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Is feminism dead? No. It’s moving in the direction that it needs to, which [is] to be multi-issue, more inclusive.” Generations of women have pushed waves of feminism toward Idaho’s shores. They brought suffrage to Idaho. They opened door after door for their daughters and granddaughters. “These are the women on whose great shoulders we stand,” Silva said. And feminism—political action that fights for women’s rights and the belief in gender equality—remains a present yet evolving force in Idaho, activists say. Today’s feminism just looks different, Silva noted. “People who identify as feminists have just become more integrated in human rights and social justice campaigns,” she said. “I see human-rights work as feminist work. I see racial-justice work as feminist work.” Herzfeld said. “I see countering xenophobia as feminist application for social justice. You can be a feminist and work on countering xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment in Idaho. You can be a feminist and work on racial equity ... We need to lift everyone up equally.” It started in the mid-1980s as most waves of feminism do: with a unity of women. Before the IWN became a lobbying force or even had its name, IWN founders started with a singular agenda: to gather women in what would be the first of many conferences. “We thought it would be a small thing,” recalled Betsy Dunklin, one of IWN’s early founders, but 200 women showed up. “We’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. Collectively, the women started tackling issues and drawing up plans for what the IWN would eventually look like. On the agenda: health care, domestic violence, child care and reproductive rights. “We decided we were going to take on some tough decisions and really focus. And we did,” Dunklin said. “There were a lot of women who took a lot of leadership.” Those numbers created an awesome force as the organization met the first of many proposals that would propel the IWN to mount a defense. House Bill 625 of 1990 proposed some of the strictest restrictions on abortion in the nation. The measure would have outlawed an estimated 93 percent of all abortions that were performed in the state at that time, limiting access except in cases of rape, incest, fetal deformity or when the mother’s life or health was threatened. The bill sailed through the Legislature but met opposition by vocal IWN supporters. Hundreds of IWN members lobbied Idaho lawmakers and thousands stood at the Statehouse to rally against the measure. “It was very exciting,” Dunklin said of the sheer numbers. “It was overwhelming.”
16 | AUGUST 11–17, 2010 | BOISEweekly
Gov. Cecil Andrus eventually vetoed the legislation, and IWN’s efforts demonstrated the ability of Idaho women to organize, lobby, rally their numbers and draw the attention of the international press. As IWN’s momentum grew, members became a constant presence in the Legislature. “I more counted on them to be working on [women’s] issues and bringing people into the legislative process and training women to talk to legislators. That’s something they did very effectively,” said Boise Democrat Sen. Nicole LeFavour. As the IWN gained influence, its agenda evolved to include multi-issue causes that advanced women, families, gay and lesbian rights, racial equity and economic justice. It became a clearinghouse of information, disseminating news and legislative updates about how issues and proposals affected women’s everyday lives. “The Legislature was not really well versed in how legislation affects women’s lives,” said Krista Broderick, an early IWN member and volunteer. “And the Idaho Women’s Network brought that voice to the Legislature. And they still need that voice in the Legislature.” The IWN fought for coverage of women’s health care and sought funding for early childhood development and education programs. But their efforts often met resistance. Broderick recalls how one lawmaker responded to a measure that would have provided after-school programs for latchkey kids. “If kids have a place to be rather than go home to an empty house, that can only be good for the community. And [one] senator said ... ‘Well, if women would stay home with their children, we wouldn’t need a latchkey program. I don’t see any need to allocate any funding to it.’” Such attitudes often forced the IWN to fight with an unyielding defense. “A lot of our donors said they wanted their money to go to a successful [organization], and they don’t think a little organization in Idaho can be successful,” Donald said. The IWN funding shortfall followed a waning membership base and high turnover on the board of directors. Members report getting fewer calls for volunteer help over the years, and last year’s annual IWN conference saw sparse attendance. Today’s IWN board members are all young, and the longest serving member has sat on the board only since March 2009. “We have very active women in the community, and I think they just overextended themselves,” said board member Kylee Morfitt. “It’s the same 20 or 30 people doing WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M