DENVER — It'll be a busy day for high school and college women at the capitol on Tuesday. YWCA Boulder County is hosting its first ever "Women's Empowerment Day."
For some of these students, it'll be their first time talking to their representatives, and even their first visit to the Capitol.
CEO of the YWCA Boulder County Debbie Pope said the event is about getting young women civically engaged, while helping them recognize their voices have power.
"For young women who say to me, 'It doesn't matter, doesn't matter who I vote for,' I would challenge that and say that any of the movement we've made forward has been because of women advocates, and the work that they've been doing, so we need to continue to pass that torch on," she said.
The YWCA is busing around 40 women to the capitol on Tuesday morning. They plan on meeting with legislators and talking about bills that are important to them. Those bills focus on racial justice, health, safety, affordable childcare, and economic advancement and empowerment for women and girls.
“I think it’s incredibly important for female voices to be at the forefront right now because there are so many issues that are impacting us directly," said Pope. "Whether it’s the autonomy of our body, access to health, access for safety... equal pay for equal work, and economic advancement and equity, the list goes on and on."
She said advocacy is not just about a day at the Capitol, but showing how powerful a collective can be.
"When we're not staying at the forefront of these issues is when we start to see them slide and I think now more than ever, every female, of every generation right now, we have to make sure that our collective voice is really heard," said Pope.
Pope said they are working with a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to make this event happen. Their focus is related to civic engagement and equity. She said they hope to bring more women to the Capitol again next year.
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