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American Morning

NOW President-Elect Kim Gandy Speaks Out

Aired July 02, 2001 - 09:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The National Organization for Women has a new president-elect. Her name is Kim Gandy. Still, there are critics out there that say the organization is out of step with what some of today's women want.

Here's Patty Davis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: It's been our honor to work with you, and we're not letting you go.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): National Organization for Women, or NOW, president Patricia Ireland began her goodbyes at NOW's annual conference in Philadelphia. Term limits require Ireland to step down in August, after 10 years as the group's leader.

Ireland has been a vocal feminist, promoting women's issues, some controversial, such as abortion rights. She says there is still more to do.

PATRICIA IRELAND, PRESIDENT, NOW: On almost any issue, you could ask me have we done enough, and the answer would have to be no.

DAVIS: Ireland speaks of big gains for women in the past decade: The 1991 civil rights act, giving women the right to jury trials and damages for employment discrimination; the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, to counter domestic violence; and

IRELAND: We've had tremendous breakthroughs in government, for example, in gaining a foothold for women in the Senate, as we reached 13 women out of 100.

DAVIS: Critics say the group under Ireland has lost touch with most women, appealing only to the most liberal, while ignoring the needs of those who choose to stay at home.

CHRISTINA HOFF SOMMERS, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM: She lead it rather away from the mainstream of American women, who could use a women's movement. We need a women's movement that's grounded on good information and basic principles of fairness and common sense. The National Organization for Women is not that movement.

DAVIS: NOW's new president, 47-year-old Louisiana lawyer Kim Gandy...

KIM GANDY, PRESIDENT-ELECT, NOW: I am ready for the political battles ahead.

DAVIS: ... says her first priority is to keep abortion legal.

(on camera): As for NOW's future, Gandy says she'll try to expand the group's reach by reaching out to women who don't consider themselves feminist but want equal rights and opportunities just the same.

Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And joining us now is the president-elect of the National Organization for Women, Kim Gandy.

Kim, good morning and congratulations on your new post.

KIM GANDY, PRESIDENT-ELECT, NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN: Good morning. Thank you very much.

KAGAN: You've been involved on the inside of this organization since the '70s, now it's your turn at the helm. Your top priority will be to fight for abortion rights, is that right?

GANDY: Well, my top priority for the four-year term is to make sure that we send George Bush back to Texas.

KAGAN: But other than that, in terms of what you think is important for women?

GANDY: Yes. There are many issues that are very important. Certainly abortion rights and birth control are two that are under extreme attack from the Bush administration and ones that are in the most jeopardy if he has the opportunity to stack the Supreme Court with two or three or even four right-wing political extremists who oppose women's' rights at every level.

KAGAN: As I understand it, you're the mother of two young children?

GANDY: That's right, I have two little girls.

KAGAN: And there are a lot of women out there who have been critical of NOW, women like yourself who are young mothers who say, you know what, well it's very interesting to go after these kind of high-minded certain principles, but you know what, that organization is not out there fighting for the kind of things that we need and things like health care and child care and other issues that concern young families.

GANDY: And, you know, it's because they're not informed about the work we do. NOW works on a huge range of issues that affect all women's lives. And we intend to do everything it takes to make sure that the women of this country get the respect their deserve, get the rights they deserve and get fair and equal treatment and opportunities in this country. That's what's fair to all of us. And the women of this county who believe in those things and the men who care about them are going to join our movement.

KAGAN: Do you find that there are women out there who want the things that feminism stands for yet the word feminist has kind of become taboo? They don't want to call themselves a feminist but they want all the stuff that goes with it?

GANDY: Yes, certainly the word has been attacked in the media, but if you look at the dictionary, it says feminism is a belief in the social and political equality of women. And that's a no-brainer for most people that they don't like the word but they absolutely believe the philosophy. And we believe that those people could be active contributors to this movement and make a difference in their own lives...

KAGAN: In terms of...

GANDY: ... and in everyone else's lives.

KAGAN: In terms of contributors, I also read that you want to get more men involved in NOW. What's a guy going to do in a national organization for women? What's in it for them?

GANDY: We have a lot of male members in the organization. Our membership is - we estimate it somewhere between 10 and 15 percent men. My husband's a longtime member, and men can certainly make a contribution to the women's movement both financial and emotional support and by being members and being counted as people who support women's rights.

KAGAN: And, Kim, quickly, on a personal note, you're from Louisiana, as Patty Davis remarked in her - in her piece there,...

GANDY: Yes.

KAGAN: ... what's a nice southern girl like you doing in an organization for feminists?

GANDY: Well, I'll tell you. Organizing for women's rights in the deep south is pretty hard work but the women who do it are the most amazing, strong, dedicated, determined group of women I have ever worked with and I love all those steel magnolias from my region.

KAGAN: I was going to say a steel magnolia taking over the helm at NOW.

Kim Gandy, congratulations, and thanks for joining us this morning.

GANDY: Thank you, my pleasure.

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