1.
You are Aware
Based on your answers, we think you are aware. You may be informally affiliated with the cause, prefer to contribute individually when it comes to activism, and focused on simply gaining knowledge around the topics closest to your heart. Some activities you may already be engaging in: reading, listening to podcasts, and attending lectures/talks about the cause. This is excellent! We applaud your willingness to continue learning.
Now that you know what kind of activist you are, you can commit to increasing your level of activism in the following ways:
Get (and Stay) Informed
You don’t have to become a health care expert. You need to know “just enough.” Buy Marching Toward Coverage: How Women Can Lead the Fight for Universal Healthcare (Beacon Press, 2020) for yourself (and a friend!) to learn more about health coverage, activism, and how you can join the fight for universal coverage.
Learn who your elected officials are and where they stand on healthcare issues
Ballotpedia.org is a treasure trove of this type of information. All you have to do is type in your zip code and you will find out your elected officials’ bios, when they are up for reelection, and more. Also, you’ll get links to their websites, so you can see where they stand on the issues, as well as links to where they take campaign money from. (If you are interested in information about campaign finance, check out the Center for Responsive Politics at OpenSecrets.org.)
https://ballotpedia.org/Who_represents_me
Sign up for healthcare information or activism alerts
This is one of the easiest and most effective steps you can take on your road to becoming more of an activist. These organizations will keep you informed about legislative and impact opportunities, usually through “action alerts.”
https://www.communitycatalyst.org/resources/alerts
http://healthcareforamericanow.org/action
https://khn.org/email-signup/
https://uhcan.org/justice-connections/
https://www.thefairnessproject.org/campaigns/
Make healthcare a priority in your voting decisions
https://healthcarevoter.org/
Donate your time or money to a political campaign
Consider committing to a standing volunteer gig and a regular (monthly) donation. Your commitment doesn’t have to be extravagant – every new supporter helps. Also, it’s important for women to start donating more to advocacy organizations and political campaigns.
Call elected officials to make your concerns heard
https://ballotpedia.org/Who_represents_me
Sign up (and show up!) for an event
https://front.moveon.org/
https://actionnetwork.org/groups/search
https://www.meetup.com/