Hall of Fame - National Pretty Brown Girl Day

Today is the first National Pretty Brown Girl Day.  The organization Pretty Brown Girl wants brown women and girls around the world to feel empowered and increase their self-esteem.  It is a great cause and I want to bring attention to it.  One day I may have a pretty brown girl and I hope that when that happens some things will have changed and she will feel empowered and able to love her skin, hair, and everything else about here.

In previous posts I have discussed the societal views of women with dark skin.  One article on National Pretty Brown Girl day also featured a trailer for a documentary called Dark Girls.  I think it is important to show it here:

Hall of Fame - Isabel Allende

Much of the posts on this blog have focused more on women in the United States, but it is also important to discuss the disempowered state of women worldwide.  While I wish that things were more equal and women in the US more empowered, the fact remains that women living in other countries have it worse.  In the below video, Isabel Allende speaks about women throughout the world and the need for women to be more empowered.

Allende makes some amazing points about how our world could be if women were more empowered and viewed as equals. 

• Women do two-thirds of the world’s labor but own less than 1% of the world’s assets.  Paid less then men, if they are paid at all.  They remain vulnerable because they have no economic independence and they are constantly threatened by coercion, violence, and abuse.
• If a woman is empowered her children and family will be better off.  If families prosper, the village prospers and eventually the whole society.
• Women are 51% of human kind, empowering them will change everything.
• Men run the world and look at the mess we have.  We want a world where life is preserved and the quality of life is enriched for everybody, not only the privileged.

The statistics that she shared that she me the most was that for every $1 given to a women's program, $20 are given to men's programs.  Allende calls attention to a pressing need for change in our society and our world.  

For real change, we need feminine energy.

Hall of Fame - Obama Administration

About a week ago, there was a victory for women's health.  Obama and Health and Human Services required that the majority of health insurances provide birth control free of cost to women.  While there are a few exemptions for religious organizations, as of August 1 women will be able to get birth control free of deductible or co-pay.  This huge advance for women sends the message that the government cares about and will support a women's reproductive health.  It will also save money because it will help prevent unintended pregnancies for women that are unable to afford birth control.  This is a short post but I think it is important to recognize.  Especially since this decision has received so little attention.

For more information

Hall of Fame - Riley on Marketing

As an eternal optimist, I wanted to start off the new year with a Hall of Fame post.  And what better way to start then recognizing this amazing young lady - Riley.

I don't have much to say because she is able to articulate my thoughts on the matter.  Her insightful words show us - again - that even kids recognize the gender stereotypes that our society puts out there.  To me this is further evidence that as adults we need to continuously challenge gender stereotypes that tell girls to like pink and princesses even if we think they are too young to understand.  But even Riley recognizes that some girls really do like pink and princesses.  And we need to be okay with that.

Hall of Fame

Anyone that knows me knows that I am very passionate about changing gender stereotypes.  I have even joked with my family that if I have a daughter one of her first sentences will be “stop trying to make me conform to gender stereotypes.”  So when I read an amazing blog post about a teacher in Wisconsin that is addressing gender stereotypes in her classroom, I knew that I had to share it. 

Fighting Gender Stereotypes

In this post, the writer initially becomes aware of gender stereotypes – and how extreme they can be – when she is having a daughter.  I loved when she said “I refused to make my baby daughter fit in the box that society had created for her.”  That is exactly how I feel. 

But she even took this a step further.  Instead of just raising children that are aware of – and do not need to conform to – gender stereotypes, she began addressing the issue in her classroom.  The lessons that she did with her 1^st grade students are simple and do not take much time.  They do, however, begin to challenging the ideas that her students have about gender.  Some may feel that 1^st grade is too young to start talking about gender stereotypes and gender nonconformity, but I would argue that it is the perfect age.  As is evident in this post, and by watching any kids playing, they already have very specific ideas about what is acceptable for boys and for girls.  These ideas, however, have not been solidified in their minds and these lessons will help them be more aware and think about the truth and validity behind the messages they receive. 

I can only imagine and dream for a world in which all of our children are taught these lessons at an early age.  I honestly feel that these would lead to gender equality and minimize the impact of so many gender-based issues.

Hall of Fame - Kiri Davis

In response to my last post, I wanted to highlight an individual that is bringing attention to society's beauty standards for African-American women.  Kiri Davis has made a short documentary entitled "A Girl Like Me."

This is a great film that discusses light v. dark skin, "good" vs. "bad" hair and the ways in which this impacts African-American women's self-image.  She also repeats the infamous doll test in which African-American children are asked to identify their preferred doll between a White and African-American doll.  About 72% of the children say they prefer the White doll.

I wanted to feature this film because the only way our society is ever going to change beauty norms for women is to have frank conversations about them and the ways that they impact our self-image.  It is also important to recognize that their is not one set of beauty standards for all women but that they do vary between different races.  The example of skin color is a great one.  The standard for White women is to be dark and tan, while the standard for African-American women is to be lighter.  Am I the only one that finds that interesting...  Can't we just be happy and love the way we look.

Hall of Fame - England and Argentina

I have posted two Hall of Shame and figured it is time for a Hall of Fame post.  I wanted this post to be in response to my most recent Hall of Shame post about women in positions of power.  So first I want to recognize England has recently changed their succession laws to make women equal to men.  In the old law, which has been in place for 300 years, the first born son is the heir to the crown.  But now if this lovely couple has a daughter first, then she will take precedence over her brothers as heir to the thrown.  Prime Minister David Cameron has said "the idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man - this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we have become."  

The other country that I wanted to recognize is Argentina.  In 2007, they elected Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as their 55th president.  She is the first female elected president of Argentina (and second female to serve as president).    Interestingly enough, when she first was elected in 2007, the relationship between Argentina and US deteriorated because the US claimed that she had illegal financial support for her campaign.  I'm sure the fact that she was a woman had nothing to do with their claims...


She was recently re-elected and her margin of victory is the largest since democratic elections have been held in 1983.  One of the main responses for her high approval rating is the fact that Argentina's economy has grown 9% last year.  This provides more evidence that women as national leaders can have an amazing impact on the country and its economy.