On Tuesday February 22nd, in the middle of an incredibly busy week at the legislature, something amazing happened. Arouet and a small team of Arouet storytellers spent the day at the Arizona state capitol. On the day after a holiday with dozens of bills on calendar and incredible 10 members of the legislature, from both sides of the aisle, came to break bread with the Arouet Storytellers

Thoughtful engagement, willingness to listen, and genuine kindness displayed. The women were talking about this for hours after. Over half of these women had never stepped foot on Arizona Capitol grounds before and were understandably nervous.

In this moment, these Arouet Storytellers discovered the power of their voices. Their courage and passion are what International Women’s Day is all about. This International Women’s Day I wanted to share an update about the women of Arouet and the impact they have been making this year and opportunities for you, our wonderful community of supporters, to get involved.

Having spent my lifetime going to women’s rights events with my mother since childhood, watching these women take their first steps in joining that legacy is more inspiring than I can express. I cannot express how moved I am to watch these incredible women find their footing in this movement. What inspired me most from our day at the capitol was watching strong women legislators encourage Arouet’s women to advocate for themselves, their communities, and others like them.

It is always a treat to visit Arizona’s capitol complex as Arizonans have such a strong history of electing women to positions of leadership. It was doubly impactful to be doing so with women I have known for years and have watched blossom into incredible and passionate advocates for themselves and for the fair chance movement.

A very heartfelt thank you to the legislators who made this day so special: Representative Morgan Abraham, Representative Shawnna Bolick, Representative Cesar Chavez, Representative Alma Hernandez, Representative Daniel Hernandez, Representative Sarah Ligouri, Representative Jennifer Longdon, Representative Robert Meza, Representative Lorenzo Sierra, and Representative Justin Wilmeth.