Montgomery County Commission for Women’s
 44 ^th Annual
 Women’s Legislative Briefing

The Women’s Legislative Briefing (WLB) is the premier and longest-standing women’s legislative event in the state of Maryland. It is coordinated by the Montgomery County Commission for Women and brings together advocates, policymakers, and emerging leaders to empower, engage, and mobilize Marylanders around issues affecting women and girls throughout the state.

WLB 2024 Overview

• This is the 44 ^th  anniversary of the Women’s Legislative Briefing
• 2024 WLB Theme: From Proposal to Passage: Collaborating for Equality and Justice
• Date: January 28, 2024
• Location: The Universities at Shady Grove
• ​Time: 12:30-5:00pm
• Childcare will be available children ages 2-10 years old*
• Complimentary parking
• Sponsorship information
• Tickets

*Childcare space is limited and will be available on a first come first serve basis. Please arrive early to secure a spot.

Schedule

Speaker Bios

• 11:30-12:30 pm: Registration and Resource Fair
• 12:30-1:00 pm: Opening Session
• 1:00-1:55 pm: Plenary Panel
• 2:00-2:30 pm: Break 1
• 2:30-3:30 pm: Breakout Session 1
  1. Passage to Protection: Ensuring Women's Safety
  2. Collaborative Care: Navigating a Women's Well-Being
  3. Encoding Justice: Understanding Technology for Women's Equality
  4. Advocacy 101: Become an AdvocatHER

• 3:30-4:00 pm: Break 2
• 4:00-5:00 pm: Breakout Session 2
  1. Educating for Equality: Empowering Women through Education
  2. Building Wealth: Money Matters to Women
  3. Proposals at the Desk: Shaping the Future of Women in the Workplace
  4. Advocacy 102: Advocacy in ACTion

Emerging Leaders

 

The Emerging Leaders sessions will run concurrently with the adult sessions.

The Emerging Leaders track will run concurrently with the Women’s Legislative Briefing and is open to students in grades 6-12.  Tickets are $10 for all students. Students may earn up to 3 student service learning hours.

Track I:  Be Engaged—Your Community Toolkit
Track II: Planning for Your Future 

WLB Resources

• Maryland General Assembly
• Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women Legislative Priorities
• WLB Delegation Letters

Post-WLB Survey

 

 

History and Purpose:

The Montgomery County Commission for Women organized the first Women’s Legislative Briefing in January 1980, co-sponsored by 12 community and women’s organizations. Except for 1982, the briefing has been presented annually. The number of co-sponsoring organizations has grown dramatically with over 65 co-sponsors. The number of participants has also increased significantly, more than tripling from approximately 200 in 1981 to more than 750 in 2019. The WLB was held virtually in 2020 for the first time in accordance with CDC guidelines due to the Pandemic.

The purpose of the briefing is to provide information on legislative issues of concern to women and families, including bills that will be introduced in the upcoming sessions of the Maryland General Assembly and U.S. Congress.  Local and state officials are invited to attend the briefing.

To emphasize the role of women as key to policymakers, keynote speakers in the past have included:

Rosie Rios, 43rd Treasurer of the United States
Joanne Bamberger, Author, How Women & Social Media are Revolutionizing Politics in America
Dr. Bernice Sandler, Author of Title IX legislation
Sara Manzano-Diaz, Director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor
Lilly Ledbetter, Pay Equity Advocate
Dorothy Height, Founder and President Emeritus, National Council of Negro Women
Donna Brazile, Founder and Managing Director, Brazile and Associates, LLC
Eleanor Smeal, Founder and President, The Feminist Majority and Past National President of NOW
Karen Nussbaum, Director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor
Shinae Chun, Director, Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor
The Honorable Donna Edwards, U.S. House of Representatives
Irene Natividad, President, Global Summit for Women
Susan Wood, Ph.D., Former Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health, U.S. FDA
Cokie Roberts, Senior News Analyst, National Public Radio, Political Commentator, ABC-News
Dr. Jane Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Business & Professional Women, USA
Ellen Malcolm, President of EMILY’s List
Lynne Battaglia, U.S. Attorney for District of Maryland
Patricia Blau Reuss, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
Anita Perez Ferguson, President, National Women’s Political Caucus
Carmen Delgado Votaw, Washington Representative for Girl Scouts of the USA
The Honorable Constance Morella, U.S. House of Representatives
M ónica Ramirez, Founder, Justice for Migrant Women