Empowerment [em-pou-er-muhnt]
noun: 1. the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.
#1) Mentorship is vital for girls and young women. So often, those who have support from other women forget that not all women have the same privilege. Throughout the “Empowered!” event, Judd emphasized that having a mentor to help you navigate the difficulties that being a woman can bring is absolutely vital for girls and young women. Without this mentorship, young women may not have the confidence or knowledge to stand up for themselves, and they also may not have anyone who will stand up for them. In the business world, this is especially true. Being a young professional woman in male-dominated fields is particularly scary. Many believe women don’t belong in business, or that they don’t belong at the top of the business food chain. Luckily for us, the Fargo-Moorhead area has a whole lot of professional women who have been immersed in these fields for years. If you are one of those women, take a young professional under your wing and help them navigate the world of business a little more smoothly. If you are not sure who might need a mentor in your day-to-day, think about the girls or young women in your personal life that might need someone in their corner. Be an open ear and a shoulder to lean on for them, because you never know if they have support already. Being that mentor for them will build confidence in them and increase the chances that they will empower more girls and women as they grow older. The world needs more empowered women!
#2) Community continues to be important for women of all ages. Young women aren’t the only ones who need someone to stand with them, though. 50 years ago, when the YWCA Women of the Year event was founded, it was not common for women to gather together for large events. The community of empowered women that YWCA creates is a strong one, and knowing that you have a group of women who will have your back is sure to make you feel safer and more secure. Though, as we get older, we often move from the mentee role to the mentor role, that doesn’t mean that we don’t need to have a community that will stand by us in our worst times. If you don’t have a community of women that you can count on yet, join one or make one! There are many professional networking groups in the Fargo-Moorhead area that might be the perfect fit for you. If a formal group isn’t really your style, get some friends or coworkers together and have a game night, start a book club, or just go out to eat together. Having a community of supportive women around you who will lift you up when you need it most will encourage you to be your best self and to lift other women up, too.
About Ashley Judd Ashley Judd is a Harvard Graduate, a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress, a social justice humanitarian, and a NY Times best-selling author. As a humanitarian, she advocates for the rights and health of girls and women worldwide. She has traveled to over 20 countries, spending time in brothels, refugee camps, hospices, and slums while learning directly from the vulnerable and resilient about violence and how to overcome gender inequality. Ashley was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2017 as one of the Silence Breakers and the United Nations honored her as Global Advocate of the Year in 2019.
About YWCA Cass Clay “YWCA Cass Clay is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.” “[They] carry out this mission through the pillar of empowerment, by helping women gain confidence as they recover from the damaging effects of poverty and violence. Each woman who comes to [their] door is given the tools needed to transform her life. Without judgment, [they] offer safe shelter, food, clothing, childcare, education and employment services, health counseling, and transportation assistance on each woman’s personal journey to independence.” - YWCA Cass Clay Website, ywcacassclay.org
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