Laura Julia Fleischmann

What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?

I have so much pride in who I am, but in each of my cultures, there is a history of misogyny and sexism. Only when I began to notice this in my own life, did I dig a little deeper and discover the endless barriers and specific struggles women go through each day. This encouraged me to begin to fight for gender equality.

Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.

One of my biggest wins was when I completed a community action project about menstruation inequality and period poverty. Many women, especially low-income and homeless women, struggle to be able to afford the necessary basic hygiene materials such as sanitary pads or tampons. Choosing between food or personal hygiene products should never have to be a decision someone is forced to make. Yet, unfortunately, this is. Through my involvement with Girl Up, we wrote letters to Congress and collected period products to distribute to N Street Village, a women’s homeless center in Washington, DC. We also advocated for free access to period products in our school and at lunch hosted informative meetings educating people about period poverty. This may seem like a small win, but now women where I live can care for themselves while menstruating and more people are educated about this topic. It was so meaningful to see change being made in my own community.

Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?

I love to read, try out new foods, and spend time with my friends.