Recipe for Action: Raising Awareness in Others.

July 27, 2018

Conversations about the issues surrounding sexual and reproductive rights can happen anywhere. You may initiate such a conversation. Or someone may bring it up. It may last just a couple of exchanges or it may last several. Much depends on the situation.
Underlying all such conversations is respect for the views of others, even when they oppose you. We speak to the issue, without endorsing a candidate or party.

We find it is most effective to be calm, wise grandmothers speaking from a lifetime of experience.

Servings: One at a time
Cook Time: Whatever time you have
Prep Time: 1 min to a lifetime

Ingredients

1 Cup (or maybe gallon) of concern about women’s access to sexual and reproductive health care
A desire to share the concern
Spoonfuls of the value that women care about their own health and that of their families
A dollop of flexibility about where to have a conversation
Several large sprinkles of willingness to listen with respect to others
Some tablespoons of sensitivity to others’ approach to a “hot topic”
A bowlful of readiness for an impromptu conversation or one you start

Directions

1. Stir up your concern about women’s access to sexual and reproductive health care.
2. Measure your desire to share. If you don’t feel ready, that’s o.k. Sometimes it takes time to become more familiar with the issues to speak with confidence.
3. Get in touch with shared values. For example, nearly all women feel about their own access to health care and that of others. This is often a good starting point.
4. Assess your willingness to listen to others. This is a critical element to a conversation, especially when the other person has different views.
“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou
5. Some people are very sensitive about talking about sexual matters. This often is when you can focus on values around health.
6. Remember, your goal can be to awaken awareness of this critical issue. Not necessarily to “win someone over.”
7. Be ready for the topic to come up any time. If you are not ready to talk about it at that moment, that’s o.k. Tell yourself, this is a learning time for you as much as it is for the other.

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