ADVOCACY
LiveGirl's advocacy mission is to drive policies and practices that open doors for girls and women. LiveGirl organizes and amplifies youth voices to break down barriers and create a more equitable future in which all girls may thrive.
What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy is about influence. It is about fighting for gender equality and other important issues. It is about speaking up and organizing networks of people who are interested in influencing our society. It is about working with legislators and decision-makers to make a change. Anyone can be an advocate!
Why is advocacy important?
Advocacy is a crucial tool for change regarding a wide range of issues.
At LiveGirl, we harness the power of youth by uniting the diverse voices of girls in Connecticut, delivering a state-wide positive impact. As advocates, we meet with legislators and push bills leading to change. We help girls realize the power of their voice and speak up on issues they are passionate about. We encourage girls to testify at our State Capitol Building and give them an activist experience. We teach girls what it means to make a difference.
Get Involved!
Let’s End AI “Deepfake” Harm on Women and Girls in Connecticut:
Join our Student Coalition!
Our Advocacy Priorities
Get Involved
Step 1: Find your state representative.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp
1) Find your town
2) Select the name of your street
3) Write the number of your address
Tip: It also helps to research your legislator prior to reaching out to them. For example, research what committees they are on. This can help you prepare your story.
Step 2: Find their email
After you find your state representative, you can search for their name, and usually, their email address will be on their website. If they do not have an email address, find a “contact” option on their website.
Step 3: Write the email
Write a personal intro (who you are, where you live, where you go to school). Then explain why a specific advocacy issue is important to you. You can also pick one issue from LiveGirl’s advocacy priorities to drill down on or state in general why these bills are important for the equity of women & girls.
Tell them your story. Prepare a personal intro including things like who you are, where you live, and where you go to school.
Explain why a specific advocacy issue is important to you. You can choose your own issue or pick one issue from LiveGirl’s advocacy priorities to drill down on or state in general why these bills are important for the equity of women & girls.
Use facts to support your story.
Ask the legislator to support the advocacy issue or bill(s) that you are supporting.
Testifying:
Basic information about legislative action:
Two Ways of Testifying:
Oral testimony– this is done live
In order to testify orally, you need to register.
Use the calendar to find out about the time and location of the meeting, look at the
Written testimony– this can be submitted to the CGA
Use this link to submit the written testimony: https://www.cga.ct.gov/aspx/CGATestimonySub/CGAtestimonysubmission.aspx?comm_code=ins
Directions for writing your testimony:
Start your testimony by addressing the chair “Madam Chair/Mr. Chairman” "and members of the committee."
Write whether you support or oppose the bill.
Then expand on why you support or oppose the bill. Here are some general guidelines:
Research the topic that you are supporting. Collecting statistics can help emphasize the problem and facilitate your testimony.
For example, instead of saying “child marriage increases the risk that girls may face poverty in adulthood”, add a specific number and say it this way “if married at a young age, girls are 31% more likely to face poverty in adulthood”
Do you have a personal story that you feel comfortable sharing? Remember that legislators read each individual testimony, so it helps to personalize your testimony.
Follow these guidelines for an oral testimony. Keep your testimony clear and concise. Usually, you have less than 3 minutes to testify.
If you are testifying orally, stay attentive after you finish your testimony in case you receive any questions.
Remember that testimonies are public records, so only put information that you feel comfortable being shared with the public.
If you are a member of LiveGirl, download our testimony template.
To become involved in LiveGirl’s student-led advocacy, learn more about our Leadership Council.
See past projects: https://golivegirl.org/livegirl-league
Advocating for issues that we are passionate about can lead to positive change for people struggling with specific problems. Advocacy means believing that every problem has a solution and pushing for that solution. The ability to advocate lies within every person— every girl— so do not be afraid to raise your voice!
How can you become an advocate?
Find something you are passionate about: To become an advocate, find an issue that you are passionate about, whether it is something that affects you personally, your friends, or anyone else. This can include fighting for menstrual equity in your state, addressing climate change, or fighting against the underrepresentation of certain groups of women.
Get educated: Advocacy entails having knowledge about the problem you are interested in addressing. To fight for change, it is important to first understand the problem extensively, see whether it has been addressed before or how it has been addressed, and to come up with ways to address the problem. Keep in mind that your experience of the issue is knowledge and is just as valid as any other resource.
Gather a group of interested peers: This step is optional because we are confident that you can make a positive contribution on your own. Yet it may be beneficial to gather a network of passionate peers to help push for change, because unifying voices can create a bigger impact. You may choose to contact students at your school or other local schools. You can launch a social media campaign regarding the issue. A great place to start might be forming a club at your school or on your college campus.
Collaborate with decision-makers and legislators: An important part of advocacy is making a permanent difference, either in your town, state, or country. It is important to contact decision-makers and express your concerns with the issue. Your representatives work for you and it is their job to listen and act on what you believe in.
Always remember that you can make a change by raising your voice!
Find our what form of activism best suits you: https://malalafund.typeform.com/activism?typeform-source=assembly.malala.org
Our Initiatives:
Fighting Period Poverty in Connecticut
Addressing the adverse impacts of climate change and fighting for Climate Justice
Fighting for equal voting rights
Advocacy Instruments in Connecticut:
How a bill becomes a law in CT:
https://app.box.com/s/z7kdf8a88y7sb3syleqsujlctoa3oi5u
Find your CT legislators:
https://www2.cbia.com/ga/get_involved/contact_ct_legislators/-A1
Early Voting:
Early voting is officially on the 2022 Connecticut Ballot! This ensures that you will have a chance to vote if you cannot go to the polls on election day. More information is to come on how you can cast your ballot early.
