The Positive Women’s Network-USA (PWN-USA) named 14 women as its 2017 policy fellows. This marks the inaugural year of the PWN-USA Fellowship Program.

The yearlong program “will prepare and involve [women living with HIV] in all levels of policy and decision-making by increasing participants’ ability to engage effectively in the federal policy and advocacy arena,” according to the group’s description of the program. “In recognition that spaces of influence within the federal policy environment have been largely inaccessible to [women living with HIV], the fellowship curriculum will be rooted within a social justice framework and will apply an explicit gender justice and racial justice lens to the policy and advocacy process as a vehicle for transformative social and political change.”

Through policy webinars, coaching sessions and in-person training, the program teaches the fellows how government is structured, how policy is developed and implemented, how to build an effective coalition and maintain influence in the policymaking process, and much more.

The 2017 PWN-USA Policy Fellows are:

Thandi Harris (CA)

Angela Hawkins (TX)

Chunnika Hodges (MI)

Stacy Jennings (SC)

Andrea Johnson (TX)

Shyronn Jones (GA)

Kamaria Laffrey (FL)

Arianna Lint (FL)

Tiommi Jenae Luckett (PA)

Danielle Pleasant (DC)

Teresa Sullivan (PA)

Evany Turk (TX)

Brandi Velasquez (OR)

Katie Willingham (AL)

You can read bios of each fellow here. Last year, Arianna Lint was profiled as a POZ Hero; you can read that article here.