Advocacy and AAUW

Advocacy and AAUW

The mission of AAUW is advancing gender equity through research, education and advocacy.

There are many ways that AAUW Naperville Area branch members can engage in advocacy to further the mission of AAUW right here in Illinois.

Our branch has a public policy committee, called I-ACT, which provides a strategic, consistent, and purposeful method for branch members to learn about and advocate for public policy issues. We always welcome new members to join in advocacy and hope all will join in branch-wide advocacy efforts when asked!

I-ACT focuses upon these key priority areas:

  1. Adequate and equitable funding for quality public education
  2. Pay equity and fairness in compensation 
  3. Access for all women to a full range of healthcare services, including reproductive health decisions, to ensure economic security
  4. Freedom from violence and fear of violence

To further our advocacy, we are introducing a new e-group – open to all branch members – called Witness Slip Warriors! 

  • To be a Witness Slip Warrior you are committed to checking email several times a day and completing a Witness Slip on a given bill within a few hours of the request.  
  • Completing a Witness Slip takes only a few minutes and instructions will be provided for every request. 
  • Witness Slips tell our Illinois congress people our position on a bill before it comes to a vote or is heard in a committee.  
  • The number of slips a bill receives, either in support or in dissent, makes a significant difference as to legislators.
  • Many organizations have recruited hundreds of members to complete witness slips, so we want to make sure our voices are heard at the Illinois Legislature!

Please contact Elizabeth Carroll, I-ACT Chair, at elizabethbcarroll@gmail.com, to add your name to:

  • The AAUW Naperville Witness Slip Warrior distribution list  
  • The I-ACT Committee roster

We promise that you will feel empowered in helping achieve our mission of gender equity! Here are a few more ways to Take Action:

  • Signing up for AAUW’s Two Minute Activist to advocate for passage of key bills.
  • Donating to a cause
  • Attending a rally
  • Writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed
  • Writing a letter to a congressperson
  • Posting about a cause on social media
  • Filling out a Witness Slip with the Illinois General Assembly