New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women Receives Funds for Update of Legal Handbook

Press Advisory
June 13, 2008

Received by the State Commission were: a Grant from Women’s Fund of New Hampshire, a 2008 Justice Grant Award from New Hampshire Bar Foundation and Funds from New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association.

Concord - The New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women was recently awarded grants and received funds to complete the major revision, update and printing of A Legal Handbook for Women in New Hampshire, as well as Manual De Derechos De Las Mujeres De New Hampshire, the Spanish edition.

Funds received to date include a donation from the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, a 2008 Justice Grant Award from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation’s Advancement of Justice, Stanley M. & Thalia M. Brown, and Voluntary Prevention funds, and a grant from the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire, a statewide foundation that focuses all of its resources on women and girls in the Granite State.

The New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women advocates on behalf of the diverse population of the State’s women by identifying and seeking to remedy historical and institutional discriminations that act as social, political and economic barriers to the full realization of women’s rights. At the core of promoting positive change for women in this State is its publication of A Legal Handbook for Women in New Hampshire. This vital resource addresses legal needs important in our democratic society in an up-to-date and easy to understand format. The handbook is designed to provide women of New Hampshire with information about state and federal laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment, divorce, child custody, crime victim’s rights, victims compensation, housing, employment, and other relevant matters. . The goal of the handbook is to provide further knowledge of the law to women in the state. The handbook informs women about needed resources and how to contact these resources.

The update and revision of the handbook is necessary to incorporate changes in statutes and court procedures. Over 10,000 copies of this valuable tool have been distributed free of charge since its first edition in 1996.

The Commission on the Status of Women is deeply honored and grateful to receive recent funding from the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Bar Foundation and the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association to support this important project and resource for all women.

For more information, contact the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women, 603.271.2660, Sylvia.E.Gale@nh.gov