IGNITE's Blog

IGNITE women share what it means to be AAPI women and the importance of political representation.  

Tell the California legislature to end period poverty statewide. Pass The Menstrual Equity for All Act (AB367), which would require all schools and government agencies to stock at least half their bathrooms with free menstrual products. 

Jocelyn Yow was not always a political person. In fact, throughout much of her childhood in the Bay Area and Malaysia, politics didn’t interest her at all. She has a theory: as a young child, Jocelyn didn’t see women or people of color in office, so she assumed that political leadership wasn’t for people like her.

Mana Shooshtari, at 20 years old, already knows the title of her autobiography: “Crowns and Congress”. “Before I even thought politics was an option, I wanted to be a music teacher or Broadway star. I had absolutely no intention of entering the political realm.”

When Christina Haswood swore into the Kansas Legislature as one of the youngest members and one of three Native Americans currently serving, she proudly wore the traditional clothing and jewelry of the Diné. “I wanted to honor my ancestors and my family for all the sacrifices they made for me to be here.”

When Tiffaney was an undergrad at California State University San Marcos, she wasn’t thinking about political leadership. Instead, she was focused on obtaining a bachelor's degree in Social Science and Communications. That changed when the CSUSM Women's Center ran a campus campaign to inspire women to run for office.

Activism has no age limit. You can be an advocate, a policymaker or run for office in your community right now. Here are just a few of the many young AAPI activists who are using their voice to make a difference. 

Amanda Conlee brings 12 years of experience managing the internal operations, administration, and finance aspects of small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

IGNITE Fellows are politically active local leaders who organize their communities to flex their political power. We've rounded up and answered your most pressing questions about the IGNITE Fellowship. 

This summary of the Paycheck Fairness Act was authored by the National Partnership for Women & Families. Read the original post. The landmark Equal Pay Act of 1963 made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work. The Equal Pay Act and the civil rights laws that followed helped change the workplace and began to combat wage inequality, but these laws have not closed the persistent gap between women’s and men’s wages.