North Country 116th district Assemblywoman Addie Russell spoke about women's rights and the need for the Women's Equality Act in Albany recently.

North Country women’s rights supporters, along with Assemblywomen Janet Duprey and Addie Russell, recently attended the NY4Women Rally and Lobby Day in support of the Women’s Equality Agenda.

Duprey, R-Peru, who represents Brasher, Hopkinton, Lawrence and Piercefield, told the crowd of supporters that she put the “bi” in bipartisan as the lone Republican to support the bill so far.

Russell, who represents the 116th River District, which includes Seaway towns such as Massena and Ogdensburg, spoke about the women of all ages she believes will be positively impacted by the passage of the Women’s Equality Act.

Thirty-five Women’s Equality Agenda Coalition members from the North Country joined hundreds of others activists to rally for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 10-point plan.

The plain is aimed at improving the lives of women by removing barriers to women’s equal participation in society.

“The North Country can be very proud that two of our own are working hard and taking the lead for all the women of New York State,” said Potsdam’s Donna Seymour, AAUW-NYS public policy director and co-chair of the North Country Women’s Equality Agenda region.

The package of bills would toughen penalties for human sex trafficking and protect victims from being prosecuted for prostitution, require equal pay for women and apply existing Human Rights Law to employers with fewer than four employees in cases of sexual harassment.

It would also prohibit discrimination based on familial status and outlaw housing discrimination against domestic violence victims and create a pilot program in family courts for remote petitioning.