NWHN's 1st Annual Barbara Seaman Award

Barbara Seaman: a bridge builder between generations of women's health activists.

"There is no single person on earth who has done more to advance women's health, to make an intimate difference in millions of women's lives, and to inform consumers so they can transform healthcare."
- Gloria Steinem, in her last message to Barbara Seaman, February 2008.

 

You're Invited to the NWHN's Annual Fall Fundraiser in Honor of the Memory of Barbara Seaman, NWHN co-founder, mentor, colleague, author and visionary.

Join us in celebrating Barbara's life as we present the first Barbara Seaman Award for Activism in Women's Health to Lynn Paltrow and Gina Arias.

Monday, October 6th, 2008
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Reception hosted by Sybil Shainwald
955 Fifth Avenue
New York City

Lynn Paltrow, J.D., is founder and Executive Director, National Advocates for Pregnant Women. She recognized the need for a shift in the reproductive rights paradigm – away from divisive (and inaccurate) "pro-choice" and "anti-choice" categorizations and toward a set of inclusive, positive reproductive and family justice values around which a broad base of allies can mobilize. Lynn has worked as a lead litigator and advocate at the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, and at Planned Parenthood NYC. She is a graduate of Cornell University and NYU School of Law and has been recognized for her creative legal work and innovative organizing strategies.

Lynn received the Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellowship, the Georgetown Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship, and the Justice Gerald Le Dain Award for Achievement in the Field of Law. She was selected by Women's Enews as one of 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.

Gina Arias is the Program Director for Empowerment and Wellness at Housing Works in Brooklyn, NY where she ensures that the health needs of people living with HIV/AIDS are met with dignity.  Previously, she led public policy and advocacy efforts in HIV prevention at Gay Men’s Health Crisis.  Gina co-coordinated the New York Microbicides Working Group which successfully garnered support from the New York City Council.  Gina combines her interest in quality health services for all women with her work to change policy.  She’s trained community health workers in multiple settings, served as a community educator herself when she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, and advocated for more funding for a peer-led education project.   Gina also gets directly involved in women’s health services as a BirthFocus doula.  Her study of school violence in East New York, Brooklyn was included in Deadly Lessons: Understanding Lethal School Violence, published by National Academies Press. Gina received a dual Masters degree from Columbia University in Public Health and International Affairs.