CREATE AN EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

Advocacy

WFSA strives to remove systemic barriers facing women and girls through statewide policy change. We write, run, support, and enact legislation that levels the playing field. With your support, we can create an Arizona where women and girls of all identities thrive. Join us in removing inequities and economic and social barriers for women and girls.

We write and run our own policy at the Arizona Capitol.

We are proud to have a track record of advancing issues with bipartisan support. WFSA has successfully championed two bills that have been signed into law:

HB 2016 from the 2021 legislative session, was signed into law in 2021, making it possible for parents to maintain their childcare assistance while enrolling in full-time education and training programs that equip them for in-demand higher-wage jobs that lead to self-sufficiency.

HB 2111 from the 2022 legislative session, ensures single moms have support from the beginning of their pregnancy through a child’s early years through the expansion of the Healthy Families Arizona Program.

2025 BILLS:

HB2648 would expand access to childcare by allowing individuals to enter the system for DES childcare subsidies while pursuing a full-time education, rather than requiring them to first obtain a job. We hope to eliminate a major barrier for parents striving for financial independence and sustainable employment. Contact Representative Bliss to tell her why this bill deserves a hearing with this template email

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS TO INCLUDE:  

  • Childcare is difficult for most families, and even more challenging for folks who are low-income.  
  • By allowing individuals to qualify for childcare subsidies while pursuing full-time education, HB2648 removes a critical barrier to self-sufficiency.  
  • If successful, HB2648 will save the state money in the long term and support the Arizona economy by empowering a more trained and engaged workforce.  
  • HB2648 will help Arizona families transition off public assistance by supporting educational attainment that leads to sustainable employment at a self-sufficient wage. 

SB1197 Salary History Ban prohibits employers from refusing to interview, hire, promote, or employ an applicant based on their decision not to disclose wage history. This bill is a critical step toward ensuring fair hiring practices and closing persistent wage gaps that disproportionately impact women and people of color. Contact Senator Bolick to tell her why this bill deserves a hearing with this template email

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS TO INCLUDE:  

  • By eliminating wage history as a factor in hiring decisions, SB1197 ensures that salaries are determined by the value of the position and the qualifications of the applicant. 
  • Ensuring that wages are based on merit rather than past earnings will help level the playing field and contribute to a stronger economy. 
  • Basing salary offers on an applicant’s previous wages can perpetuate historical pay disparities, particularly for women and people of color, who have long faced systemic barriers to equal pay.  
  • This is a bi-partisan policy that has passed in different forms in 22 states, 23 localities, and has been instituted by multiple businesses.  

Sign up for the Request to Speak (RTS) System and voice your opinion on current Arizona legislative bills. 

If you have a Request to Speak (RTS) account, please complete the following steps.  

  1. Go to https://apps.azleg.gov/Account/SignOn
  2. Enter your email address and password;
  3. Click the blue “Request to Speak” square icon;
  4. Click on “My Bill Positions” on the left hand side of the screen;
  5. Enter “2648” into the “Bill Number” search box and click “FOR”;
  6. Click “Submit” 
  7. Repeat steps 3 – 5 with Bill Number “1197” and click “FOR”;
  8. Click “Submit” 

If you DO NOT have an RTS Account, please complete our advocacy survey here. Once we receive your information, we will sign you up for an RTS account and sign you in to support the bill.  

NOTE: Please do not fill out this survey if you already have an active RTS account. You can check by trying to log on HERE. If you already created a RTS account at home, but are getting an error message that the account must be verified at the capitol, please email stephanie@goodmanschwartz.com for assistance. 

Click here to read the 2023 and 2024 Legislative Wrap-Up, which overviews the policies impacting women and girls from this legislative session. 


The Gender Equity Network brings together advocates from across the state to mobilize, learn, and create system changes that benefit women and girls in Arizona.

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