Independent Women's Forum

The Independent Women's Forum (IWF) is a conservative [ [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/CulturalStudies/WomensStudies/HistoryPoliticsSociety/?view=usa&ci=9780195331813 Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics] by Ronnee Schreiber,Oxford University Press] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001458.html Washington Post] - "The idea for the IWF was to provide a conservative alternative to feminist tenets. "] [ [http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/22261.html The Conservative Voice] "However, our visitor from another planet would be surprised to discover there are many groups out there that represent conservative women who believe in equality but shun socialism and big government. One of those organizations is the Independent Women's Forum."] [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_2002_Oct/ai_n27580159/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 Sex Roles: A Journal of Research] , Oct, 2002 by Ronnee Schreiber "In this article I examine two national conservative women's organizations--the Concerned Women for America (CWA) and the Independent Women's Forum (IWF)--to show how conservative women leaders link gender identity and policy preferences. I describe these organizations below. Like feminists, these women, through their organizations, not only act collectively as women, but also bring a "woman's perspective" to policy issues. Although some scholars have not denied the impact of right-wing movements on feminist goals and activities (Conover & Gray, 1983; Klatch, 1987; Marshall, 1995), others have characterized conservative women as victims of false consciousness, pawns of conservative men or right-wing funders (Dworkin, 1983; Hammer, 2002), or women's auxillar [ies] of the conservative elite" (Kaminer, 1996), thus diminishing the attention and serious consideration appropriate to such a political force."] [ [http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipientprofile.php?recipientID=163 RECIPIENT PROFILE - Media Transparency] ] [ [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Independent_Women%27s_Forum Source Watch] ] , non-profit, non-partisan research and educational institution focused on domestic and foreign policy issues of concern to women. Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = Independent Women's Forum
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type = 501(c)(3)"Independent Women's Forum." GivingExpress Program. GuideStar. [http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?partner=amex&ein=54-1670627] ]
founded_date = 1992
founder = Rosalie Silberman, Barbara Olson, Anita Blair
location = Washington, D.C.
origins =
key_people = Michelle D. Bernard, Carrie Lukas,"Staff List." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. [http://www.iwf.org/about/staff_list.asp] ] Heather Higgins, Christina Hoff Sommers, Lynne V. Cheney, Wendy Lee Gramm, Midge Decter, Kate O'Beirne"Board of Directors." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. [http://www.iwf.org/board/] ]
area_served = United States, Iraq, Afghanistan
focus = Women's rights, equity feminism, property rights, free markets, democracy, foreign policy, domestic violence, campus issues, health care, labor policy"The Voices of the Independent Women's Forum." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. [http://iwf.org/experts/default.asp] ]
method = Educational programs, awards, grants, political commentary
revenue = $1,317,157USD in 2004"IRS Form 990: Independent Women's Forum." Hosted by the Foundation Center. 26 July 2005. [http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/541/541670627/541670627_200412_990.pdf] ]
endowment =
num_volunteers =
num_employees =
num_members =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan = "All Issues are Women's Issues"
homepage = [http://www.iwf.org/ IWF.org]
dissolved =
footnotes =

The group advocates "equity feminism," a term first used [http://www.iwf.org/campus/show/18944.html This Is What a Feminist Looks Like?] , Allison Kasic, Independent Women's Forum, 7 April 2005] by IWF National Advisory Board Chairman Christina Hoff Sommers to distinguish conservative feminism from what she refers to as "gender feminism," which she claims opposes gender roles as well as patriarchy.Hoff Sommers, Christina, Who Stole Feminism? How Women Have Betrayed Women (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 1995), p. 22] According to Sommers, the gender feminist view is "the prevailing ideology among contemporary feminist philosophers and leaders" and "thrives on the myth that American women are the oppressed 'second sex.'" ["An Interview with Christina Hoff Sommers, Allison Kasic." Independent Women's Forum. 9 February 2007. [http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/18031.html] ] Sommers' equity feminism has been described as anti-feminist by critics. [Pozner, Jennifer. "Female Anti-Feminism for Fame and Profit." Excerpted from "Uncovering the Right on Campus". Center for Campus Organizing. 1997. [http://organizenow.net/cco/right/antifem.html] ] Scholars have commented that the label "feminist" is often used cynically in this context, as a way to co-opt general feminism rather than actually be part of feminism. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=ag7qRiZqYZoC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=%22Independent+women%27s+forum%22+conservative&source=web&ots=z6QeAXqafm&sig=G9DZkCc4uztB7Vmzby_yr1pcwh4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA214,M1 Right-wing Women] by Paola Bacchetta, Margaret Power Pages 211, 213, 214, 218, 219] [ [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Independent_Women%27s_Forum Source Watch] ] [ [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94369835 NPR] ] [ [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/CulturalStudies/WomensStudies/HistoryPoliticsSociety/?view=usa&ci=9780195331813 Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics] by Ronnee Schreiber,Oxrod University Press] [ [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-liberal/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy] See section 1.2.3]

As the organization's slogan—"All Issues are Women's Issues"—suggests, IWF members seek to participate in policy discussions not only about issues commonly referred to by the heading "women's rights," but also about such topics as national defense and foreign policy. ["Remarks of Michelle D. Bernard Before the Independence Institute Luncheon." Independent Women's Forum. 13 December 2006.] According to its mission statement, IWF "builds greater respect for limited government, equality under the law, property rights, free markets, strong families, and a powerful and effective national defense and foreign policy". [ [http://www.iwf.org/about/ Our Mission] , Independent Women's Forum, accessed 19 May 2008]

IWF-affiliated commentators have appeared in print,Lukas, Carrie and Lida Noory. "Afghan Optimism." "National Review Online". 9 February 2006. [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=N2ZiZTg0N2ZhYmUzN2Y1OGVlNTg4NTg3MjhjMDY0ZmQ=] ] television, [Transcript: 18 May 2007. "Hardball with Chris Matthews". MSNBC. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18785706/] ] ["Past Programs." "To The Contrary". PBS.org. [http://www.pbs.org/ttc/about_showlist2007.html] ] and radio venues as well as conferences sponsored by the organization. ["IWF Holds Historic Iraqi Women Leaders Conference." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. 13 April 2005. [http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/18986.html] ] The Independent Women's Forum also sponsors book projects and scholarly articles and offers awards to highlight women who make positive contributions to society. ["IWF Congratulates June Arunga." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. 11 December 2006. [http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/19179.html] ]

Origin and history

Founded by Rosalie (Ricky) Gaull Silberman, [" In Memoriam: R. Gaull Silberman 1937-2007." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. 19 February 2007. [http://www.iwf.org/news/show/19217.html] ] [Holley, Joe. "Rosalie Silberman; Created Independent Women's Forum." "Washington Post". 21 February 2007. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001458.html] ] Anita Blair, and Barbara Olson ["IWF Celebration Dinner and Woman of Valor Award." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. 27 May 2005. [http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/18958.html] ] in 1992, the IWF grew out of the "ad hoc" group, "Women for Judge Thomas," that was created to defend Clarence Thomas against allegations of sexual harassment and other improprieties. By 1996 the organization had some 700 dues-paying members who met regularly at luncheons to network and share ideas. [http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T3788349597&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T3788328552&cisb=22_T3788328551&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=166768&docNo=4 Independent Women; Independent Women's Forum Members speak out on their views of feminisum vs. the traditional] , "60 Minutes", CBS News Transcripts, 11 August 1996]

Since Silberman, presidents of IWF have included Nancy M. Pfotenhauer and Anita Blair. The current president and CEO of the organization is Michelle D. Bernard, who assumed the role in January 2006. Before joining the IWF, Bernard, who holds a "juris doctor" from Georgetown University Law Center, served in the executive office of the 2000 Bush-Cheney Presidential Inaugural Committee and as a partner at the Washington, D.C. law office of Patton Boggs, LLP. ["Michelle D. Bernard." Independent Women's Forum." IWF.org. [http://iwf.org/experts/ex_bernard.asp] ]

The IWF has been described as "a virtual 'Who's Who' of Washington's Republican establishment". People for the American Way, which is critical of the organization, describes IWF as "a secular counterpart to Religious Right women’s groups like Eagle Forum and Concerned Women for America...." As a secular organization, IWF takes no official position on abortion or same-sex marriage. ["The Right-Wing Affiliations of Bush Administration Officials." People for the American Way. [http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=6182] ] In October 2003, the IWF announced an affiliation with Citizens for a Sound Economy, now Americans For Prosperity, with whom it shares its premises.

Opposition to other feminist groups

IWF challenges what it calls "radical feminist positions." However, others view positions such as encouraging women in the sciences, looking critically at the gender wage gap, and supporting programs like social security and universal health care as liberal feminist positions.Fact|date=September 2008

Women in the sciences

Judith Kleinfeld, who is affiliated with IWF and is a professor of psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, [Kleinfeld, Judith S. "MIT Tarnishes Its Reputation with Gender Junk Science." Independent Women's Forum. 14 December 1999. [http://www.uaf.edu/northern/mitstudy/] ] notably criticized an MIT study ["A Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT." "MIT Faculty Newsletter", Vol. XI, No. 4. March 1999. [http://web.mit.edu/fnl/women/women.html] ] on discrimination against women in MIT's science department, calling their findings "junk science."

Disputing the "gender gap"

On a broader scale, IWF-affiliated writers have assailed the assertion that an income "gender gap" exists because of institutional misogyny. Instead, they argue that any disparity that exists between the wages earned by men and women can be accounted for by women's demand for flexibility, fewer hours, and less travel in their careers. In an article for the "Dallas Morning News", IWF Vice-President for Policy and Economics and work-from-home mother [Lopes, Gregory. "New mom gets best of both worlds." "Washington Times". 28 December 2006. [http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/19188.html] [http://web.archive.org/web/20070102004935/http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20061227-105342-3586r.htm] ] Carrie Lukas argues that,:"In truth, I'm the cause of the wage gap – I and hundreds of thousands of women like me. I have a good education and have worked full time for 10 years. Yet throughout my career, I've made things other than money a priority. ... [W] omen tend to place a higher priority on flexibility and personal fulfillment than do men, who focus more on pay. Women tend to avoid jobs that require travel or relocation, and they take more time off and spend fewer hours in the office than men do. Men disproportionately take on the most dirty, dangerous and depressing jobs." [Lukas, Carrie. "Women's own choices may be behind wage gap." "Dallas Morning News". 15 April 2007. [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-lukas_15edi.ART.State.Edition1.4306e69.html] ]

Linda Chavez credits "Women's Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economic Progress of Women in America", a 1999 book published in part by the IWF, with "debunk [ing] much of the feminists' voodoo economics." [Chavez, Linda. "How to spend Equal Pay Day." "Jewish World Review". 6 April 1999. [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/chavez040699.asp] ] John Stossel has cited Michelle Bernard's 2007 book "Women's Progress" as evidence that "American women have never enjoyed more options or such a high quality of life." [Stossel, John. "Women's Progress: Damsels in Distress?." "Capitalism Magazine". 5 December 2006. [http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4852] ]

Politically incorrect book

IWF Vice-President for Policy and Economics Carrie Lukas wrote the 2006 book "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism", the seventh book in the "Politically Incorrect Guide" series from Regnery Press. In the book, Lukas argues that modern-day feminism seeks to aggrandize government programs in ways that would have the effect of reducing women's autonomy. In an interview about the book, Lukas asserts that,:" [T] he feminist movement, instead of appreciating the success it has had and the fact that women now do have all these opportunities, keeps pushing for more. They want bigger government programs–they see the government as something that should really replace the role that families used to play in women's lives. They want Uncle Sam to be our new provider, take care of us, and provide health care, free day care, and welfare. They also see government as the solution for all of women's problems. I think that is one of the ways in which they have betrayed the idea of individuals making their own decisions, and living with the consequences of those decisions. Now they want taxpayers to bear the costs of women's decisions." [Giachino, Renee. "In Our Opinion: Politically Incorrect Advice for Women Graduates." Center for Individual Freedom. 9 June 2006. [http://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/in_our_opinion/politically-incorrect-advice-women.html] ]

Education policy and campus programs

The Forum is active in education policy discussions and focuses on a number of different issues both in primary/secondary education and higher education.

Title IX enforcement

Since shortly after the organization's inception, the IWF has joined with groups like the National Wrestling Coaches Association in opposing the manner in which the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has enforced Title IX gender equality legislation. The 1972 Title IX law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." [UnitedStatesCode|20|1681] According to IWF senior fellow Christine Stolba, the law has resulted in a number of negative, unintended consequences. ["Transcript: Interview With Scott Palmer, Christine Stolba." "Sunday Morning". CNN. 30 June 2002. [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0206/30/sm.22.html] ] Elaborating on the group's position, Stolba asserts,:"The (women's forum) is often accused of opposing Title IX. But we don't oppose Title IX.... What we're opposing is the way the Office for Civil Rights chooses to enforce Title IX. Given their regulations, colleges are enforcing statistical proportionality.... Common sense and poll data suggest that men are more interested in playing sports than women. But there are more female students than male. It becomes a numbers game, where the number of athletes has to be proportional. The easiest way to do that is to cut men's teams." [Benson, Dave. "Taking a Hit." "Fort Wayne News Sentinel". 2007. [http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/projects/title9/title910.php] ]

In support of the group's claims that—absent current Title IX enforcement—men are more likely to enroll in collegiate athletic programs than women, the IWF conducted a 1998 survey that examined the percentage of students at all-women's schools participating in athletics compared to the percentage of female students participating in similar programs at undergraduate schools generally. The survey found that female students at co-educational schools are far more likely to be student athletes. Jeremy Rabkin cited the survey in an April 1999 article in the "American Spectator", asking, "If 'discrimination' keeps down the proportion of women athletes at co-ed schools, what accounts for overall participation rates that are half of the national women's average at Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley, and Smith?" [Rabkin, Jeremy. "Gender Benders." "American Spectator". 1 April 1999. Hosted by the Center for Individual Rights. [http://www.cir-usa.org/articles/82.html] ]

Advocacy for school choice

In response to falling test scores in American public elementary, middle, and high schools, particularly among young boys, IWF created its Women For School Choice project. The effort targets in part what the organization describes as the negative results of the Women's Educational Equity Act. According to researcher Krista Kafer, whose report was published by the IWF,:"WEEA is a solution without a problem. The program wastes money that would be better spent on actual crises--boys' literacy for example--or returned to taxpayers.... Girls are more engaged and ambitious in school, while boys are more likely to suffer academic and behavioral problems." [Lips, Dan. "Outdated Federal 'Gender Equity' Program Illustrates Need for More School Choice." "School Reform News". Heartland Institute. 1 June 2007. [http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21235] ]

The creation of this project was also largely a reaction [Lukas, Carrie. "Anti-Choice Extremists!" "National Review Online". 11 March 2004. [http://www.nationalreview.com/lukas/lukas200403110945.asp] ] to the National Organization for Women's vocal opposition to single-sex schools, which decried such arrangements as unacceptable modern examples of segregation. ["NOW Opposes Single-Sex Public Education as 'Separate and Unequal.'" National Organization for Women. NOW.org. 24 October 2006. [http://www.now.org/press/10-06/10-24.html] ]

2006 Duke University lacrosse case

After rape accusations against Duke University lacrosse players surfaced in March 2006, the IWF was quick to call attention to the fact that the parties involved in the case were receiving much attention in the press, something that would be harmful to their reputations regardless of the ultimate legal outcome. In April 2006, Carrie Lukas of the IWF said,:"At Duke, a woman has accused three men of raping her. Two have been indicted. We know the names of the accused; we've seen their pictures; their lives will never be the same.... Perhaps the evidence will show they... committed the heinous crime of rape. If so, they will be and they should be severely punished. Yet the media so quick to sensationalize the accuser's account and condemn the lacrosse players now is revealing facts suggesting that the accused might be innocent of this crime." [Lukas, Carrie. "One in Four? Rape myths do injustice, too." Canadian Children's Rights Council. 27 April 2006. [http://www.canadiancrc.com/articles/IWF_One_In_Four_Rape_Stat_27APR06.htm] ]

Columnist Michael Gaynor, writing for Alan Keyes' organization Renew America, noted IWF's early criticism of the school's and the district attorney's mishandling of the case, saying, "The Independent Women's Forum's Charlotte Allen figured out early that the real scandal was the way the players were mistreated and her posts during April of 2006 on the IWF website showed a commendable concern with due process and evidence instead of rushing to an erroneous misjudgment." [Gaynor, Michael. "Duke case: Fair, smart and right from the start independent women." Renew America. 16 March 2007. [http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/gaynor/070316] ]

Campus programs

The organization emphasizes traditional family roles and cultural norms as essential for civil society. In particular, IWF encourages young women to embrace what it presents as a healthy attitude towards dating, courtship, and marriage. [Fletcher, Michael A. "Campus Romance, Unrequited." "Washington Post". 26 July 2001. [http://www.americanvalues.org/html/campus_romance_unrequited.html] ] This emphasis is reflected by high-profile, sometimes controversial [Morse, Anne. "A Little Beige Controversy." "Boundless". [http://www.boundless.org/2000/features/a0000161.html] ] work on college campuses where IWF sponsors advertising campaigns and literature distribution to promote its views. One such effort included the running of advertisements with provocative headings such as "The Ten Most Common Feminist Myths." [Young, Cathy. "Ad Anger." "Reason". 31 May 2001. [http://www.reason.com/news/show/31927.html] ] IWF also offers internships in its Washington, D.C. offices ["IWF is Searching for Junior Fellows!" Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. [http://www.iwf.org/campuscorner/junior_fellow.asp] ] and sponsors an annual essay contest open to full-time female undergraduate students. ["Mrs. Cheney Honors IWF Essay Contest Winners." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. 23 May 2006. [http://www.iwf.org/issues/issues_detail.asp?ArticleID=894] ]

As a reaction to reports of growing promiscuity on college campuses [Denizet-Lewis, Benoit. "Friends, Friends With Benefits and the Benefits of the Local Mall." "New York Times". 30 May 2004. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/30/magazine/30NONDATING.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5007&en=b8ab7c02ae2d206b&ex=1401249600] ] and the V-Day movement founded by Eve Ensler, IWF created its "Take Back the Date" campus program to "reclaim Valentine's Day from radical feminists on campus who use a day of love and romance to promote vulgar and promiscuous behavior through activities like "The Vagina Monologues".""She Thinks Campus Corner: Take Back the Date." Independent Women's Forum. IWF.org. [http://www.iwf.org/campuscorner/tbtd.asp] ] [Harris, Lynn. "Broadsheet: Take Back the Date." "Salon.com". 7 February 2007. [http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/02/07/take_back_the_date/index.html] ] Specifically addressing the controversial play, IWF's "Take Back the Date" release states that, "although the play raises money for a good cause, the hyper-sexualized play counteracts the positive contributions of the feminist movement and degrades women." The IWF program's advice for Valentine's Day states::"Guys: Take women out. Open doors. Buy them flowers. Women: Let guys take you out. If you like a guy, ask him out yourself. Pass out IWF's [literature] on campus as a way to restore chivalry and personal responsibility among students."In an article in "The Guardian", one critic claimed that the program was merely " [r] evamping outdated notions of femininity and positioning them as cutting edge." [Valenti, Jessica. "Chastity is Chic." "The Guardian". 28 July 2006. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,1832128,00.html] ]

International programs

Since its founding, IWF has sponsored numerous conferences, panels, and other programs designed to promote its message to an international audience. These primarily include activities and events discussing or taking place in the countries of Iraq ["Project: Women in Iraq: The War in Iraq, The War Against Terrorism, and The Fight for Democratic Freedom." Independent Women's Foum. IWF.org. " [http://www.iwf.org/iraq/default.asp] ] and Afghanistan, and focus on promoting female participation in democracy.

In October 2004, the Feminist Majority Foundation objected to the U.S. Department of State's decision to award part of a grant to IWF for "leadership training, democracy education and coalition building assistance" to women in Iraq, claiming that, "the IWF represents a small group of right-wing wheeler-dealers inside the Beltway." ["State Department Funds Anti-Women's Rights Group To Train Iraqi Women." "Feminist Daily News Wire". Feminist Majority Foundation. 5 October 2004. [http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/printnews.asp?id=8669] ] IWF's work in Iraq is in concert with that of the American Islamic Conference and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a neo-conservative think tank.

ources of funding

The IWF operates through funds provided by donor organizations. It has been described by the left-wing [ "Kudos for MediaTransparency." MediaTransparency. Cursor, Inc. [http://www.cursor.org/about/kudosformediatransparency.php] ] group MediaTransparency as being "largely funded by the conservative movement." [http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipientgrants.php?recipientID=163 Recipient Grants: Independent Women's Forum] , "Media Transparency", accessed 19 May 2008] Sources of funding include three of Richard Mellon Scaife's four Scaife Foundations. A full breakdown of foundation donors is given below:

* Scaife Foundations

Board members

[
Heather Higgins appearing on "Real Time with Bill Maher".] The board is chaired by investment fund executive Heather Higgins with other members Mary Arnold, Carol T. Crawford, Jennifer Ashworth Dinh, Randy Parris Kendrick and Larry Kudlow. These staff are complemented by 'directors emeritae'; these include Second Lady of the United States Lynne V. Cheney, neoconservative writer Midge Decter, Kimberly O. Dennis, the Mercatus Center's Wendy Lee Gramm, Elizabeth Lurie, Washington editor of "National Review" Kate O'Beirne, and Louise V. Oliver.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.iwf.org/ Official site]
*Independent Women's Forum, " [http://www.iwf.org/articles/article_detail.asp?ArticleID=677 IWF Awarded Grant to Support Iraqi Women] ," September 28, 2004.
* [http://www.venuszine.com/articles/art_and_culture/culture/306/this_is_what_an_anti_feminist_looks_like This is What an Anti-Feminist Looks Like] , letter to "Venus Zine" about IWF