EMILY’s List Asks the Question: Where Are the Women? And Gives Women the Opportunity To Have Their Voices Heard

Million-member-strong women’s network takes to television, internet to fight back against attacks on women’s rights and health

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, EMILY’s List announced a cable television and internet advertising campaign posing the question “Where are the women?” across the country – and offering women and men the opportunity to change Washington – with its broken priorities and disdain for women – by electing prochoice Democratic women who will build a progressive America.

Last week, women (and men!) across the country watched in shock as conservatives in charge of a powerful congressional committee refused to allow women’s voices to be heard, as they debated an important measure which would eliminate equal access to contraceptive medicine for all women. Women saw the image of the all male panel insisting that they knew what’s best for women.

The EMILY’s List campaign uses these images to remind women what’s at stake – and that they have an alternative, by joining the more than one million EMILY’s List members and historic number of women candidates who are making 2012 a Women’s Historic Year.

“Women are saying: enough,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “That picture told women everything they need to know about the radical, right-wing anti-women conservatives in Washington who are using their power to set women back decades. But women know what’s best for their health, and they know how to make sure their voices are heard – by electing prochoice Democratic women who will fight for the rights and opportunities women and their families need. We’re going to reach women all over the country and welcome them into our powerful community.”

EMILY’s List is also launching a pre-roll video campaign on YouTube that will feature a shorter version of the broadcast ad. The online buy will reach 2.5mm viewers in three targeted media markets: Chicago, San Francisco and Florida.

EMILY’s List is supporting an unprecedented number of Senate candidates: six incumbents and five challengers. Every single one of our challengers would be the first women to represent their states in the Senate. Mazie Hirono would be the first Asian American women Senator and only the 2nd woman of color ever to serve in the Senate. Other firsts include Tammy Duckworth, who would be the only woman in office with combat experience.

More than one million strong, EMILY's List now includes members in every single state in the country. Team EMILY, the all-volunteer voter mobilization effort, now has members in every single state. In the first 12 months since John Boehner and his Tea-Party allies took over the House and started to wage a war on American women and families, EMILY's List more than doubled its membership from under 400,000 to over one million. Since the Susan G. Komen scandal, EMILY’s List has added 60,000 new members.

In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $38.5 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With a community of more than 1,000,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 87 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 16 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List had the largest number of members and donors in our 27 year history.