Women want to be wanted.

With the recent movements for gender equality in the workplace, i.e., #metoo #womenshistorymonth, #equalpay, I feel it is imperative to support women and become a pro-female advocate.?

The issues women face and the movement forward for women are essential to me, especially as I age and in my work, and as a connector, I realize that empowering women is vital for true positive social impact for a better world.

As I grow with my purpose and one of the most significant learning's I've received through?EYEJ: Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice ; a non-profit I co-founded in 2013, with a focus on social impact and empowering young people to advocate for change for a more equitable and inclusive world, now serving over 2,000 unique underserved youth, and working with very diverse young people and women, and formerly from the tech industry, directly helping two companies go public and as a mother of a daughter, when things get tough, it is always ultimately women who show up, are the backbone and of strength. And for those in the social and community impact world, women need to be empowered as women know how to take action, are compassionate, and are strong beyond belief.

Having worked with many diverse women throughout my career from various socioeconomic levels, education, career levels, locations, cultures, and various industries and ages, the women are carrying out change; in my opinion, we need to dive in fully. Recent women leaders include newly elected; Justice?Kentanji Brown Jackson , or a member group, I am part of,?Chief raising $100M ?empowering 12,000 female business leaders or?Cleveland women who inspire us .

I have also learned that?we want to be wanted.?We own and carry generational ways, habits, and pain through women's struggles, responsibilities that we hold, and the many details of life we are juggling, yet we persevere. I also realize that we are responsible for many issues that we consistently blame men for, and we have to step up to the plate and take the time and responsibility to heal to empower our purpose and power. These shifts are not always easy, as they can be tiring and overwhelming. So help us feel wanted to fall into our power more efficiently and respectfully.

As a woman who has faced many adversities in my career and life, I feel it is essential to figure out?ways to help women feel wanted and empowered.?Here are some suggestions:

• Encourage us.
• Embrace, listen and empower what we have to say and our work.
• Value and respect us - yes, men want to be respected, and we respect you. But we turn the corner when we don't feel respected, and that immediate judgment that we are not of value when we don't meet your standards in a single moment may be an assumption incorrectly placed.
• The moment you comment in your head, "she is being aggressive," I ask you to reassess and perhaps reflect on what you considered aggressive and why. I know I can become aggressive when the support does not happen, and I feel I have to take the bull by the horns to handle the situation. Yes, it may be traditional for the man to provide, protect and solve, but we're in a new world now, and if you don't like that aggressiveness, perhaps check your behavior and actions and ask why that person may have been aggressive. Often, that aggressiveness may come from frustration or the need to get the job done, a woman being assertive, or a?double standard . I know I enjoy being feminine but remember, is?feminity always accepted in the workplace , especially in leadership?
• Heal your previous traumas about how women may have hurt you. These early traumas set the stage for how you may pre-set, consciously or unconsciously, how you feel about women and treat them.

Women, we have to own and be confident in our power and purpose. Inspired by the statement in a recent mini-workshop event with Denise Conroy, her headline struck me. "We're spending too much time justifying our existence." Men, I encourage you to partner with us to help empower women leadership. Women are warriors;?help change the game as there is space for all of us.

As a lifelong learner, please feel free to comment below, suggest, and add, too, as I love and am always open to a healthy and diverse debate and discussion.