Generation Action at UA is a student organization devoted to advocating for reproductive rights on campus. Through various initiatives and events, the group aims to educate and empower the student body, ensuring sexual health education remains a priority.
Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides sexual health care, funds Generation Action chapters on campuses all over the country.
Maggie Jutze, president of UA Generation Action and a senior majoring in political science and history, shared the organization’s mission.
“Generation Action at UA’s biggest goal is to spread reproductive and sexual health information across campus. In the South, it isn’t a topic that’s widely discussed, but it’s just as important as your physical and mental well-being,” Jutze said.
The biggest event that gets students involved in the program and educated is the organization’s frequent tabling. During this time, representatives hand out emergency contraceptive pills, condoms and pamphlets for students who wish to educate themselves on reproductive rights and health. There are also bi-weekly meetings with educational sexual health topics such as STD protection. During meetings and tabling events, Generation Action also hands out period products, hotline phone numbers, website URLs or any sort of information for students who do not know how to find it themselves.
Lucy Grams, a junior majoring in social work and vice president of Generation Action, shared the organization’s mission for education on and normalization of sexual health and awareness.
“We have partnered with the company Julie, which is a morning-after pill,” Grams said. She added that the organization has created an emergency delivery service that confidentially brings contraceptive to those in need, all at the send of a text.
Phone numbers for members on the executive board can be found on the website.
According to the Pew Research Center, 6 in 10 Americans say that access to an abortion in their state is somewhat easy, whereas 4 in 10 or fewer say it is difficult.
“There’s a lot of attention on reproductive rights at the moment, which is a good thing. It means people are paying attention to the fact that politicians are trying to take their rights away,” Jutze said. “I am hopeful people take that into consideration when voting in November.”
Jutze said the organization will be planning events around the election to help students register to vote and learn more about reproductive rights.
“This election season feels more important than ever,” Jutze said. “One of Generation Action’s biggest priorities this election season … is getting students registered to vote and getting students out to the polls. We are very passionate about encouraging people to show up and make their voices heard, especially in the South.”
Jutze said that the executive group at Generation Action uses social media to connect and provide resources to students.
“We do informational events, but there are circumstances where students can’t make it due to classes and other events. Social media is a great way to help further engage students,” Jutze said.
Generation Action encourages students to follow its Instagram to keep up with important dates and times for its events, and it has a GroupMe for students who wish to join the organization. Students can also find Gen Action at Get on Board Day Aug. 29.
“We are here, we are a resource and we care about the students,” Grams said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Sept. 3 to correct a name. Generation Action at UA partnered with a company named Julie, not Juile.
