A Memo for International Women’s Day
It’s Women’s History Month.
It’s International Women’s Day.
The internet is full of facts, celebrations, and empowering snippets about the incredible work of women.
But, how do we extract this momentary celebration from the digital sphere and make it a core, active part of our every day lives?
I work with a lot of women and female-identifying youth, so I frequently think about the state of gender equity as it relates to the people that came before us, where we are now, and we want to go in the future.
A few weeks ago, I was at an event where we were asked to share 2-minute remarks about advances or threats to our respective industries.
Between Stage Door Dance Productions and Girls Geared For Greatness, I listen and learn about our communities’ experiences and concerns.
I felt compelled to share some powerful statements regarding threats.
It was really hard to do in 120 seconds.
Below are the remarks:
There’s a volatility towards female empowerment that has become more brazen in recent years.
As someone that works with a predominantly female identifying demographic in both my for-profit company, Stage Door Dance Productions, and my non-profit company, Girls Geared For Greatness, I’ve seen it intensify firsthand.
Here are a few examples that occurred within the past year:
There are two high school students, one in public education and one in private education. Both shared that a male peer told them “they didn’t belong in math class.”
Another teen readily admitted to spending 10+ hours on TikTok each day, knowing it was detrimental to mental health and perception of self. But, they couldn’t stop, acknowledging an addiction to self-comparison.
Last March, a high school senior shared that her public school instructor declared on March 1st that they would not be recognizing or celebrating Women’s History Month; instead, they would celebrate “Macho March.”
Factor in these types of scenarios with the compounded pressures felt in regards to social media, bullying, beauty, societal pressures, media representation, systemic gender inequity and misogyny, and pandemic loss.
We have work to do.
Many of these female identifying youth will tell you they’re fine and over apologize if they feel they’ve underperformed or disappointed someone. But, when we have these candid conversations, they want to be seen and supported and are incredibly observant and aware. They want to live in a society that accepts them for who they are.
These are the leaders of tomorrow, and it is important that we intentionally and honestly build them up. I want them to believe that “yes, they can”, and I want them to have confidence to be curious and confident in their pursuits.
When facing a challenge, I want them to be seen as determined instead of difficult.
When using their voice, I want them to heard as courageous instead of emotional.
And most important, I want them to see their value, as they are.
Then, we will edge closer to a society in which they can thrive, as themselves.
And, when females thrive, society thrives.
This conversation is bigger than March 8th.
It’s larger than March 2023.
I love that it is happening.
And, I see it triggering impactful action.
Still, I urge all of us to keep at the forefront of our work in our homes and communities.
It’s a conversation that needs to occur every day.
