‘We Demand More Coalition’ and Made to Save Launches We Demand More: Vaccines for All Women Week of Action

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  The We Demand More Coalition, a collection of organizations fighting for the women, in particular Black, Indigenous, Latina and other women of color, on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, and Made to Save, a national grassroots effort to ensure all communities have access to the vaccine, launched the We Demand More: Vaccines for All Women Week of Action today to encourage women and women of color to get themselves and their families vaccinated and combat disinformation about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Women, especially Black, Indigenous, Latina and other women of color continue to be disportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the primary targets of disinformation about vaccines and face difficulty accessing COVID-19 vaccines. I have seen this in my own family as I work to convince my pregnant younger cousin working at a nursing home to access correct information about vaccination. The We Demand More Coalition and Made to Save are committed to ensuring that every woman in this country has access to a vaccine, accurate information about getting vaccinated, and the tools to talk with family and friends about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Women are this country’s living infrastructure, and we need to ensure equitable vaccine access to truly build back better for all Americans,” said Angela Cobián, Director of the We Demand More coalition and Director of Coalition Advocacy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe for women, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding and menstruate. Yet women, particularly women of color, are the targets of widespread disinformation campaigns. Distrust of public health authorities is high among Black, Indigenous, Latina and other women of color and is rooted in historic and ongoing racism, abuse and discrimination against people of color by the medical establishment, and these communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The week of action includes volunteer and training events hosted by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Made to Save, a virtual event to share the narratives of women of color as they navigate accessing the COVID-19 vaccines, a digital toolkit to talk to family and friends about the vaccine, and a social media pledge campaign.

The virtual event, Organizing Stories: Vaccine Access Among Women of Color, will feature guest speakers, including Cassy Jones-McBryde, a Planned Parenthood organizer with Planned Parenthood of Michigan, Cynthia Garcia of United We Dream, and Karla Ramirez, a Raíz organizer with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. The event will be moderated by Thuy Vu, a former news broadcaster and the founder of the Global Mentor Network. The event will be livestreamed on Planned Parenthood Action Fund Facebook and Twitter pages on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 7pm ET.

The We Demand More: Vaccines for All Women Week of Action also includes a six-figure paid call campaign of public health outreach calls to women.

“Vaccines and the science to support them are gender issues. Empowering all women, especially women of color, with the information needed to choose to vaccinate is critical to their health, the health of our communities, and our country.” Said Gabriela Cristobal, Director of Programs and Strategic Engagement at United State of Women.

“Vaccines are the light at the end of the tunnel for women, especially women of color who have borne the brunt of this pandemic’s horrific economic and health impacts,” said Supermajority Executive Director Amanda Brown Lierman. “This campaign aims to get more women vaccinated, in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones, and so that we can all see our families, return to work, and send our children to school.”

“As trusted messengers, all women have a key role in ending this historic pandemic by getting vaccinated and encouraging their family and friends to get vaccinated. To do that, women must have equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and accurate information that increases their confidence in vaccine safety. For all women, we must demand equity from a historically biased, unjust healthcare system so they can regain their financial footing, and protect their health and the health of their loved ones by being vaccinated. When we do, we will more quickly reclaim the pieces of our lives we love and miss most,” said Chris Wyant, Executive Director, Made to Save.

About We Demand More

We Demand More is a coalition of organizations using our collective power to fight for the courageous women workers and caretakers, especially women of color, who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis and who are particularly impacted. Their lives, livelihoods, and families depend on lawmakers and business leaders doing more — and we need everyone to demand more. We’ve formed the We Demand More coalition to fight for four demands from Congress and corporate leaders:

1. Prioritize our health and safety ahead of corporations.

2. Get life-sustaining relief to us NOW.

3. Make state governments strong; they are our lifeline.

4. Stop the attacks on our reproductive health care, including abortion access.

More information on the We Demand More coalition can be found on its website at www.WeDemandMore.org and its letter to Congress can be found here. Below is a full list of the We Demand More coalition’s members:

Abortion Access Force
Advocates for Youth
All Women’s Progress
All* Above All Action Fund
African American Ministers In Action
American Association of University Women Action Fund
Birth In Color RVA
Black Women’s Roundtable
California National Organization for Women
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress Fund
Chicago Foundation for Women
Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Daily Kos
DemCast USA
End Rape on Campus
Equal Pay Today
Equal Rights Advocates
Feminist Majority
Feminist Women’s Health Center
Free Speech For People
Global Justice Center
The Greenlining Institute
Hollaback!
Hopewell Fund
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Mass NOW
Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable
MomsRising Together
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland
National Birth Equity Collaborative
National Black Justice Coalition
National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women – Connecticut chapter
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
New American Leaders Action Fund
New Century Trust
New Voices for Reproductive Justice
Paid Leave for All Action
PathWays PA
Period Equity
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Public Citizen
Resilience
ServeUSA
Sisters Lead Sisters Vote
SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
Supermajority
Ultraviolet
United State of Women
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
#VOTEPROCHOICE
Voto Latino
Women Employed
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island
Women’s March

Endorsement is an indication of solidarity within our movement and a recognition of the urgency of these policies. Endorsement does not necessarily mean that orgs have expertise in or are actively working towards each priority or policy listed.

ABOUT MADE TO SAVE

Made to Save is national public education and grassroots mobilization effort on a mission to build trust in the COVID-19 vaccines, and increase access and promote equity for Black, Indigenous, and people of color whose health and safety have been especially impacted by the ongoing pandemic. The campaign will invest in local communities through grants to community organizations, convene local and national stakeholders, and works with a variety of corporate, non-profit, labor and healthcare partners to achieve its mission. Learn more here.