center Building, 5800 Fulton Ave., Van Nuys.

At CSUN, the conference will be held in the Delmar T. Oviatt Library, 18111 Nordhoff St.

Attendance is free, but due to limited space preregistration is required. For more information contact the National Council of Negro Women at (818) 364-4770.