Collectivity's Women’s History Month!
For Women’s History Month we asked some of our female clients for their thoughts on women’s empowerment, justice, and inspiration. They answered with authenticity and candor; we are grateful for their thoughts . Below is a compilation of what we heard:
“To me, justice for women is freedom for all people. No woman will experience true justice without the assurance that her children, her family, her community and all who have been oppressed by systems of white supremacy and patriarchy have full autonomy over their bodies, their livelihoods, their land and their futures.”
Dr. Rose Wan Mui Chu Plum Blossom Consulting
Rose is inspired by the work of The State of Safety for Asian American and Pacific Islander Women chapter in Minnesota. Their work making sure women have the choices they need, highlighting issues of violence, and equitably advancing women’s experiences nationally in the AAPI community is important. Locally, WoMN ACT inspire Rose because they capture stories that don’t otherwise get highlighted. Women for Women International helps Rose consider her own life and how privileged she is (even compared to her mother) and really helps her realize even though we've come a long way, we have a long way to go.
When women are educated, especially young women, that's justice. If we can get women to be educated, we change a lot of things. [Justice] is how we make sure that happens, especially in poor countries. Education is the equalizer.
In Rose’s work, particularly where women are marginalized, women in traditional roles need to be educated. It's about choice. If you want to be a mother, that is a choice, but if you want to do something else, that is also your choice. No one is forcing you either way. Women have a role to play and especially when they see something different at home, they need to know they, as women, have a choice.
Bernadine Joselyn, Founding Director of Public Policy and Engagement at Blandin Foundation
“I am inspired by the life and work of Cecelia Wattles McKeig, of Federal Dam, who for years has researched and written about the history of the land, people and communities of what today is called Beltrami and Cass Counties. Cecelia’s topics have included the Battle of Sugar Point, the Bemidji Poor Farm, the tiny community of Boy River, and more. I first met Cecelia at the Cass County Historical Society, where she readily answered my questions about Ojibwe birch baskets – makaks. Learning about how Cecelia has adopted tiny Federal Dam as her home and dedicated her energy and talents to recovering and sharing the stories of that place has inspired me to keep thinking globally, but working locally. Cecelia embodies the wisdom that each of us has a responsibility to ensure that the places we love stay healthy and welcoming for future generations. We all should tend to beauty and justice in our own place.”
“Justice is being valued equally – be that through pay, educational opportunities, athletics, and access to all professions/areas of impact that equal their male counterparts. Workforce issues have historically impacted genders very differently – and still do today, as we have seen throughout the pandemic. Women are exiting the labor force at much higher rates than their male counterparts and equity in pay/leadership responsibilities has been so negatively impacted we have almost undone much of the progress made toward gender equity over many decades in the US.”
Earlier this month, I received the letter below from a young woman who was just a child when her family was finally allowed to come as refugees in the early 2000s. They were the last wave of Hmong refugees from Thailand who were almost stranded from the Secret War in Laos. I led efforts to make sure the US government would not forget them and fought to open the refugee resettlement process for them. In this work, I know I may never truly see the results. That’s why I am so moved that this young woman knew her future was changed because I and others fought for her. It keeps me going.
Dear Ms. Bo Thao-Urabe,
On this International Women’s Day, I wanted to stop by to express my deepest gratitude to one of the most amazing women and human beings who saved my future—you. Because of you and the efforts led by you, I am here today, with an education, a place to call home, a future. As one of the 15,000 Hmong refugees you helped save from Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand, I wanted to let you know that I am well and will be heading to medical school this summer to begin my MD training at one of the top medical schools in the country. I think of you very often through my journey to get to where I am today, and I hope to one day meet you in person. I hope all is well for you and your family.
Sincerely,
XXXX
A Hmong Refugee Girl Whose Future You’ve Saved
I am fortunate to be contributing to my experiences, skills, relationships and leadership to building and uplifting leaders, organizations and movements for a future I know is possible. Everyday I am surrounded by people who know it’s not enough to name the problems or just hope. Being in the midst of things, trying to figure out what small and bold actions to take so we can get closer to our imagined future where gender justice and gender liberation is realized - that’s inspiring.
Justice looks like women having control and decision over their bodies. It looks like equal pay. It looks like women and girls not dying at the hands of those who want power and control over them. It looks like society valuing women’s ways and following women’s leadership that is about collective well being, nurturance and connectivity. It looks like seeing women’s leadership present and normalized in every aspect of our social, economic and political lives.
