Archives: Our Impact

2013: UltraViolet Year In Review

2013 has been a big year! We raised our voices together in some of the biggest fights for women, and we made real difference–and it’s all thanks to the 550,000 members of UltraViolet who spoke out and showed up.

Thank you for all you do and for being a part of this growing movement! Click here to learn more about your 2013 impact!

Judge Nina Pillard confirmed to the DC Circuit Court

UltraViolet members asked the Senate to confirm Professor Nina Pillard, a strong advocate for women’s rights, to the DC Circuit Court. When Pillard was blocked, UltraViolet members successfully lobbied for the Senate filibuster rules to be reformed, and Pillard was officially confirmed to the bench.

Clear Channel Ends Ban on Women’s Health Center Ads

More than 62,000 UltraViolet members joined in a campaign calling for Clear Channel to end their ban on advertising for South Wind Women’s Center in Kansas, and those members made more than 3,200 calls into Clear Channel’s main office.

Reebok Drops Rick Ross

Nearly 100,000 UltraViolet members signed a petition demanding Reebok drop Rick Ross, more than 10,000 called Reebok demanding action, more than 2,000 tweeted the company, and nearly 100 protested in front of Reebok’s NYC flagship, before Reebok finally dropped Rick Ross and joined the fight against rape culture.

Congress reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act

When congressional conservatives blocked reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, UltraViolet Action members–including over 2000 survivors of domestic violence–generated hundreds of calls and 100,000 petition signatures to Congress, and donated to fund a hard-hitting television ad, ultimately helping push Congress to pass an expanded and improved VAWA.

Facebook appoints Sheryl Sandberg to its board

Right before Facebook went public, Ultraviolet delivered a petition to Facebook headquarters in New York City signed by more than 53,000 people demanding Facebook appoint women to their board and released this video to highlight the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raNwYycMHfc

Facebook then appointed Sheryl Sandberg to its board. The fact of the matter is our months long campaign should have never been necessary. Putting women on the boards of major corporations should be a no brainer and standard business practice. Sadly it is not. We hope this is a first step for Facebook and in the coming months more women will be added to their board. In addition, we hope that other companies with all male boards, particularly those in the tech sector, will follow Facebook’s lead.

140 advertisers pull ads from Rush Limbaugh’s program

Rush Limbaugh called a Georgetown grad student a “slut” dozens of times on national radio after she testified in favor of insurance coverage for birth control. UltraViolet members demanded accountability, and ultimately got 140 of Rush’s advertisers to pull their ads from his radio program.

Karen Handel Resigns from Susan G. Komen for the Cure

More than 37,000 UltraViolet members demanded that Susan G. Komen for the Cure ask Karen Handel to step down as Vice President of Public Policy, because of news reports showing that Handel was the chief architect of the decision to defund Planned Parenthood’s services around breast cancer prevention.