3 Ways to Support Women's Equality

Happy Women's History Month! Today marks the start of Women's History Month in the US and I want to salute women everywhere. In honoring women of all walks of life, we commend these women for exhibiting both grace and toughness, dualities, not contradictions of womanhood. We celebrate countless women, with a variety of experiences, as we revel in the persistence of women of every hue.

As I think about women from various walks of life, spanning multiple generations, and representing a variety of identities, I want to pose some reflection questions in honor of Women's History Month:

Do you embrace all women?

It goes without saying, but Women's History Month includes?all?women. So, we must continually?educate ourselves?and consider how to be allies to women whose life experience differs from our own. The reality is that if one woman suffers, our collective society suffers from inequality. So, let us prioritize allyship to communities who are traditionally marginalized, including:

Disabled women.?Trans women. Unhoused women. Women with mental illness. Neurodiverse women. Women with lower incomes.

While this is not an exhaustive list, we can work together to ensure that every woman, from every walk of life experiences affirmation, the opportunity to thrive and the dignity to be the best version of herself.

Will I intentionally support women?

Improving the long terms needs of women will require more women to be in positions of leadership. Taking a lesson from the?Disability Rights Movement, it's essential to have those most impacted involved in the design of systems that work for everyone. Therefore, it's important to consider how we can create space for more women, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, at the proverbial table. That will require each of us to take inventory of who is not present and then use our influence to secure an invite for her. It's understanding who is at the decision-making table and elevating women's voices. It's understanding how decisions could impact women across the board, even if it does not directly impact you. These are the ways that you can actively support women during Women's History Month.

How can you lift a woman in need?

"When we see our sister struggling...even if my struggle is different from her....I will not be satisfied until we are all free and everyone has what they need." -Audre Lorde

This quote resonates with me because it caused me to consider how we can collectively use our voices to ensure that women from all backgrounds win.?Reflection question:?How could you use your influence, positions of power and allyship to strive for freedom, justice, equity and opportunity for all women?

To advance young girls and women, I've donated to?Black Girls Free Fund?because I’m raising two brown girls and I want to invest in societal change that supports young, Black girls everywhere. I also supported a national women's advocacy organization and a local women’s empowerment nonprofit. What about you?

How can you give your time, talent, and/or treasures to make things better for women in your community? We need each other, so drop me a line and let me know how you plan to lift up women.

Desiree S. Coleman?advances equity and empower women through speaking, writing and curating conversations. Connect online: @desireescoleman

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