She Votes Illinois

09/05/2026

Long before equal pay was a national conversation, Black women were leading the charge for economic justice.

In a new piece by Elizabeth Yuko, learn how trailblazers like Harriet Tubman, Nannie Helen Burroughs, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Aline Black fought wage discrimination and built a foundation for fair pay from the Civil War through the civil rights movement.

Long before equal pay became a national rallying cry, these women challenged wage discrimination.

09/05/2026

Thank you, Hillary Clinton, for shining a light on this global issue. We must also remember that child marriage is STILL legal right here at home in 33 states. including Illinois.

📣 Call your IL state legislators today and demand they pass legislation to ban marriage under 18 with NO exceptions.

Every instance of child marriage forecloses a world of possibilities for a young girl—and every year, 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthdays. These girls are robbed of the opportunity to grow up safe and healthy and to pursue an education. In turn, the world loses their participation, their talents, and their ideas.

I am so grateful to First Lady Fatima Maada Bio for her work to champion today's adopted U.N. resolution to establish an International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. As First Lady of Sierra Leone, she has led her country to push for change alongside Cape Verde, Costa Rica, and Morocco.

Child marriage remains one of the most urgent, preventable violations of girls’ rights. Today's resolution is an important step in the fight to recognize the right of girls and young women to freely and boldly decide their own futures.

We need even more resources and more political will to tackle this scourge. Everyone who sees this message can become a part of ending child marriage. A great place to start is by reading Columbia Institute of Global Politics's report on Accelerating Efforts to End Child Marriage, which I was proud to collaborate on with Dr. Maada Bio and Sheryl Sandberg earlier this year. Find it at Columbia Institute of Global Politics.

09/05/2026

📣 Our Latest Nation Watch Biweekly is Live!

We’re breaking down the top national headlines you need to know, from new attempts to restrict mail-in voting and rollback access to care for medically fragile children to efforts to strip tax exemptions from colleges with DEIA programs and the loss of feminist icon Gloria Steinem.

Plus, don’t miss our Recent Wins! We’re celebrating major victories blocking restrictions on birthright citizenship, trans students' rights, and international students’ freedom of speech, striking down drag show bans, restoring CPS school funding, and protecting voter registration access.

Read the full recap here:

Recapping the top national developments you should know

09/04/2026

In Oklahoma, incarcerated people were reportedly paid just $2 an hour to make political calls for conservative candidates while they themselves cannot vote.

That’s a disturbing example of how incarcerated people can be excluded from democracy while their labor is still used to influence it.

Incarcerated people will continue to be exploited and abused as long as they are denied the right to vote. That’s why Illinois needs the RACE Act.

📣 Call your Illinois state legislators and urge them to support and pass the RACE Act to restore incarcerated peoples’ right to vote.

Chicago Votes

Oklahoma prison inmates are working in call centers placing political calls and insurance telemarketing on behalf of outside companies, earning $2 an hour while a Virginia super PAC paid nearly $600,000 to the vendor for calls supporting conservative candidates — including calls made during Oklaho...

09/03/2026

🎬 Prison Papers Film Screening: Free Joan Little

Join Walls Turned Sideways September 18 for a screening of Free Joan Little, the story of Joan Little, the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault.

In 1975, 20-year-old Joan was incarcerated in North Carolina when she killed a white jailer she said attempted to r**e her. Her groundbreaking case became a rallying point for civil rights, women’s rights, and prison reform, drawing support from activists including Angela Davis and Rosa Parks.

Following the film, there will be a discussion about Joan’s legacy and the ongoing movement to free criminalized survivors.

Learn more here: https://wallsturnedsideways.org/event/prison-papers-film-screening-free-joan-little/

09/03/2026

Join Chicago Votes in making voting accessible and exciting for young people by signing up to volunteer for Parade to the Polls today!

Sign up at: bit.ly/ChicagoVotesPTTP2026!

09/02/2026

📣 Reimagining Public Safety Town Hall: Collinsville

Join Safe Illinois and the RIFL Act Coalition on September 27 for a conversation about proven, community-centered solutions to gun violence.

Hear from community leaders and elected officials about the RIFL Act (HB3320/SB2279), Community Violence Intervention, street outreach, community policing, and efforts to build safer communities across the Metro East and Illinois.

Come learn more, share your voice, and get involved in the movement for transformative public safety solutions.

📣 Register today! https://secure.numero.ai/signup/Reimagining-Public-Safety-Town-Hall-Collinsville

09/01/2026

⚠️ A new study found that many women treated for recurrent UTIs had symptoms caused by hormonal inflammation or pelvic floor dysfunction instead of bacterial infections.

Repeated antibiotics may not be the answer. Women deserve accurate diagnoses and appropriate care.

Worth reading, especially for anyone who has experienced recurring “UTIs” that never seem to fully go away.

A recent study found that many women treated for recurrent UTIs didn't have UTIs at all. Instead, their symptoms were caused by hormonally driven inflammation and pelvic floor dysfunction.

08/31/2026

Keshia Golden is a mom and survivor who was criminalized after defending herself against her abuser while 8 months pregnant. She accepted a plea deal to avoid jail and be home with her daughter.

📣 Sign the petition urging Governor JB Pritzker to pardon Keshia: https://tinyurl.com/PardonKeshia

08/28/2026

ISO Volunteers to deliver FREE Plan B in Chicago! 📦

MAC provides free emergency contraception ASAP to folks through our contraception request form (bit.ly/ECkit) and we’re looking for support with making same-day deliveries in Chicago. We’ll provide volunteers with contraception kits that they will deliver to folks *discreetly* all throughout the Chicagoland area.

*Must have a driver’s license and car OR reliable, quick transportation (like a bike or scooter) 🚗
*Must be unapologetically pro-abortion, pro-Palestine and anti-ICE 🇵🇸
*Ideally able to volunteer one day a week for at least three hours ⏰

Fill out our volunteer application @ bit.ly/Vol4MAC (case sensitive)!