Cabinet’s Day at the Capitol

Walking through the halls of the Capitol, alongside members of our statewide and Greater Mankato Cabinet members, is a powerful reminder of why leadership programs for young women matter so deeply in our state. Young people are leading in so many ways. Our goal for the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota (YWI MN) is for more young women and girls to know their power as they show up, speak out, and make a difference in their communities. That means equipping them with the tools and knowledge to use their voices and stories.

As part of the Young Women’s Initiative’s focus on building the power of young leaders to advocate for change, the YWI statewide and Greater Mankato Area Cabinets develop a policy agenda every year. Before they go to the Capitol to address solutions for equity and justice that show up in their own lives, the Cabinet participates in trainings, including with the Citizen’s League, learn about the issues, and research policies that will make a difference.

This year, the Cabinets met with the Minnesota branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness through the YWI Advocacy Partnership grant. NAMI discussed mental health policy, bipartisan system change, youth involvement leading difficult conversations. It was a lively discussion and generated several questions from both Cabinets. As session goes on, the Cabinet will meet with other organizations who lead policy initiatives at the Capitol, thanks to this new, grant funded partnership.

Advocacy in Action

The Cabinet plan an annual Day at the Capitol to meet with lawmakers from their districts, in their offices and pulling members off the floor to share more about the policies on the Cabinet’s agendas. Due to safety concerns at the Capitol and around the Twin Cities, this year YWI’s Day at the Capitol was cancelled on March 4. However, members of the Cabinets still chose to come and advocate for their agendas with WFM staff support.

The Statewide Cabinet’s policy agenda focuses on education, safety, health equity, and housing. Six members of the statewide Cabinet visited the Capitol on March 4, supported by their YWCA facilitator, Janett Jimenez, and our United Strategies partner, Will Kuball. Together, we supported the Cabinet in finding their way, joining their meetings, and facilitating introductions, which helped boost confidence and the effectiveness of advocacy. In all, the Cabinet was able to:

• Meet with the Lt. Governor, Rep. Brion Curran, Sen. Melissa Wiklund, Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, and Rep. Jeff Backer
• Visit offices and deliver their policy agendas, leaving personalized notes
• Sit in on the House Children and Families’ Finance and Policy committee

“I had the honor of joining the YWI Cabinet at the Capitol to support their efforts to uplift their policy agenda,” said Janett Jimenez, YWI Program Manager and WFM’s Dr. Reatha Clark King Fellow. “These young leaders showed up with passion and purpose, advocating for issues that matter: health equity, housing access across greater Minnesota, and more. These experiences offer them an opportunity to practice their skills in real life. I left the Capitol feeling hopeful and energized by what they are already accomplishing and excited for everything still to come.”

Mankato Cabinet Advocates

The Mankato Cabinet completed their policy agenda focused on housing, childcare, and healthcare, prioritizing issues that affect the greater Mankato areas and rural communities.
Several members chose to travel to the Capitol on March 4. Sara Gangelhoff from the WFM team supported them in navigating the Capitol, locating offices, and understanding committee structures while creating opportunities for them to lead discussions, make decisions, and engage with legislators and staff. Activities included:

• Meetings with the Lt. Governor, Sen. Nick Frentz, Rep. Luke Fredrick, DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek, Rep. Erica Schwartz, Rep. Nolan
• Visiting offices and delivering agendas with personalized notes
• Learning how to pull a Senator off the floor for a quick conversation
• Sitting in on the House Children and Families Finance and Policy committee

“The YWI Greater Mankato Area Cabinet’s Day at the Capitol was a powerful experience centered on advocacy, bipartisan policymaking, and investing in the shared future of young rural women,” said Yusra Omar. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help bring the voices and priorities of rural young women into conversations at the Capitol!”

“Spending the day with the YWI Greater Mankato Cabinet was a wonderful experience,” Sara said. Their passion and deep understanding of the issues they care about was clear, and they’re not waiting for permission to act on what they know is right. Throughout the day, they demonstrated a willingness to speak truth to power when they waited for a committee chair after a hearing to ask thoughtful follow-up questions about the vote he made that day. The YWI members are proving that the future is in very good hands.”