The March meeting of the Lincoln County Democratic Committee, to be held March 26, will focus on issues that are of particular concern to women in Maine and which have been under attack in Maine and other states. Among others, these issues include reproductive rights, equal pay in the workforce and domestic violence. The impact of these issues extends far beyond women, reaching men and children as well, and Maine's economy.

The meeting will be held at the County Communications (911) building behind the Lincoln County Court House in Wiscasset. It will begin with social time at 6:30 p.m. followed by speakers and a panel discussion with question and answer session.

Featured speakers will be Executive Director of Emerge Maine Jill Barkley, and Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby and the Women's Policy Center Eliza Townsend.

Emerge Maine is part of an organization active in 14 states; it is recruiting, training and inspiring Democratic women to run for office. Emerge Maine believes that “too often women do not see themselves running for office — they assume they are not experienced enough or they do not know where to begin. Emerge Maine is changing that.”

Barkley is a community organizer and public policy advocate with degrees from the Universities of Michigan and Colorado. She came to Maine to take a position with the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and has also worked for the Maine Civil Liberties Union and in organizing Republicans United for Marriage during the Yes on 1 campaign. She has won leadership awards from the League of Young Voters and Equality Maine.

The non-partisan Maine Women's Lobby has been working for more than 30 years, to increase opportunities (through education and advocacy) on behalf of women and girls and to ensure that women and girls in Maine can lead healthy and productive lives free from violence and discrimination. Its focus is on four core issues: economic security, health care and reproductive rights, civil rights, and freedom from violence.

Townsend represented part of Portland in the Maine House of Representatives for 8 years, then moved into the nonprofit sector when she became the first executive director of the Maine League of Conservation Voters & Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund. During her tenure, the Conservation Voters convened the Environmental Priorities Coalition comprising two dozen diverse groups that agree to (and advocate for) a common legislative agenda. Townsend left the Conservation Voters when she joined the Maine Department of Conservation, where she served first as deputy commissioner and later commissioner.

The meeting promises to be lively, informative and interesting, with an underlying theme of developing solutions and taking action to ensure solutions are implemented. It is open to the public, and all who are concerned about protecting women’s rights and advancing equality at the state and national levels are welcome to attend.

Attendees are asked to bring a contribution of non-perishable foodstuffs to be given to a local food pantry. For more information, please call 207-380-5103.