Honoree Profile: Karen DeCrow

Karen DeCrow, a writer and attorney specializing in constitutional law, gender and age discrimination and civil liberties, helped found NOW, and convened the first NOW chapter in Syracuse, NY, where she served as president in 1967.

She was a member of NOW's national board from 1968 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1977 NOW's national president. Under her leadership, NOW persuaded NASA to recruit women; challenged and changed the Public Accommodations law to include "sex" as one of the protected categories; persuaded the EEOC to investigate sex discrimination complaints in addition to race; and pressured the three national networks to include women and minorities in front of and behind the camera.

During her tenure as NOW president, DeCrow influenced traditional women's magazines to show a more balanced view of women and their lives, including attention to gender role stereotypes; fought to integrate the Jaycees and similar organizations; pressured the all-male Ivy League schools to admit women; worked with the armed services to integrate women into their classes; integrated the Little League using legal actions.

Campaigning for passage of the ERA, she traveled around the country, debating Phyllis Shlafly more than 50 times. After NY legalized abortion in 1972, the year before Roe v Wade, she spent much of her time escorting women from all over the world who had come to NYC for abortions. In 1988 DeCrow cofounded World Woman Watch with Robert Seidenberg, M.D., to urge world leaders not to use religion or culture to mask sex discrimination.

Having also cofounded the Central NY Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, she served as its president from 1989 to 1990. Among her notable books are The Young Woman's Guide to Liberation and Sexist Justice (1974).

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