On Wednesday, Oct. 23, Women’s Empowerment Club held its seventh annual Day of the Girl conference with more than 100 students in attendance. Female speakers were invited to share their stories on topics such as the importance of unity between different cultures and genders, how the American political system affects mothers running for office, and the challenges women face in the world and workforce. Presentations included Angelina Flynn and Marian Kinter representing the U.S. Navy, Liuba Grechen Shirley, founder of Vote Mama, and women from the Women’s Diversity Network.
Advisor for Women’s Empowerment and English teacher Lori Indemaio hosts the Day of the Girl event in hopes that women’s issues would be addressed. Day of the Girl started as a Community Action Service (CAS) Project for International Baccalaureate (IB) students. This event aims to raise awareness of the everyday struggles women go through, as well as the perseverance they need to not let others’ opinions stop them from achieving their goals. In the workforce, many women deal with stereotypes, harassment, and the financial burden of expensive child care. Many women in the world experience more difficulties than men in male-dominated industries.
To Indemaio, Day of the Girl brings recognition to what women accomplish despite many barriers they may face.
“There is rarely time in class to do a deep dive into some of the social and economic issues that are happening in our country,” said Indemaio. “We touch on it at times, but it always seems like an afterthought, or just a unit that we cover. This, however, allows us to really see the relevance or the connection to our daily lives.”
To Indemaio, “the event is not just about listening to presentations, but also providing a space where women can express their hardships.”
Sophomore Adyin Morales shared a male perspective on the importance of an event like this.
“I think it really shows the issues of equality with men and women, and how women are perceived,” said Morales.
This event allowed students to understand the ways in which women are still facing inequalities in the workforce. Strong women like the speakers at this event encouraged many students, including junior Nailah Mobley.
Mobley attended the event after being informed about Day of the Girl by a teacher. To Mobley, this day meant being there for women that want to share their stories to people that are willing to listen. Hearing the two presenters from the Navy showed her the reality of what other women go through in work places surrounded by inappropriate criticism by men.
“I like how they got different people here,” said Mobley. “They have people talking about actual experiences.”
Hearing women who experienced backlash for being a woman in the workforce brought real issues to the forefront.
Women in the Armed Forces
The first presentation of the event was facilitated by Women in the Armed Forces, featuring Angelina Flynn who is a current soldier in the U.S. Navy.
During this presentation, Flynn shared her encounters with men not taking her role seriously. Flynn was introduced to the Navy Science department through a Google search. Since she wanted to pursue a career in the field of Science, she signed up for their program right away. She mentioned her daily life and important moments she remembered while being a part of the Navy. Overall, her presentation promoted the inclusion of female soldiers in the Navy.
Women in Politics
Next, students heard from Liuba Grechen Shirley, founder of Vote Mama. Shirley is a politician and mother who campaigned for the House of Representatives in 2018. Vote Mama is an organization created by Shirley to advocate for mothers who are politicians or hope to work in politics one day. The organization spreads awareness of the challenges mothers face when running for office.
During this presentation Shirley addressed concerns regarding child care, economics, and the way women are treated in politics. She emphasized that being a politician comes with an extensive workload.
Shirley discussed the challenges she faced while running for office, and how she was able to prove people wrong when they didn’t believe she would have the ability to accomplish her goals.
“Many times, nobody thought I was going to be able to run for office with a one and three-year-old,” said Shirley.
“It’s not so much the stress of work but the stress of balancing work and everything […] I have three children. They are eight and 10. They had soccer practice, play practice, piano lessons,” said Shirley. “I remember I was trying to make dinner after a full day’s worth of work. I remember thinking, ‘How does anybody deal with the stress of all of this and balancing it?’ […] Work does not stress me out; it’s the balancing of it.”
Shirley believes that when someone is passionate about their job, it doesn’t feel as stressful. For Shirley, pressure fuels her productivity and helps her tackle tasks that come her way. Balancing her personal life and work can be challenging at times, but with a solid support system in place, she manages to find a way to make it all work.
Women’s Diversity Network
Bringing the event to a close, the spotlight turned to the Women’s Diversity Network. A panel of women from the organization spoke about how people from different backgrounds can feel respected, as well as how students can respond to insensitive statements. One example that was shared was why pronouncing someone’s name correctly could make someone feel comfortable and accepted.
Events like Day of the Girl allow people to understand women’s impact in the workforce. Women make important contributions to the work-force and communities around the world and this event helped students realize this truth.
