Jessica Neuwirth

On the heels of Illinois becoming the 37th state since 1972 to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on Wednesdaynight, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), House sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment (H.J. Res. 33), will host a shadow hearing on the need for an Equal Rights Amendment on Wednesday, June 6 from 3 – 5pm on Capitol Hill. Hearing witnesses will be actress and activist Alyssa Milano, Co-President of the ERA Coalition Carol Robles-Román, and Jessica Lenahan, plaintiff in Supreme Court case Castle Rock v. Gonzales. In April,Maloney sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte requesting a hearing on the ERA but has received no response. There has not been a Congressional hearing on the ERA since 1984.

The Women's City Club of New York (WCC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of New Yorkers, hosted its centennial Civic Spirit Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 21 honoring five women for their contributions to society through philanthropy, advocacy, and leadership. Check out the photos from the evening below!

Manhattan Theatre Club is pleased to announce that After Words, the popular discussion series which has been a success at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre will come to MTC at New York City Center for the world premiere of Lynn Nottage's RUINED, the haunting, probing work about the resilience of the human spirit during times of war. The series will make its debut at New York City Center on Saturday, January 31 following the matinee performance of RUNED. The panel will feature RUINED playwright Lynn Nottage and Jessica Neuwirth, a founder and current president of Equality Now. The discussion will be moderated by MTC Artistic Associate Lisa McNulty. After Words is part of MTC's continuing effort to deepen and enrich the play-going experience for its audiences. Held after selected Saturday matinees, this exciting series of talks with writers, cultural critics, journalists, and members of the RUINED cast and creative team provides provocative and illuminating insights into the political, cultural, and artistic contexts of the work MTC produces.

Meryl Streep, fresh from the Oscars, hosted a benefit on March 7 at Bridge & Tunnel for her charity, Equality Now.