Give Girl Power A Boost

Hello, my powerful Plante Lifers!

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I thought we could step out of the workplace and focus on more ways you can support and empower other women 24/7, in your daily life.

It’s not enough to build a camaraderie with your co-workers and excel in your career — it’s important to invest our time, energy and good vibes into the community of women around us, and across the planet.

I’ve definitely seen that love in our Plante Life tribe online — and here are 5 more ways to uplift and empower one another (and 1 surprising bonus option you may not have thought of before).

1) Shine the Spotlight on Others.

This practice goes beyond giving credit where it’s due, it’s also about adding your voice to the conversation constantly, to help amplify the hard work of all women. Let me explain. When you’re in a meeting, and your co-worker offers a good idea, say so: “That’s a great idea, Cheryl. I agree with you.” Don’t just passively nod. In many leadership and professional situations, male voices are overwhelmingly given preference, so as women, we need to take an active role in creating more inclusive dialogue.

As Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman lay out in their “Shine Theory“, collaboration is the key we should be striving for: “I don’t shine if you don’t shine.” So just like we mentioned last week about surrounding yourself with people who give you good vibes, let’s focus on building our fellow females up, instead of competing with one another.  

2) Don’t Talk Shop, Body Talk Instead!

This year’s Oscar for best documentary short went to Netflix’s “Period. End of Sentence”, which explores Indian women fighting the stigma surrounding menstruation in their community by manufacturing sanitary pads. And that stigma is global — 36 U.S. states still tax the sale of menstrual products as if they were luxury items! And according to a study commissioned by THINX, 42% of U.S. women have experienced period-shaming at some point in their lives.

The best way to fight stigma is to talk about it. Our bodies are beautiful and capable of some pretty amazing things; we shouldn’t be afraid to honestly discuss how they function. When you promote this culture of openness about our bodies, it has a ripple effect into other areas, like making sure to be honest with our doctors about physical ailments, or to get the mental health support we need BEFORE a crisis or to help build confidence by setting clear and healthy boundaries in our relationships. Yes, talking about your period could, in fact, lead to better sex 🙂 So, push through that momentary squeamishness and start the body talk.  

3) Gracefully Disagree.

This is truly a skill, ladies, but if you can master it, you will definitely earn some serious respect. Can you disagree with someone without getting defensive? No one likes to feel minimized or to have their opinion dismissed, so this is a true “do unto others as you’d have done unto you” mindset.   

Our current culture right now is a little tense, so you can probably find lots of opportunities to practice. Here is a suggested script from behavioral scientist and personal development coach Dinorah Nieves, Ph.D.: “If a woman makes a legitimate point (even if it represents an opposing view), honor her intelligence and courage before voicing your contrasting opinion. ‘I hear you, and that makes sense. And I know it’s not necessarily easy to have these conversations. My perspective is…'” The goal is to disagree without tearing each other down. 

4) Heart Eyes Everywhere.

Let the love for your girlfriends overflow, and be sure to make it known! Compliment your fellow women AS. MUCH. AS. POSSIBLE. And not just on how they look. Compliment their strength, their intelligence, their bravery, their kindness, their resilience. Yes, your friends still want to know that their new skinny jeans make their butt look great, but they also want to know that you’re so proud of how well they handled that work presentation or how much you appreciate the little things they do to cheer you up when you’re feeling blue. And hopefully that stream of compliments directs the tide of their own self-talk.  

5) Spread the Wealth.

Looking for a place to put your money to work? Sponsor organizations dedicated to empowering and uplifting women around the country and the globe. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

RAINN – www.rainn.org

RAINN is an acronym for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and they’ve been providing services for survivors of sexual violence, including running the National Sexual Assault Hotline, for the past 25 years. They’re the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, and have helped over 2.7 million women since opening.  

I AM THAT GIRL – www.iamthatgirl.org

I AM THAT GIRL is a chapter-based organization that provides girls a safe space to have honest conversations, learn leadership skills, and to transform self-doubt into confidence, compassion and self-love.

#BUILTBYGIRLS – www.builtbygirls.com

If you work in a technical field, you know that it is very male-dominated. #BUILTBYGIRLS provides high school and college women access to top tech companies events, advisors and internships in an effort to change the face of the industry from the ground up.

GIRL UP – www.girlup.org

Girl Up was founded by the United Nations Foundation in 2010 to empower young women leaders who defend gender equality. Through their partnership with the UN, this organization mobilizes women across the globe in impoverished nations and countries where the rights of women are subdued.

TIME’S UP – www.timesupnow.com

With all the star power behind its creation, this organization is hard to miss. Created in 2018, their focus is on safe, fair and dignified workplaces for all women. The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund helps defray legal and public relations costs for women who have experienced sexual harassment or related retaliation in the workplace. Plus, they connect survivors of sexual assault and harassment with trustworthy resources for counseling and support.

I also love their 4% Challenge, asking producers and studios to commit to announcing at least one project with a female director in the next 18 months, and for promoting a more inclusive entertainment industry.

Women-Centered Museums

Support museums that celebrate and honor to contributions of women to the history of our nation, like the National Women’s History Museum, the International Women’s Air & Space Museum, and the National Museum For Women In The Arts. They run on donations and memberships, offer educational programs for young girls and provide an important place for girls to see people just like them doing amazing things.

In addition to national organizations, don’t forget that almost every big city has a group for female entrepreneurs, and there are plenty of local women-owned businesses in your own neighborhood you can support.

BONUS: Prioritize Solitude.

You may be a little confused by this suggestion, as we’re talking about rallying together, but as women, we’re socialized to put our needs second to the needs of other people. So taking time to be alone and recharge our spirits is just as important to the collective feminine as it is to get out into the world.  In fact, the world is littered with messages designed to play on our insecurities about our bodies and our guilt over not doing it all “backwards and in heels” to sell products. A respite from all that noise (even if it’s just for an afternoon) is definitely a positive thing.

So, go ahead and unplug. Take a walk through nature. Sit on the beach and watch the waves crash into the shore. Take a nap in a hammock. And don’t feel bad about it one bit!   

What are your favorite ways to uplift and empower other women? Let me know in the comments below, and we can create a new list of suggestions from the Plante Life community!

 

LOVE + positivity!