Alabama State Rep. Rolanda Hollis Honors WIT Founders with Congress and State House Recognition for Menstrual Equity Advocacy

In Absentia, Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell Gave "Special Recognition" to Breanna and Brooke Bennett for Outstanding Contribution to their Community

At the 8th Annual Beautiful Women and Handsome Men in Hats luncheon event in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 26, 2025, State Rep. Rolanda Hollis honored Breanna and Brooke Bennett, Founders, Women in Training, Inc., with a framed certificate from the Alabama House of Representatives.

Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, who was also honored at the Beautiful Women and Handsome Men in Hats, signed the certificate in recognition of Breanna and Brooke's advocacy on behalf of girls and women in Alabama.

Alabama State Rep. Rolanda Hollis honoring Brooke and Breanna Bennett for their outstanding service to the community at the 8th Annual Beautiful Women and Handsome Men luncheon celebration in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 26, 2025.

Rep. Hollis also presented the 17-year-old twins with a United States House of Representatives special recognition certificate, signed by Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell, for "outstanding and invaluable service to the community."

United States Congresswoman Terri Sewell from Alabama with Brooke and Breanna Bennett at an American Red Cross disaster relief shelter in Selma, Alabama, in January 2023. Volunteers distributed Women in Training, Inc. WITKITS of menstrual, dental and hygiene supplies to families impacted by tornadoes that devastated the area.

Rep. Hollis also presented the twins, whom she calls her "Sheroes," with two dozen beautiful roses in vases, as well as handmade bracelets in their favorite colors: pink for Brooke and teal for Breanna.

The sisters presented Rep. Hollis with a plaque of appreciation for serving as Chairwoman of the Women in Training, Inc. Board of Directors from 2022 to the present.

In honoring the twins, who will graduate from The Montgomery Academy in May 2025, Rep. Hollis commended Breanna and Brooke for beginning a life of public service as sixth graders.

"Bree and Brooke were 12-years-old when they came to see me at the Alabama State House for the first time, and they knew exactly what they wanted to accomplish," Rep. Hollis shared. "They told me they wanted legislation to help end period poverty, so I introduced a bill to help do just that!"

Ultimately, Rep. Hollis' House Bill 50 "The Period Poverty Bill" passed unanimously in the Alabama legislature in April 2022, making Alabama only the seventh state in the nation with a funded menstrual equity law.

"Thanks to Rep. Danny Garrett, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, we were initially able to allocate $200,000 to the Alabama Department of Education to provide grants to school districts to fund feminine hygiene supplies for girls in grades 5 through 12 in Title I schools," Rep. Hollis said.

Alabama State Representative Danny Garrett, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, and his wife, Mrs. Carol Garrett, with Brooke and Breanna Bennett at the Beautiful Women and Handsome Men in Hats luncheon event in Birmingham, Alabama. Rep. Garrett's leadership made it possible for the Alabama legislature to double to $400,000 the annual funding for the Feminine Hygiene Grants Program.

Below is the Capitol Journal broadcast on Alabama Public Television about House Bill 50.

In 2024, Rep. Hollis explained, she returned to Rep. Garrett to request additional funding from the Education Trust Fund for the Feminine Hygiene Grants Program. That April, the Alabama House and Senate unanimously voted to double funding to $400,000 for the Feminine Hygiene Grants Program. The grant supports more than 56,000 students annually.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 50 into law on April 22, 2022. The law now allocates $400,000 annually to the Alabama Department of Education to fund the Feminine Hygiene Grants Program. The program supports more than 56,000 young women in Grades 5 through 12 in Alabama's Title I schools.

"The girls even got me on CNN to talk about this historic law!" Rep. Hollis beamed.

In December 2024, CNN Heroes named Brooke and Breanna their CNN Heroes Young Wonders of the Year. Please view the broadcast featuring the Bennett twins and Rep. Hollis below.

Click the photo to view the CNN Heroes "Young Wonders" segment featuring Brooke and Breanna Bennett in December 2024.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden honored Breanna and Brooke at the White House in 2023 as part of the inaugural cohort of Girls Leading Change in October 2023 as part of the International Day of the Girl celebration.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at The White House with Brooke and Breanna Bennett at the inaugural Girls Leading Change ceremony at The White House to honor International Day of the Girl Child in October 2023. (Photo: The White House)

U.S. Senator Katie Britt from Alabama presented Breanna and Brooke with the Engaged Woman Award in March 2023 as part of the Women's History Month commemoration.

U.S. Senator Katie Britt presenting the Engage Woman Award for Non-Profit Leadership to Brooke and Breanna Bennett, Founders of Women in Training, Inc., at Engage’s Remarkable Women Reception and Dinner in Washington, D.C. on March 28, 2023 (Photo: Tony Powell)

Always brand of period products by Procter & Gamble named Breanna and Brooke as "Always Period Heroes" in 2020. Here is a video, produced by Katie Couric, to honor that award.

P&G also sponsored Breanna and Brooke's appearance as speakers at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 24, 2022. They joined Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu to announce the Global Menstrual Equity Accelerator's "Period for Change" campaign to fight stigma, influence policy and secure resources needed to end period poverty.

More than 300 state and local elected officials, as well as corporate and community leaders, attended the Beautiful Women and Handsome Men luncheon celebration. Rep. Hollis hosts the event annually to honor unsung heroes in Alabama.

Lending support at the event was State Representative Neil Rafferty, who sponsored House Bill 152 to exempt Alabama residents from the 4% state sales tax on baby formula, baby bottles, baby wipes, breast milk pumping equipment, diapers, maternity clothing, and menstrual hygiene products. This law would save taxpayers an estimated $13 million a year.

 State Representative Neil Rafferty with Brooke and Breanna Bennett and their mother, Mrs. "Iya Ibeji" Adeyela Bennett, at the 8th Annual Beautiful Women and Handsome Men in Hats event. Rep. Rafferty sponsored House Bill 152 that recently passed unanimously in both the Alabama House and Senate. The new law exempts families from Alabama state sales tax on baby, maternity and menstrual supplies.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed Rep. Rafferty's House Bill 152 into law over the Mother's Day weekend in May 2025; a public ceremony is forthcoming. The law will take effect Sept. 1, 2025, and expire Aug, 31, 2028.

According to Period Law, Alabama became the 31st state to end taxes on menstrual supplies.

"We are so grateful to our Shero, Rep. Rolanda Hollis, for honoring us in this special way," said Brooke Bennett. "Thanks to the Alabama legislature, we have accomplished one of our initial goals, which is to partner with government agencies to institute laws to help end period poverty."

Breanna Bennett continued: "Now, we can focus on our other two goals, which are to increase awareness of period poverty globally, and help pass Congresswoman Grace Meng's Menstrual Equity for All Act to support girls and women throughout the U.S."

Joining the Bennett family at the ceremony was U.S. Veterans Administration Physician Dr. Nandini Ramroop, a family friend. Dr. Ramroop serves as Chairwoman of the WIT International Day of the Girl Child STEM and Multicultural Festival held annually in Montgomery around October 11 to coincide with the United Nations' global International Day of the Girl Child celebration.

U.S. Veterans Administration Physician Dr. Nandini Ramroop and Alabama State Rep. Rolanda Hollis in Birmingham, Alabama, at the 8th Annual Beautiful Women and Handsome Men in Hats.

Please enjoy the video below of the 2nd Annual WIT International Day of the Girl Child STEM and Multicultural Festival.

The twins were escorted by their parents, Mr. Bradley and Mrs. "Iya Ibeji" Adeyela Bennett.

Brooke and Breanna Bennett with their parents, Mr. Bradley and Mrs. "Iya Ibeji" Adeyela Bennett, posing with the two beautiful bouquets of roses that Alabama State Rep. Rolanda Hollis presented to the twins at her 8th Annual Beautiful Women and Handsome Men in Hats luncheon event in Birmingham, Alabama.

Other honorees at the 8th Annual Beautiful Women and Men in Hats luncheon celebration include:

Ms. Terri A. Harvill, Social Impact Officer, Birmingham YMCA

Ms. Bobbie Knight, President, Miles College

State Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives

Ms. Charlotte Shaw, Executive Director and CEO, Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit

To support Breanna and Brooke's vision to end period poverty, please donate to Women in Training, Inc. at the link below.

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