Advocacy
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy can include many different things, but at its core, advocacy simply requires that someone cares enough to step forward and take action to bring about change.
Legislators need information – they can’t possibly know everything that is going on, so they rely on their constituents to keep them informed about what matters to their community. This is where your voice can make a difference!
Advocacy can mean writing a letter to your elected official, visiting your legislator at the Capitol in Springfield, testifying at a town hall meeting or legislative committee hearing, and much more. Effective advocacy is all about building relationships with people and sharing your story.
Public Policy Agenda at YWCA of Southwestern Illinois
The public policy agenda at YWCA of Southwestern Illinois has focused most recently continuation of support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, support for victims of domestic violence through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018, and Get Out the Vote Initiatives.
YWCA believes our democracy works best when more citizens show up and participate, which makes our election results more representative of what the people want. One of the best ways to do that is to ensure that every eligible American is registered to vote, regardless of party affiliation or other views. YWCA of Southwestern Illinois has partnered with Alton Housing Authority to hold Voter Rights Education events in the fall, 2018 and will continue such efforts in the future.
YWCA USA Public Policy Agenda
YWCA USA has been at the forefront of the biggest issues for more than 150 years: from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity and from violence prevention to health care reform.
Check out the YWCA USA’s Public Policy Agenda and join us in the fight ensuring peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
What is the Advocacy Committee at YWCA of Southwestern Illinois?
YWCA of Southwestern Illinois advocates on public policy that directly advances our mission and vision and clearly promotes our three signature platforms, which are Health & Safety of Women and Girls, Empowerment & Economic Advancement of Women & Girls, and Racial Justice & Civil Rights.
For more information about how you can be an advocate for women, girls, and people of color, contact, please contact YWCA at 618.465.7774. Join us in doing the work to create real and positive change.
Our two priority areas are:
Violence Against Women: Given the pervasively inadequate responsiveness to violence against women & girls that threatens to continue the cycle of abuse, there has never been a more urgent time to expose the challenges facing women & girls and engage stakeholders to be actively involved.
Racial Justice: Given the embroiled political debate over race and gender equality in our nation and the pervasive fear that threatens to divide us further, there has never been a more urgent time to shine a spotlight on the challenges facing women and girls of color and engage stakeholders to become actively involved in their future.
Pretrial Fairness Act
We did it!
On September 18th, 2023 Illinois implemented the Pretrial Fairness Act and became the first state in the country to end the use of money bail completely. This historic moment results from over six years of organizing by members of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice and support from endorsers like you.
MADISON COUNTY ILLINOIS
Incarcerations
The Pretrial Fairness Act defines the circumstances under which an individual can be incarcerated pretrial and abolishes money bond. Rather than mandating services in jail, people awaiting trial can now be given the opportunity to access those services while remaining in the community and maintaining connections to loved ones.