FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2007 

Contact: Keesha Gaskins
Ph: 651-228-0995
Email: women@mnwpc.org

Minnesota Women's Political Caucus Announces Phase 2 of Diversity Outreach Project 

Minnesota Women's Political Caucus Education Council (MWPC-EC), the multi-partisan organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected and appointed office, is kicking off Phase 2 of its Diversity Outreach Project (DOP), funded by the Bremer Foundation and the Women's Foundation.

The DOP was initiated in 2006 to increase the number of women of color running for office at all levels. Its long-term objective is to increase the number of women of color in public office.

Phase 2 will comprise a series of focus groups, to be held in July, with women from Minnesota's four primary racial/ethnic communities: Hmong, Latino, African-American, and Native-American. Groups will be held in the Twin Cities, Rochester, Willmar, Austin, and Bemidji to ascertain the various levels of political participation that exist in each community, reasons for varying levels of participation, potential strategies for enhancing participation, subjects of concern to each community and potential ways these subjects can be addressed. MWPC will issue a report on its findings in September 2007.

 Clearly there is a range of political participation among women from all racial and ethnic communities in Minnesota, said Keesha Gaskins, MWPC executive director. The difference is that no woman of color has ever served in Minnesota's Congressional delegation. No woman of color has been elected to statewide office. Only three have served in the Minnesota State Legislature. We want to better understand what influences a woman of color to become a voter if she's currently a non-voter, to become an activist if she's currently a voter and, potentially, to eventually become a candidate for office.

As part of Phase 2, MWPC hired Rebecca McDonald as the new Project Manager.  Rebecca is a 2007 summa cum laude graduate of the College of St. Catherine.   Rebecca is a winner of the 2007 Student Leadership Award and the 2007 Research and Creative Work Award from the Abigail Q. McCarthy Center for Women, the 2007 Isabel Donaldson Public Speaking Award, and the 2007 Sister Alberta Huber Intercultural Award from the College of St. Catherine.

During Phase 1 of the DOP, MWPC has been building a Diversity Outreach Committee of both recognized and emerging women leaders from each of the four primary racial/ethnic communities and working with them on an outreach plan for the program. During Phase 2, the Committee will contribute to an action plan informed by focus group findings.

            For 36 years, MWPC has been working to increase the number of women in elected and appointed office. It is a grassroots, multi-partisan organization that works to identify, recruit, train and support pro-choice women candidates. MWPC seeks to be an expert resource for women in Minnesota and women candidates supporting women's issues. Its goal is equality and equal representation for women at all levels of government.

Visit MWPC online: www.mnwpc.org.