REPORT TO:

The Honorable Christine Gregoire, Governor
State of Washington
The Honorable Kathy Haigh, Chair
Washington State House of Representatives
State Government Operations and Accountability Committee
The Honorable Jim Kastama, Chair
Washington State Senate
Government Operations and Elections Committee

FROM: THE WASHINGTON STATE WOMEN’S HISTORY CONSORTIUM

The Women's History Consortium, created by state statute (RCW 27.34.360) in 2005 as a Washington State Historical Society-led initiative, is dedicated to preserving and making available resources about Washington women's history.

Located at the State Capital Museum and Outreach Center in Olympia, the Consortium promotes the preservation of materials related to women's history and improving cultural opportunities statewide. The Women's History Consortium will partner with the State Library, State Archives, Western Washington University, the University of Washington, The Evergreen State College, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Washington State University and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane to launch in fall 2006 a unique website, part of a larger online portal to Washington State Historical Society resources (washingtonhistoryonline) that lists and catalogs sources of information about Washington women's history.

The Consortium, advised by a 15-member board appointed by the Governor and Washington State Legislature, is also charged with making recommendations on the 2009-2010 commemoration of the Women's Suffrage Centennial in Washington.

This report fulfills the responsibilities of the Advisory Board outlined in RCW 27.34.370 (5) to "Develop recommendations for statewide commemoration of the centennial of the adoption in 1910 of the Fifth Amendment to the Washington State Constitution guaranteeing women’s suffrage," and the mandate in RCW 27.34.380 that "The Consortium shall provide a report to the governor and the legislature by September 1, 2006, regarding recommendations for commemorating the 2010 centennial of the women's suffrage amendment to the state constitution."

Women's Votes, Women's Voices, 1910-2010 is the recommended Washington Centennial Suffrage Commemoration in 2009-2010. will not only highlight the history of women's suffrage but also voting has influenced Washington State history as well as how ethnic and economic groups achieved a voice in public life, despite

In 1909, the Washington State Legislature approved submitting the state constitution, establishing women's right to vote. Women's approved by male voters on November 8, 1910, by a margin successful suffrage ratification campaign was conducted during commemoration would similarly extend through 2009-10.

• Provide leadership to accomplish a meaningful commemoration that offers educational and celebratory opportunities as well as creating long lasting legacies with a distinctive identity.
• Serve the statewide public by developing projects and programs that appeal to a variety of ages, communities, populations and geographic areas and invite participation using a variety of communication strategies and media.
• Create strategic partnerships that multiply the effectiveness of and participation in the commemoration.
• Connect Washington Women’s Suffrage to the nationwide efforts which culminated in the national enfranchisement of women in 1920.

1. Develop partnerships with museums, libraries, historical societies, state and local agencies, non-profits, tribes, media, the private sector and other groups through the work of a staff outreach coordinator:

• Solicit ideas and input from organizations and the public on exhibits, publications and other programs of the Suffrage Centennial.
• Collaborate in partners' existing programs, events, and projects to highlight women's history and Suffrage Centennial themes.
• Leverage public funds by encouraging private sector funding support of the projects and programs of the Suffrage Centennial.
• Provide accurate and inspirational educational materials about Washington Women's Suffrage history, especially via the Women’s History Consortium website, to foster meaningful events and programs.
• Collaborate with county auditors and the Secretary of State as well as the League of Women Voters and other non-profit voting advocacy groups to emphasize the struggle for Women's Suffrage in Washington through voter information materials.
• Identify a liaison in each county to work with a Centennial Outreach Coordinator.
• Develop a media plan to assure statewide participation in the Centennial projects.

2. Develop Exhibits:

• Plan and produce a major exhibit on the history of Women's Suffrage in Washington and associated themes. The Washington State Historical Society will collaborate with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane as co-curators for the exhibit which is scheduled to be hosted by the Washington State History Museum, Tacoma; Yakima Valley Museum, in Yakima; Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane; and the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.
• Develop a smaller traveling exhibit based on the major exhibit and provide grant funding to help statewide venues host the exhibit and develop complementary displays and programs to help each community customize its display.

3. Establish a statewide grant program which could fund:

• Access to speakers, programs, and exhibits.
• Restoration of historic sites associated with women’s history.
• Installation of interpretative materials at women’s history sites.
• Projects to professionally archive women’s history materials.

1. Develop women's suffrage and women's history curriculum materials, including web-based information, for students in all grade levels in consultation with Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, educators, and college and university teacher-training programs.

2. Develop, distribute and make available online a poster and information kit for every school and museum in the state about the Washington Women’s Suffrage Centennial.

3. Fund a Context Statement (a comprehensive document used to nominate historic places) on Washington women's history in partnership with the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. This document will facilitate nominations to local, state and national registers of historic places of properties related to Washington women’s history.

Encourage groups to give theatrical and musical performances which highlight Washington women's suffrage themes.

Encourage arts and cultural organizations to create, exhibit and preserve suffragerelated works of art—including quilts and other women’s arts and crafts.

1. In 2007, 2008, 2009, use the month of March, nationally recognized as Women's History Month, as a springboard to the 2010 Suffrage Centennial by increasing awareness of women's history and women's suffrage history. Develop materials that can be downloaded easily from the Women’s History Consortium website for use by schools, businesses and government as well as the public.

2. Encourage commemorations on February 25, 2009 and November 8, 2010 around the state with coordinated events.

3. Encourage existing statewide and community events such as fairs, parades and conferences to include Women’s Suffrage themes in 2009-10.

1. Fund a companion book to the major exhibit on the Washington Women’s Suffrage Centennial, a catalogue for the exhibit and a free brochure that would also be available with the traveling exhibits. Offer the exhibit brochure in alternative formats and languages. These items would be available for the opening of the major exhibit in early 2009.

2. Encourage a special tabloid section on the Suffrage Centennial in regional newspapers for November, 2010.

Identify and license commemorative items on a limited basis that are reproductions of the 1909-1910 Suffrage Campaign or other historically-accurate materials.

To carry out the goals, projects and programs for a successful Washington Suffrage Centennial Commemoration, the Women's History Consortium will work with groups representing a broad spectrum of interests across Washington.

These groups include:

• Museums
• Libraries
• Historical societies
• State government agencies such as the Washington Arts Commission and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
• Humanities Washington
• Public and private colleges and universities
• Local and federal government entities
• Tribes
• Ethnic groups
• Non-profit organizations
• Fairs
• Festivals
• Churches and church groups
• Women’s organizations and other service groups
• PTAs
• Corporations and businesses
• Media
• Tourism groups
• Washington History Day
• Home school groups
• WHC web partners
• Voter advocacy groups such as the League of Women Voters
• Labor organizations
• Washington State Grange
• K-12 schools and educators
• Other appropriate groups

Web-based Outreach:

• Feature the recommendations on the Women's History Consortium (WHC) and Women's History Consortium Web Partners' websites.
• Provide web-based feedback opportunities on the WHC website to facilitate comments and/or provide suggestions on the recommendations.

Opportunities for Comment/Input:

• Work through the Washington Museum Association, Heritage Caucus, Pacific Northwest Historians Guild, Association of King County Historical Associations and other like groups to solicit ideas and input from local museums and historical societies.
• Conduct focus groups or other surveys about projects and exhibits through Washington State History Museum in western Washington, a central Washington Museum, and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane.

Media:

• Staff will provide information to media outlets on the recommendations.

Events:

• Through the Washington State Historical Society Heritage Resource Center, organize two public workshops in fall 2006 in eastern and western Washington. At the workshops, present information on women’s history and the Women’s History Consortium program as well as the Suffrage Centennial ideas, particularly local involvement strategies and exhibit ideas for input and comment.
• Publicize the recommendations at the November 2006 Suffrage Centennial

Fundraising event.

• Feature women's history, the Women's History Consortium and the Suffrage Centennial Commemoration Recommendations -- including local involvement and Centennial exhibit ideas -- at the February 2007 Washington State Heritage Conference organized by the Washington State Historical Society in Olympia.