Civic Issue Blog

Girls taking the STEM world by storm has everyone watching and waiting to see what else they can accomplish in the world of technology. Thanks to the huge emergence of social media platforms, the world of technology is the new trend. Technology is something that has always been changing and evolving, and will always be changing and evolving. So, the job market for the technological world is thriving and competitive; and girls are making their way up there in the ranks. STEM has always been a male-dominated field, but that is quickly changing, as society changes as well. Girls are beginning to get involved with STEM fields, and they are starting younger and younger, as women’s empowerment programs around the world continue to grow.

One of those growing women’s empowerment organizations is #BUILTBYGIRLS. Founded by Nisha Dua, this organization visits with different tech companies, building partnerships and internships for girls who join the program. Targeting high school girls looking to get into the STEM fields, #BUILTBYGIRLS trains the girls and prepares them for potential internships or jobs, so that they are always staying one step ahead of the game and getting themselves integrated. They put on panels of workshops and networking activities to allow the girls to explore the many possibilities that can come of any career in the tech industry. The organization has partnered with well-known companies like IBM, Snapchat, Buzzfeed, Linkedln, Broadway and Spotify to create the workshops that showcase all of the different places that technology comes into play.

Along with setting up networking events and workshops, #BUILTBYGIRLS has also created multiple programs that help to get girls looking into the tech industry, and what it takes to make it. One of their programs called “challenge” allows girls to get in the competitive spirit, and pitch their ideas for a start-up. Whether they are building a hardware device, mobile app, game or robotics project, this challenge is set-up to get the creative juices flowing for potential financial backing for their start-up. Each girl has to come up with a product concept, a design, and a working prototype; the finalists are then brought to San Francisco to present in front of an entirely female judging panel consisting of tech moguls and industry experts.

The organization has also partnered with a company called WAVE, which is a mobile platform that connects rising generational leaders with expert professionals already working in the field. The platform matches young women with experts from a variety of tech industries and roles. Some of the company partners include Uber, Spotify, Bustle, Verizon, Squarespace, and The New York Times. After getting matched, the pair meets once a month for an hour at the expert’s office, for about a three-month span. Each of the two matched together commits to a year in the program, with a rotation to a new expert within the company every three months; this way, the young advisee gets to see a variety of different positions within the company. The advisee shadows her advisers in the company for the duration of the one year, and works to create her own new and expanding tech platform. After the program is finished, the advisee has gained real-life learning, application of skills, and a new professional network to go back to in the future.

#BUILTBYGIRLS is working towards changing the lives of young women and the tech industry. They have already accomplished so much, and are looking to take over modernizing society, one intelligent female mind at a time.

https://www.builtbygirls.com/

When we think about government, especially the early stages of American government, we notice it to be sufficiently male dominated. Yes, there are women who work in government positions, but when looking at the big picture, there are not many of them. Looking at the cabinet level in specific—on average—male cabinet appointees outnumber women appointees by a ratio of two to one. She Should Run, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping prepare women to run for political office, gathered statistics on the U.S. cabinet in the year 2007. According to these statistics, women hold an average of thirty one percent of appointments in the states on the cabinet level. There are some states, such as New Hampshire and Texas, where not a woman holds not a single cabinet seat.

The cabinet seats that women do hold, however, are very “traditional” type positions. More specifically, fifty percent of the cabinet seats in areas such as human services and education are held by women. But, less than twenty percent of cabinet positions in areas such as corrections, military affairs, and foreign affairs are held by women. So, if they get the cabinet position, they are getting put in the “tougher” departments. She Should Run is trying to change that. Founded in 2011, they are a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a starting place and networking platform for women leaders who are looking to run for office or be involved in a government position. The organization strives to aspire women to run for office in the United States, by providing growth opportunities, a plethora of resources, and a sense of community to build off of. They believe that every woman deserves a shot to run and compete for political office. No matter your background, ethnicity, or political upbringing, every woman should be able to go for it and land their respected role in office. Research has shown that women bring varied experiences and perspectives to the table, and their leadership would be beneficial for everyone to experience.

Studies have shown that men and women are not recruited for leadership positions at the same rate, yet they are able to win at the same rates. So, what is She Should Run looking to do about this? They started off by creating a tool called “Ask a Woman to Run,” which gives people a way to tell the organization about great women leaders in their community that they think should consider running for office. It is a great way to get everyone on board with the same leader, and it gives the community a chance to come together to offer women leadership positions in office. She Should Run also created what they call an incubator, which offers resources to women for whatever stage they are at on their path to being elected as leaders. The organization helps them to prevent and overcome roadblocks that they may face on their journey to office, to keep them in the game. The incubator also uses a unique approach, in which focuses members on pinpointing why they want to run and what kind of impact they’re looking to have when they get elected into office.

Not only do they want to help women realize their potential, and get them started on the road to election, but they also have a goal for how many women they want to get running towards office. By 2030, She Should Run is dedicated to getting at least 250,000 women to run for office. They want to create and distill role models that other young women can look up to, and they want to help redirect the culture of women in politics. Amplifying the need for gender equality in office, the organization is helping to change the political world one step at a time, supporting women on their inevitable path to office, no matter what level.

http://www.sheshouldrun.org/

In today’s day in age, it can be very hard for young girls and women to maintain a high self-esteem. With the rise of social media and the harsh prejudices placed upon them, it has been difficult for them to not be torn apart. But now, women are beginning to speak out and empower those around them. There are many different emerging organizations that are working to boost women’s confidence levels, one of which being Girls on the Run. Each week I would like to focus on a different organization and the services they provide, to give everyone a sense of where to go to seek help with empowering women, or where to go when you would like to educated in the issue. Women’s empowerment is an ongoing issue in the United States that really needs to change direction so that our society can be better overall.

Girls on the Run was founded and established in 1996 by Molly Barker in Charlotte, North Carolina. They started off with only thirteen girls, but quickly grew into an International organization by 2000. They go to schools twice a week and teach girls life skills through creative running games. They run each program on three main parts: understanding ourselves, understanding how we connect with and shape the world, and valuing relationships and teamwork. At the end of each “running season,” all of the girls run a 5K race, which allows them to feel confident in the fact that they achieved something. They have to set incremental goals to meet throughout the season, and the ultimate goal is to finish the 5K race at the end.

Girls on the Run has six core values that they live by: “Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making, embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness, express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions, nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health, lead with an open heart and assume positive intent, and stand up for ourselves and others” (Girls on the Run). They work to instill all of these core values into young girls through teaching them exercise and various life skills. So far, they have been extremely successful in achieving this goal. In 2015, they helped their one-millionth girl, and they have continued to successfully grow ever since.

Personally, I can attest to the credibility of this organization, as both myself and my younger sister have participated. They really work to build up girl’s confidences and make sure their self-esteem is stable and in good shape. Through creatively integrated running, Girls on the Run has managed to empower the minds of so many young girls and women; they now feel like they can accomplish anything. One step at a time, Girls on the Run is knocking down social prejudices and building boosts of confidence instead. This is truly an outstanding organization that works so hard, and is so successful in promoting female empowerment.

Sources: https://www.girlsontherun.org/
https://www.kaufmanisd.net/uploaded/Department_Information/Wellness/Photos/Girls_on_the_run_emblem.png

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