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HERstory: Women empowering women

March 17, 2021
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Women’s History Month began as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Public Law 97-28, which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.

March has evolved from celebrating the contributions and achievements of women to the empowerment of women. And as we celebrate another Women’s History Month, we want to tell HERstory and highlight women empowering women during this unparalleled time. There’s never been a greater time to highlight the resiliency and fortitude of women. Particularly since women have experienced an unparalleled impact during this COVID period.

A 2020 report from McKinsey noted that the “pandemic and its economic fallout are having a regressive effect on gender equality. By their calculation, women’s jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable to this crisis than men’s jobs. Women make up 39 percent of global employment but account for 54 percent of overall job losses.” And a collaborative report from the Century Foundation and Center for American Progress shared the following key findings:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a striking blow to a child care sector that was already failing to support all families, and 4.5 million child care slots could be lost permanently.
  • There were nearly 10 million mothers of young children in the labor force in 2019. Insufficient child care could affect their work, their wages, their long-term economic outcomes, and the economic recovery.
  • The risk of mothers leaving the labor force and reducing work hours in order to assume caretaking responsibilities amounts to $64.5 billion per year in lost wages and economic activity.
  • Without both immediate and long-term action to shore up the child care infrastructure and establish more progressive work-family policies, the United States cannot achieve continued economic growth nor protect and advance gender equity.

Below are a few women-led organizations working diligently to empower women of varying ages to not only survive during this time but excel.

Women in Technology (WIT) is a nonprofit founded in Atlanta over 29 years ago supporting and empowering girls and women in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) from the classroom to the boardroom. Today, WIT has over 45,000 members worldwide and also serves disadvantaged single mothers through the new WIT Single Mothers’ Education Program, which is focused on Cyber Security Certificate training for underserved single mothers to be enrolled at Emory Continuing Education (Emory University). WIT has designed the program to support participants from start to finish. This includes supporting their education along with providing supportive services and guaranteed job placement for those who finish the 12-week certificate program. Supportive services such as childcare, job placement services, laptops and transportation are available to participants at no charge. WIT’s President and CEO, Penny Collins states, “We are very excited about the WIT Single Mothers’ Education Program and the positive impact it will have on underserved single mothers, their children and their community. We are grateful to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and our other partners and donors who have helped fund this program helping these amazing women and their families.”

Destiny’s Daughters of Promise is a Georgia-based, nonprofit organization with a mission to provide a safe environment where teen girls can learn strategies to become confident leaders and contributing members of society. They offer services that promote community involvement, financial literacy, healthy relationships and strong interpersonal skills. Program activities are designed to prepare teen girls for transition into healthy and independent adults. In 2007, the organization began as the vision of Lorraine E. Thomas. As a long-time educator, Lorraine responded to a vision to address the challenge for overburdened public schools to provide additional basic life skills and leadership to teen girls. She had a vision to serve girls with leadership potential, but were at risk of being overlooked and thus increasing the unfortunate likelihood of a downward trajectory. The first meeting in October 2007 consisted of business professionals, friends and family and teachers – all with the same passion to see Lorraine’s idea come to life.

Hope for Youth, Inc. (HYPE) provides 21st-century skills and tech training to girls of color. Through computer science education, significant leadership and learning experiences and technology career exposure, HYPE Scholars grow in civic-mindedness & global awareness while preparing for careers of the future.

The HYPE Project partners with schools, school districts and other youth-serving nonprofit organizations to provide access to 21st century skills-building education and exposure to technology careers for and from individuals who are currently underrepresented in tech. During the COVID pandemic, they’ve been engaging Black and brown girls in middle and high school in community-driven and culturally relevant computer science education through a virtual after-school coding program. Their efforts not only help them to connect students during this time, but teaches them a critical skill in a subject that is missing in over 50% of our high schools, and helps them develop as leaders and problem solvers. HYPE’s Founder and CEO Kristina Smith-Newton states, “Women empowerment is important in and of itself, and we’ve seen on numerous occasions that to empower women means empowering generations and ultimately changing the world. However, women empowering women is not only important, it’s special and powerful. When a woman uses her influence and position to empower and uplift other women, it is an intentional act, it carries a special meaning, and it reverses years of dangerous and incorrect thinking that women should be in competition with one another. When we choose to celebrate instead of compete, everyone wins – and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.”