By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS 

(Pictured above: Ann Child, Patricia Payne, Betsy Teutsch, Corrine Blakemore, Leslye Heilig, Ruth Bates, and Karyne Bury.)

Change begins with people who are willing to take action in their communities. That is exactly what Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Chapter  with RESULTS is all about: people coming together to take action in support of women and girls worldwide.

We advocate to the U.S. Congress for sustained funding for global health, education, and women’s empowerment programs that contribute to achieving gender equality. In 2026, we are engaging with Senators and Representatives through both face-to-face and virtual meetings, written messages, and letters to the editor in a wide array of publications.

The 2026 RESULTS National Conference held in July in Washington D.C. was an excellent example of people coming together from all across the country, including those who participated in an intensive day of lobbying Members of Congress. Together Women Rise was proud to participate as a conference sponsor, and Rise members from California, Tennessee, South Carolina, Philadelphia, New York, Massachusetts, and Indiana attended the conference. Rise board member Courtney Workman (pictured left) delivered a speech at the closing of Advocacy Day, centered on the theme of community.

The conference drew nearly 250 participants, who held over 204 meetings scheduled with members of Congress and their staff. Advocacy is powerful, and it remains stronger when it is built in community. The same spirit of community infused our lobby meetings. In their meetings on Capital Hill, they urged members of Congress to protect and expand appropriations for global health and humanitarian aid, including funding for maternal and child health (MCH) programs, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. They also asked Representatives to support the forthcoming End TB Now Act. The response to this appeal was so strong that a waitlist has now formed of House members hoping to become co-sponsors once the bill is introduced.

It’s this kind of coast-to-coast engagement that helps turn shared values into policy change. And that advocacy is already paying off! On July 29, the State Department finally committed to release $600 million in overdue appropriated funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This is the money Rise Advocates working with RESULTS helped get appropriated over the last two years, and fought to unlock.

Gavi should be able to put it to work immediately for lifesaving vaccines for kids all around the world. And it opens the channel for more U.S. funding to flow moving forward. To learn more, you can read the RESULTS press release.  Thanks to everyone who wrote letters, made calls, and otherwise made the case!

Every act of advocacy matters. Every conversation, every initiative, and every voice raised in support of women and girls contributes to a future in which not just women, but an entire community can thrive. When we advocate for women’s health or girls’ education, we invest not only in individuals but in families, communities, and generations to come. Together, we can build stronger communities where every woman and every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential.

If you want to have an influence on Congress, join our team to send key messages to members of Congress (and candidates) about the issues that matter. Sign up for the Rise Advocacy Chapter. Or join our next Advocacy webinar on October 21st at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT. The theme of this discussion will be “Nutrition” in honor of World Food Day & International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. You do not need to be a member of our Advocacy Group with RESULTS to attend.