Feel Good Friday - National Women's Law Center

This Sunday is International Women's Day and the 2026 theme, "Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls," feels more urgent than ever. That’s why today's spotlight is on National Women's Law Center.

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., National Women's Law Center (NWLC) “fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society—working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls”. They do this through litigation, policy advocacy, and culture change to help “break down the barriers that harm all of us—especially women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.”

The Center began when secretaries at a public interest law firm made four demands: better pay for women, more women staff attorneys, work on women's rights, and an end to being expected to serve coffee every morning. The group succeeded and NWLC has been fighting for women ever since.

Today, NWLC works across five core issue areas: reproductive rights and health care , education and Title IX, workplace justice, poverty and economic security, and LGBTQ+ equality. Their tools include litigation, federal and state policy advocacy, and public education campaigns, making them one of the only multi-issue gender justice organizations working across all of these fronts simultaneously.

NWLC has had a big impact in the courts and beyond. In 2024 alone, they filed 25 amicus briefs, brought four new enforcement actions before federal agencies, and filed a novel federal lawsuit to protect access to emergency abortion care. They also launched Project Defiance, a four-year, $100 million campaign to safeguard the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people.

If you'd like help NWLC in their fight for gender justice, there are many ways to do so. You can make a donation, take direct action by texting NWLC to 32434, shop for merch, and amplify their message on social media. Follow National Women’s Law Center on Bluesky, Instagram or LinkedIn. Happy International Women's Day!

Feel Good Friday - The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equality

Today’s Feel Good Friday is highlighting The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equality, aka Lilith Fund. Here’s why.

Earlier this month, a law went into effect in Texas that bans abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy and allows citizens to sue anyone involved from doctors to Uber drivers. While the Department of Justice is suing the state of Texas and seeking an injunction to temporarily block enforcement of the law, abortion clinics in Colorado and New Mexico are seeing a surge in patients from Texas. Abortion is healthcare and should be accessible without having to travel outside your state. Enter Lilith Fund.

 

Founded in 2001, Lilith Fund is the oldest abortion fund in Texas and serves people in the central and southern regions of the state (Houston, Austin, San Antonio). They “provide financial assistance and emotional support while building community spaces for people who need abortions in Texas—unapologetically, with compassion and conviction.” 

 

The main way people reach Lilith Fund is through their information hotline, which is staffed by volunteers. According to the 2020 Annual Report, last year there were 4,557 calls to the hotline and 27% of callers were funded with an average voucher of $348. That totals $452,822 offered to 1,300 clients! These clients were 72% people of color, 59% already parenting, 43% with no health insurance and 50% not working for pay.

 

Since their founding, Lilith Fund has provided grants to more than 10,000 people who otherwise would not have been able to afford a safe abortion. In addition to the financial assistance, they work to “foster a positive culture around abortion, strengthen people power, and fight for reproductive justice in and with our communities.”

 

If you want to get involved with Lilith Fund and support women in Texas you have several options. Sign up for update and action alerts, become a hotline volunteer, make a donation and amplify their work by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @lilithfund and Instagram @lilithfund.

Feel Good Friday - National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum

Happy Feel Good Friday! We’re profiling another great organization during Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. 

Founded in 1996 by 157 women who recognized the need for an organization that would amplify AAPI women’s stories and experiences, The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) is “the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian and Pacific Islander women and girls in the U.S.”

The mission of NAPAWF is “to build power with AAPI women and girls” and they do this by focusing on the following core issues: reproductive health and rights, economic justice, immigrant rights and racial justice.

 

Specific examples of work being done by NAPAWF include: fighting against sex-selective abortion bans which use racist stereotypes to put abortion care out of reach for AAPI women; working to break the “model minority” myth and address wage disparities among AAPI women; and advocating for laws to give immigrant families access to affordable healthcare.

 

There are 14 chapters across the United States with members engaging in policy and structural change, organizing and civic engagement, and legal advocacy and judicial strategy. NAPAWF recently launched a virtual speaker series that explores the way race and gender intersect to impact the lives of AAPI people, from activists to authors. The next event focuses on Asian American women in government and takes place on May 21^st.

 

If you’d like to support the work of NAPAWF there are many ways to do so! Become a member, buy and wear a t-shirt, make a donation, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @NAPAWF.

Feel Good Friday - Planned Parenthood

Happy Feel Good Friday! I hope everyone was able to spend some time yesterday connecting with family and friends and finding reasons to be thankful. My list of people, experiences and things to be grateful for is long, and since the presidential election, I've turned my gratitude and Feel Good Friday focus to organizations standing up for people in the United States. Today - Planned Parenthood.

The motto of Planned Parenthood is "Care. No matter what." Their website provides the following summary, "Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide." The organization just turned 100 in October and if you don't have time to read the rest of this post, do yourself a favor and at least spend 1:53 minutes watching their video, #100YearsStrong.

While many people associate Planned Parenthood with abortions, of the 2.5 million women and men that visit Planned Parenthood annually, abortions make up only 3% of services they provide. 80% of clients receive services to prevent unwanted pregnancy. In addition, every year, "Planned Parenthood provides sexual and reproductive health care, education, information and outreach to nearly five million women, men and adolescents worldwide."

To learn more about their clients and their work, you can check out Planned Parenthood at a Glance. There are online resources you can access to learn about sexual health, pregnancy, general healthcare, relationships and more, as well as an extensive video library. You can also find a location near you if you need healthcare.

There are a number of ways you can get involved and show your support of Planned Parenthood, including liking their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @PPFA for Health. For those of you who want to take a political stand you can support the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. The front page of their website states, "We reject your hate. We resist your threats. We aren't going anywhere. #WeWontGoBack" @PPAct.

Now, I'm going to close with some news that warms my heart. The NY Daily News reported on Tuesday  that, since the election, Planned Parenthood has received over 200,000 individual donations, 50,000 of which were made in the name of VP Elect, Mike Pence. If you too would like to let him know that you stand with Planned Parenthood against his efforts to defund this organization, here is the donation link and here is his address:

Office of Governor Mike Pence

Statehouse

Room 206

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797

Thank you to everyone who reads and supports this blog. May you all have an inspiring and happy Thanksgiving weekend!