BOSTON--Women's rights activist Gloria Steinem joined five other panelists at Northeastern University yesterday in attacking GOP presidential candidate Robert J. Dole and praising Democratic candidates for their commitment to women.

"Clinton understands the issue [of domestic violence]--Dole doesn't," Steinem said. "Dole opposed the crime bill so strongly that he led a filibuster against it, and even when it was there, he led a campaign to cut funding by 45 percent."

"The ultra right-wing believes that the domestic violence bill is anti-family values because it interferes with the hierarchy," she added. "They control the Republican party."

Steinem was joined in her support of many Democratic candidates for office by her fellow panelists.

Beth Roland, a domestic violence advocate and attorney at the Boston Law Firm of Mintz Levin, highlighted two parts of the crime bill advocated by Clinton that aided women--a provision to aid arrest and conviction of criminals who flee across country boundaries, and federal, as opposed to state, restraining orders.

Debra Robbin, a domestic violence advocate and director of education and training at Casa Myrna Vasquez, a shelter for battered women and children, also spoke favorably of the crime bill.

"Many women who die [from domestic violence] had done 'all the right things,'--they left the abuser, relocated and got a restraining order," Robbin said.

Robbin said the Assault Weapons Bill would prevent these murders by restricting abusers from owning assault weapons.

Steinem extended her praise of Clinton to Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who is running for re-election this fall, while criticizing his Republican challenger, Gov. William F. Weld '66.

"Kerry leads, fights and understands [domestic violence issues] and does what it takes to get things done," Steinem said. "Weld talked a good game, but the fact is that he is not a friend to women. Kerry has been there for women; he's an unwavering supporter of women's rights and women's right to choose."

Steinem indicated that politicians can also help reduce domestic violence by helping society change its fundamental assumptions about women's rights.

"Gender role conditioning makes women tend to usually become the victim," she said. "We need to unearth the assumption of dominance that goes deep into society."

Despite her spirited defense of Democratic figures and attacks on Republicans, Steinem said he looks beyond party affiliation in her endorsements.

"We need to...figure out how the issues and the candidates affect our lives," she said. "It's beyond the level of party labels."

Steinem said that although just one-third of the population is turning to the direction of the ultra right-wing and two-thirds turn towards a more progressive view, "the one-third has been voting more and more and the two-thirds has been voting less and less."

This is no coincidence, Steinem continued.

"The Republican party is leading a conscious campaign to discourage us from voting...by saying that the political system is distant from your lives, your vote won't matter....The right wing understands that they can't win the majority vote."