Three anniversaries this week — Title IX, Dobbs, and Shelby County — mark what’s still at stake for women at the ballot box.
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This week marks the anniversaries of three decisions that have fundamentally shaped women’s lives in America: the passage of Title IX (June 23, 1972), the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling that eliminated the federal right to abortion (June 24, 2022), and Shelby County v. Holder, which weakened key federal voting rights protections (June 25, 2013). Against that backdrop, AAUW and the AAUW Action Fund relaunched It’s My Vote! — a nonpartisan civic engagement campaign built to give women the tools, information, and confidence to make their voices heard in the 2026 midterm elections.
At the center of the campaign is It’s My Vote! Civic Engagement Guide, a free resource covering ten issue areas — from pay equity and education access to civil rights and voting rights — that gives women nonpartisan questions to bring to any candidate forum, town hall, or community conversation, regardless of party. From school boards and city councils to state legislatures and Congress, the guide helps voters ask informed, values-driven questions of candidates and elected officials at every level of government.
“This week, we mark anniversaries that remind us exactly what is at stake for women in American democracy — in our schools, for our bodies, and at the ballot box. The It’s My Vote! campaign is AAUW’s answer to this moment: not telling anyone who to vote for, but making sure every woman has the tools, the information, and the confidence to make her voice heard. When women vote, we change the conversation. AAUW is leading the charge,” says Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO, AAUW.
AAUW has spent more than 140 years advancing equity in education and public life for women and girls. Its more than 600 branches active across the country have a long history of nonpartisan civic engagement, including hosting candidate forums, supporting voter registration, and helping community members engage in the democratic process.
As a Grassroots Power Partner in the League of Women Voters’ Unite and Rise 8.5 initiative, AAUW joins a nationwide effort to mobilize 8.5 million people to strengthen democracy and expand voter participation ahead of November.
Additional resources, including the Civic Engagement Guide and information about AAUW’s July 8 webinar, are available at aauw.org/ItsMyVote.
AAUW (American Association of University Women) is the nation’s leading organization for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment. Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through research, advocacy, and philanthropy of over $146 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org.
Media Contact: media@aauw.org
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SOURCE American Association of University Women
