ADVOCATE.

 
 
 

2024 Advocacy Toolkit

Check out our new resource to support you during this legislative session. No matter your experience with the Tennessee legislature or policy advocacy, we hope this microsite will aid your engagement and give you confidence about the process!


Take a look at our synopsis of the 2023 legislative session:

 

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Legislative Accomplishments

We work hard to accelerate systemic changes by identifying gaps or antiquated laws that most negatively impact the lives of women, young people, and other disempowered groups. Together with our statewide partners and through the leadership efforts of many volunteers, we have drafted, lobbied for, and passed ten bills that have had a significant impact on the lives of thousands of Tennesseans.

Read more about the legislation we have passed each year below:

Survivor’s Safety Bill

Update to the Strangulation Law

Aggravated Prostitution Bill

CMV Awareness

Stalking Prevention

Domestic Violence Offender Notification

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Domestic Violence Offender Notification Update

Child Exploitation Bill

Advocate Confidentiality Bill

 

Our issue areas

The advancement of women and young people is predicated on their access to basic rights and resources like education, healthcare, and freedom from violence, as well as their ability to experience equitable treatment and opportunity in every area of their lives. Below are the broad issue areas through which we seek to fulfill our mission with data demonstrating how Tennessee ranks in each category.

Gender-Based and Sexual Violence

  • In 2022, 69,597 Tennesseans reported instances of domestic violence. This is likely only a fraction of the true number of domestic violence survivors, as domestic violence is severely under-reported. It is estimated that only 2.5%-15% of domestic violence survivors ever file a formal report.

  • Tennessee ranks 14th in the US for domestic violence against women and 10th in the US for women killed by men.

Healthcare Access & Equity

  • Tennessee ranks 44th in the country in terms of overall physical health of women and 32nd in terms of overall physical health of children.

  • The maternal mortality rate in Tennessee is 26 in every 100,000 live births, nearly twice the national rate. Black women in Tennessee are 4 times more likely to die in childbirth than their White female counterparts.

Workplace & Economic Justice

  • In Tennessee, women, overall, are paid $0.82 for every dollar paid to a man. Black women are paid $0.67 and Hispanic women $0.54 per every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes.

  • Nearly 1 in 6 women in Tennessee live in poverty.

Child & Youth Safety

  • 1 in 5 Tennessee children live in poverty. This number is significantly higher for Black and Latinx children.

  • Nearly one in five Tennessee children experienced food insecurity in 2020.

  • Childcare in Tennessee costs more than public university tuition, and 48% of Tennesseans live in a childcare desert. 

  • The majority of Tennessee’s LGBTQ+ youth experience anti-LGBTQ harassment and hear anti-LGBTQ+ remarks at school. 3 in 4 LGBTQ+ youth in Tennessee experienced discriminatory school-based policies or practices. 

Strengthening Democracy

  • Tennessee ranked last in voter turnout for the 2022 elections with just 38.6% of registered voters voting.

  • Tennessee County Election Commissions are prohibited from utilizing instant runoff voting or ranked-choice voting to conduct an election for a statewide or local government office.

  • Tennessee does not have statewide initiatives or veto referendums.

Criminal Justice Reform

  • Tennessee has an incarceration rate of 838 per 100,000 people. This rate is higher than the national average of 664 per 100,000 people. It is important to note that the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any democracy. 

  • Black people are incarcerated at a much higher rate than white people in Tennessee. 

  • Although women are incarcerated at lower rates than men, incarceration breaks up families, and puts financial and emotional stress on women, especially those supporting children.

Resources:

Crime in Tennessee 2020

World Population Review

Violence Policy Center

Think Tennessee

United Health Foundation

National Women’s Law Center

Prison Policy Initiative

US News Education Rankings

TN Department of Education

Kids Count State of the Child 2021

GLSEN State Research Snapshot

Helping Survivors - Child Sexual Abuse