Advocacy: A Key Strategy in Addressing Period Poverty
By Madeline Riske // December 2024
At Love for Red, we use three strategies to address period poverty: service, awareness, and advocacy. This month, we want to focus on the importance of advocacy in our mission. Advocacy is defined as public support for a particular cause or policy. For our organization, this means advocating for the provision of free period products in schools.
One of the ways we work toward this goal is by participating in Day on the Hill, an event where we visit the Iowa State Capitol. The Iowa Legislature, located in the State Capitol, consists of the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa Senate. These two chambers hold the power to create, amend, and repeal laws that shape life in Iowa— including how the state addresses issues like period poverty.
At Day on the Hill, we meet with legislators to urge them to support bills that tackle period poverty and its impact on students in Iowa. We focus on raising awareness about this important issue at the state level and advocating for policy changes that ensure access to essential period products for all students.
You might be wondering, How can I, just one person, make a difference in advocating for this cause? The answer is simple: the more voices we have, the stronger and louder our message becomes. State representatives make decisions that directly affect the lives of their constituents (including you!) on a daily basis. It’s important to let them know when you support or oppose a piece of legislation.
For our cause, this could mean joining our booth at the Capitol or reaching out to your representative through email, phone, or a letter to express the importance of government support in addressing period poverty. Contacting your elected officials is an effective way to make your voice heard.
If you’re unsure how to contact your legislators, visit this website to find out more: How to Contact Iowa Legislators.
Lastly, mark your calendars! You can join the Love for Red team on Thursday, January 16, 2025, for a day dedicated to advocacy and raising awareness about period poverty. Register HERE! to learn.