By Claire Magee Ferguson
Did you know the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) has had an important role in significant pieces of legislation, like the Clean Water Act? And the first federal law regarding domestic violence? Or that the JLC won an EMMY Award for its documentary on alcohol abuse? Read more about the important work of AJLI.
AIDS Awareness: In 1986, the Junior League of Los Angeles daringly endeavored to dispel fear and misinformation about the AIDS virus by setting up a hotline and establishing a speakers’ bureau. It operated with six other Leagues to set up similar projects, including the Junior League of Mexico City, which introduced AIDS education to the country, bringing together leading public and private health and education officials and ultimately incorporating AIDS education into health clinics for low-income families.
Alcohol Abuse: In 1985, The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) initiated an international, three-year alcohol awareness and education campaign called “Woman to Woman,” sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The ground-breaking campaign was the only one of its kind at the time and its goal was to distribute the findings of research showing the effects of alcohol on women while bringing the problem out of the closet. The research revealed the dangers of combining alcohol with tranquilizers, the interaction of alcohol and hormones and the harmful effects of heavy drinking. In addition, the campaign aimed to illustrate the increased need for alcohol-related support services for women and reduce the social stigma of the disease. The Junior League of Charlotte (JLC) played an important role, helping to produce a documentary called Women: Coming Out of the Shadows, which earned the JLC an Emmy award!
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB): AJLI has recognized that DEIB is one of the most critical issues of our time and has assembled an impressive array of resources to support their member Leagues in their quest drive toward more inclusive Leagues. Drawing on these resources, the JLC has itself taken on an impressive campaign, which you can learn more about here.
Domestic Violence: For 30 years, numerous Junior Leagues have worked at the forefront of preventing violence against women, educating the public, operating transitional housing and providing counseling to victims. They have also advocated for prosecuting perpetrators with federal legislators, ultimately helping to write and pass the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, making it the first piece of federal legislation to address domestic violence.
Environment: The Junior League has had a trailblazing legacy in environmental advocacy. Over the years, work by various Leagues has called attention to ecological hazards that threaten the livelihood of a community or the health of its inhabitants. The collective power and enduring impact of a group of women united behind a single cause can be best illustrated in the documentary film “Fate of a River: Apathy or Action,” produced by the Junior League of Toledo in 1965. Carol Bentley, who worked in partnership with the League on the film, wound up testifying at the state and federal hearings on water quality that would lead to the development and passage by Congress of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Beyond that ground-breaking legislation, many other results of the League’s work have had lasting effects on communities across the United States.
Food Insecurity: Junior Leagues across the Association work to promote the importance of healthy eating, but we also know that for many in our communities, it’s not so simple. 10.5% of Americans reported being food insecure at some point during 2021. Whether it is community garden programs that are increasing access to food and educating communities on healthy food habits, enhancing food wellness with Kids in the Kitchen or making sure children who rely on school meals during the week have food for the weekend with our backpack programs, tackling food insecurity is a driving issue for a critical mass of Junior Leagues.
Human Trafficking: For more than 15 years, Leagues (both individually and in statewide coalitions from California to Florida, Michigan to Alabama and numerous destinations in between) have joined forces with law enforcement, government officials, anti-trafficking organizations and other critical and influential community change-makers to raise public awareness on the hidden world of human trafficking, to advocate for the passage of anti-trafficking legislation, and to support survivors. To date, 50-plus Junior Leagues have joined the fight against human trafficking. League coalitions have worked to pass more than 25 different pieces of anti-trafficking legislation, primarily at the state and local levels. In 2011, The Junior League was honored by the United Nations Association of New York for its work fighting against human trafficking.
Voter Registration: As part of AJLI’s efforts to honor the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, they hosted a Special Virtual Event, “Why the Women’s Vote Matters,” a powerful non-partisan panel conversation that explored the complicated history of the 19th Amendment. Panelists Stephanie Young, Chief Officer of Communications & Culture, When We All Vote, and Jordan Brooks, Executive Director, The United State of Women, and special guest, Grammy® and Golden Globe® Nominated Actress, Singer and Songwriter Mandy Moore joined to discuss the importance of women voting.
Women’s Health: Working to enhance women’s health, particularly women in at-risk populations – is part of the DNA of the Junior League, going back to its founding by Mary Harriman over 100 years ago. AJLI has partnered with 2020 Mom and The Blue Dot Project to focus on Maternal Mental Health. Getting real about motherhood is healthy for everyone, especially the 1 in 5 women who suffer from a maternal mental health disorder like postpartum depression.
Other work with SPACs: PACs (Public Affairs Committees), SPACs (State Public Affairs Committees) and LICs (Legislative Issues Committees) are individual, apolitical Junior Leagues or coalitions of Junior Leagues within a state that form to educate and take action on public policy issues relevant to the Junior League mission. Having begun to take shape in the 1930s, they are collectively governed by their member Leagues and the methods by which they operate vary by state, as do the issues chosen for study and action. The JLC’s specific advocacy efforts fall into three categories: drafting policy recommendations, acting as JLC liaisons with the city, state and federal legislators, hosting voter registration drives, and Meet the Candidate events.
