Our Work
Advocates for Policy Change
The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota advocates for statewide policies that advance safety, economic justice, and holistic well-being and build power with communities for gender and racial justice statewide.
2024 Policy Agenda
Holistic Well-being & Reproductive Justice:
- Access to contraception – Expand access through broader insurance coverage for payment for contraception and medical procedures across Minnesota through policies that include:
- Expand insurance coverage to include vasectomies
- Expand insurance coverage to include over-the-counter contraceptives
- Clarify insurance coverage for insertion and removal of long-acting reversible contraceptives
- Creating better outcomes for Black and Native births – Advocate for equity in our health care system with better outcomes for those facing the most disparities through policies that include:
- Address barriers to piloting basic income support during the perinatal health period Increase data collection to implement the validated obstetric racism scale
- Increase Medical Assistance reimbursement rates for cultural birth workers
- Simplify the enrollment process for newborns and young children to access Medicaid
- Creating a statewide health education standard
- Create a statewide K-12 Health Standard that includes mental health, sexual and reproductive health, bodily autonomy, consent, and other health-related topics.
- Inclusive ERA for Minnesota
- Task Force on Preventing Violence Against Latinas
How We Advocate
- Produce and share the leading research in the state that shows how women, girls, and
gender-expansive people are faring on key measures of economics, health, safety, and leadership. - Highlight community-led programs and solutions that can be scaled across the state.
- Provide timely, targeted information and disaggregated data to lawmakers, stakeholders, and advocates to create stronger policies that serve everyone in Minnesota.
- Convene partners and allies from across Minnesota to engage and mobilize around priority issues impacting women, girls, gender-expansive people, and families.
“The invisibility of missing Black girls and women reveals how they are unprotected, punished, or unnoticed. Black women deserve more. Black families deserve more. We must ensure the protection of Black women as a priority, and that can only be accomplished with your support.”
Aaisha Abdullahi
2022 Young Women’s Cabinet Member
Voting Builds Community Power
Because we invest in changing systems, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota supports pro-voter efforts to build community power and change the structures and policies of our governments. When you vote, consider candidates and policies that represent our communities and hold systems accountable to eliminate barriers, increase access to opportunity, and achieve gender and racial justice.
Partners in Advocacy
Policy wins are possible because of community-led advocacy made up of organizers, nonprofit groups, elected officials, and other advocates. We are grateful to all of our partners in advocacy, including:
- Young Women’s Cabinet
- YWCA St. Paul
- Executive Council for the Young Women’s Initiative
- ERA Minnesota Coalition
- The Link
- Minnesotans for Paid Family & Medical Leave Coalition (co-chaired by AFLCIO-MN, Children’s Defense Fund – Minnesota, ISAIAH)
- Missing & Murdered Black Women & Girls Task Force
- Oasis for Youth/Youth Services Network
- Task Force on Expanding the Economic Security of Women
Check Out These Advocacy Stories
May 23, 2024
Progress on our Policy Agenda
Apr 11, 2024
Claiming Our Power 2024: Young Women’s Day at the Capitol
Mar 7, 2024
What’s Happening at WFM
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How You Can Help
When you make a gift to the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, you contribute directly to ensuring advocates on the ground are resourced in their direct work in ending systemic inequities so all women, girls, and gender-expansive people thrive.