Karen Boehning (1945 -)

Karen Ruth Boehning was born and raised on the North Side of Chicago and became active in anti-war demonstrations in the city in 1967-68. She joined the Chicago Chapter of National Organization for Women in 1969 shortly after it was established. In 1970 she co-chaired the Women’s Strike for Equality in Chicago, called nationally by Betty Friedan to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of women’s right to vote in the U.S. In 1971 she became president of the Chicago Chapter of NOW and at that time she was also an Illinois delegate to the 1971 founding convention of the National Women’s Political Caucus in Washington D.C. Once home, she was active in forming the Chicago chapter of this organization. When the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Illinois began in 1972, Karen helped organize the first state wide coalition to support the effort, an issue she devoted herself to until 1980. As chair of Chicago NOW’s Media Action Committee she focused on correcting stereotyped images of women in broadcast programing and advertising. In addition to her feminist activism, Karen was the owner of Diversity Contract Services Inc. beginning in 1986, where she worked with small and minority owned businesses to increase opportunities co-operatively with African American, Hispanic and Asian companies.