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Executive Director of the Network for Social JusticeMarch is Women’s History Month: a time to recognize the incredible contributions of women to history.
To mark the occasion, young women from an array of local organizations participated in “Girls Leading Change: Promoting Health and Empowerment,” an event held at the Winchester Public Library on March 8, International Women’s Day, sponsored by the Network for Social Justice.
Participants included Winchester High School clubs such as Girl Up, Girls Gotta Run, Women in STEM, and Mind and Matter, as well as the Community Health team from La Colaborativa, a Chelsea-based nonprofit organization.
The panel was moderated by WHS junior Mariel Nagler, who guided the discussion by asking questions and invited panelists to share their experiences with leadership in the community.
Questions included how the club was started, how members got involved, and past events of the organizations, as well as more personal questions pertaining to subjects such as self-care and lifestyle.
After the panel, audience members had the chance to ask questions, which opened up the opportunity for the panelists to share more about their experiences and the work of their respective organizations.
Left, Phoebe Li, of Women in STEM, with the microphone while right, panelists consider their responses to audience questions. COURTESY PHOTOS/NETWORK FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
“I enjoyed getting to hear from all sorts of different organizations on how they help empower women and their communities,” said Nagler, also a member of Girl Up. “The question time after the panel was insightful and it was great to get to know some people in the community during the event."
After the panel, the executive director of the Network for Social Justice, Rebecca Slisz, spoke and connected the event with this year’s theme of International Women’s Day, “Give to Gain,” promoting the mindset of generosity and collaboration. A question we can all ask ourselves: “Every day, everywhere, how will you actively give your support to gain gender equality?”
The second part of the event featured interactive activities planned by each of the organizations.
Girl Up hosted a “Guess the Statistic” game in which players were asked to estimate statistics related to female representation and the gender disparity. For example, participants learned that only around 27.5% of parliamentary members are women and that 125 million girls worldwide are currently out of school.
Meanwhile, Girls Gotta Run had a station where attendees could name a woman they admired and share why she inspired them.
Noemi Margarint, WHS sophomore, led an activity with club members from Mind and Matter using balloons and sand to create stress relief balls.
“I really liked how we transmitted the message by talking about our clubs,” she said. “I enjoyed listening to everyone and seeing how everyone was so supportive. I also really liked the stations and how everything was so engaging.”
These were just a few of the engaging and meaningful activities available during the event, which encouraged discussion among those present. Many clubs even provided participants with fun prizes like candy and trinkets.
The Girls Leading Change event offered the chance for attendees to engage with local organizations and learn about the impact that women have in our communities. As Women’s History Month continues, such events demonstrate the impact and further potential of young women who lead with passion.
Summer Kim is a sophomore at Winchester High School.
