Welcome to AAUW of Iowa

In 2020, Maanya Pandey was a 15-year-old student at Waukee High School when she founded Love For Red. Today, she is majoring in Public Health on the Pre-Medicine track at the University of Iowa and continues to serve as President of Love for Red, which has operations in Des Moines and Iowa City.

Love For Red is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that strives to uplift the people crushed by the hardships of period poverty. They believe feeling clean and having dignity on your period should not be a privilege only some can enjoy. Providing menstrual products to those unable to purchase the necessities ensures that people can live with dignity while on their period, no matter where they live.  complete article

 

AAUW Cedar Falls-Waterloo and

Family Planning Council of Iowa (FPCI)

distribute Reproductive Health Kits

AAUW Cedar Falls-Waterloo, in coordination with AAUW Iowa, implemented a new project working with the Family Planning Council of Iowa (FPCI) to distribute Reproductive Health Kits at the Black Hawk County NAACP’s Juneteenth celebration on June 15th at Sullivan Park in Waterloo.  It was a very productive day as the members gave out several Repro Kits and connected with other agencies to help us continue handing out the kits.  We also made connections with potential members and discussed assistance with other projects.

The Repro Kits were developed as a way to help bridge the gap in access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and to provideuseful items privately and discreetly, according to Tara Sochet of FPCI. Each Reproductive Health Kit (“Repro Kit”) contains a booklet on sexual and reproductive health, condoms, lubricant, a pregnancy test, and emergency contraception. (Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy after sex; it does not interrupt a pregnancy that is already established.)  Each Repro Kit is packed in a discreet purple bag with no markings or words. The kits help FPCI provide much-needed reproductive health supplies to areas and communities that struggle to access such care. In addition, anyone with an Iowa mailing address can request a Repro Kit (also for free) on the website, https://fpcouncil.org/request-a-repro-kit/

Distinguished Faculty Award

 

Dr. Regina Matheson has served as the named AAUW representative for St Ambrose University for most of her career at St. Ambrose.  In that role she has introduced many others to AAUW, including Dr. Lisa Powell,  who is Director of the Women and Gender Studies program and Curriculum Coordinator for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SAU, and who also  initiated Regina’s nomination.  more

 

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