Tickets for Keyholder tonight are available for purchase at the Ohio Theatre ticket office.
Plus, in addition to an amazing and inspiring evening giving voice to women and girls in central Ohio, bring your Keyholder ticket to The Jury Room immediately following the event to continue the fun over cocktails and conversations with fellow attendees. BONUS: $2 from each drink will be donated back to The Women’s Fund!
We hope to see you there!
“Mom, I’m pregnant.”
It’s amazing how these words can produce such a variety of emotions. For many women who have completed high school and/or college, found stable employment, maintain healthy relationships, and are surrounded by a strong network of support, these are exciting words; the indication of a new chapter in life and many exciting possibilities.
For the one in three teen girls who become pregnant before they are 20, the words, “I’m pregnant” are accompanied by the fear that she may become one of the 67% of pregnant teens that do not finish high school. Or that if she is able to finish high school, her dreams of college may be delayed significantly because only less than 2% of pregnant teen girls who complete high school obtain a college degree before age 30. Hopefully, she is supported by friends and family through her pregnancy and the birth of her child, because on average, teen moms make significantly less than the poverty level. Oh, but what about the child’s father, you ask? Chances are that the father of her child, if he is also a teen, will be one of the 84% of teen dad’s that do not remain in the life of their child.
These concerning statistics often leave me wondering how do we protect the futures of young women and empower them to make the best decisions for their lives. I know, however, the answer is education. Studies show that youth who receive sexuality education that is medically accurate and comprehensive are more likely to delay first intercourse, and more likely to use a condom or other contraception the first time they have sex. Honest, age-appropriate sexual health education is key to giving teens the power to make healthier decisions for healthier lives.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s Peer Education Program trains teen girls from Eastmoor Academy and Whitehall-Yearling High School to provide medically accurate, non-judgmental, sexual health information for the prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). These young women are taught to facilitate conversations about abstinence, contraception, healthy relationships, and positive self-esteem with their peers. Studies have shown that people are most likely to accept information from someone they view as a peer rather than an authority figure. Peer Educators build on the relationships they already have with their peers, and influence them to reduce risk-taking behaviors. Through both one-on-one and classroom experiences these young ladies make sure their peers have the most up to date information about what they are up against and have the tools to protect themselves.
The Peer Educators at Whitehall and Eastmoor feel personally committed to reducing the hundreds-of-thousands of teen pregnancies that happen each year. That number is more than a statistic to them; it is a snapshot of their communities’ realities. Through open and caring conversations, Peer Educators empower women to know that they do not have to be a “statistic”; they can live healthy, full lives equipped with the knowledge to take control of their futures.
On this National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, I hope you will be inspired by these young, ambitious women and find ways to empower the young women in your community too.
Looking at America Ferrera’s filmography it’s undeniable that she’s a great fit for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio. She is a young, vibrant, strong woman who brings a new voice that empowers women and girls to the screen.
We first met America on the Disney Channel in the made for TV movie Gotta Kick it Up! The show was centered on a high school dance team learning together that they are capable of competing and succeeding, proving their potential to both themselves and their community. The message went beyond dance and put girls who were typically not cast onto the screen. For young Hispanic girls it was about time to see someone who looked like them as a role model. As we were reminded by Miss Representation, you can’t be what you can’t see.
America continued to challenge typical character types by playing Ana in Real Women Have Curves. An independent film centered on a young woman who’s struggling to balance her mother’s expectations of her and her body and her own wants. It stuck a cord with audiences through it relatable plot and honest portrayal of body image and self-esteem. Like her character, Ana, America does not shy away from reminding girls they are more than their bodies. America has said: “Girls should be able to go to sleep every night and say to themselves, ‘I’m happy and proud of the way I am living my life.”
For girlfriends everywhere Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a reminder of close bonds and life changing friendship. America plays Carmen, a character that struggles with her confidence and identity. Her parents are divorced, she feels out of place in a broken family, and uncertain of who she is. She’s vulnerable, innocent, and misunderstood. Carmen wants to have it all together so badly, trying har
d to be perfect while all the walls around her come crashing down. Ultimately learning to trust friend, rely on those around her, and believe in herself, she finds her strength.
Audiences may know her best from Ugly Betty, the sitcom that brought America into the TV spotlight and that she won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for. But America Ferrera is more than Betty Suarez, the quirky and lovable aspiring fashion magazine writer. While Betty brought laughter into households for years and a fresh face for girls to look up to, America has been acting this role for more than a decade.
Beyond acting, America is a humanitarian. She has served as an ambassador for the global humanitarian organization Save the Children. In 2012, she joined Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn to bring their book Half the Sky to life in a PBS documentary. She travelled with Kristof to Kolkata, India to visit The New Light Shelter, a nonprofit organization that works to save girls from becoming victims of sexual exploitation and to improve lives of the children of sex workers. There, she met Urmi Basu, the brave and dedicated woman who founded the shelter; and she connected to the inspiring young girls who seek refuge at New Light.
Women and girls are her life’s passion. Not just when she’s visiting children in India or is taking a trip to Mali; her experiences live deeply within her. She is a voice and an advocate for women and girls in all facets of her life. She the voice that we need; the one that let’s girls know that they are important and powerful.
Join us and be inspired by America on May 9th at the Ohio Theatre!
Written by Kathleen Kishman and Sara Mitchell
I wanted to vote for Connie Schultz after she finished Sherrod Brown’s acceptance speech after winning a contested race to be re-elected to the US Senate in 2012. Schultz stepped in when Brown lost his voice. Articulate and powerful, rather than reading simply what was written, she could have been delivering her own acceptance speech. I was riveted and impressed, excited about the victory, but mostly in awe of Schultz, a woman that doesn’t stand quietly in the background. I remember visiting my grandmother, who has always lived in Parma, Ohio, looking over the Plain Dealer and talking about Schultz as a source of Cleveland pride. This was the first time I’d seen her not just in print. As a young woman about to enter the workforce and pursue a professional life of my own, I felt inspired by Schultz’s delivery and a sense of pride as a woman.
As a writer, Schultz is bold and thoughtful. A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who often tackles difficult issues that are especially important to women, like her 2002 commentary on a girl coming to terms with her homosexuality that received a National Headliner Award. Some of her work has even led to direct social justice. Her 2003 series on a rapist imprisoned for a crime he did not commit was so powerful, the real rapist turned himself in after the stories had been published. She’s written on the progress and treatment of women, highlighting topics from women dedicated to pursuing fundamental change from within the Catholic Church to female political candidates, women’s health, the abortion debate, even tackling the issue of gun control from the perspective of woman who own guns. All of her work seems to weave a perfect presentation of the personal and the political, which, especially for women, are invariably intertwined. She gives a human voice to issues that are often polarizing. Her work on the status of women is thought provoking, inspiring, and commands respect.
Schultz is a distinguished professional and advocate for women. Admirable both for her professional career and for the enlightened perspective she brings to women’s issues through journalism, Schultz is more than all else, impressive as a woman.
Maybe I can’t be or vote for Connie Schultz, but I (and you, too!) can see her as our interviewer for Keyholder 2013 on May 9th. As an important member of the Ohio community who has garnered national recognition, she will bring a local lens to issues affecting women globally. With Schultz’s talent as an engaging journalist and dynamic speaker, the conversation at Keyholder 2013 is guaranteed to be memorable.
Written by Anna Cooper
Equal pay for equal work is not a new concept. I recently found an old t-shirt of my mom’s from a Laurie Anderson concert emblazoned with a statistic in graffiti print that said women make 63 cents to every dollar that a man makes. “You could cross it out and write ‘77’,” she said after I pointed out that the information on the t-shirt was no longer correct. I was pleased at the notion of progress, but disappointed in the minimal increase. In a country where the perpetually dominant political issue is the economy and jobs, only 14 cents worth of progress have been made in the past twenty-five years when it comes to women in the workplace. The pay disparity is even worse for women of minorities. Also alarming is that the more education both a man and woman receive, the greater the difference will be in their pay. I want to be able to cross out “63” and write “100,” I can’t. But someday I will.
Until the day of full equality comes, women will continue to bear the brunt of most housework and child care on top of facing pay discrimination in the workforce. Women are more likely than men to take time off of work to take care of their children, which can threaten their salaries and professional advancement. Women receive less encouragement to pursue careers in STEM fields where pay is generally the highest. Even though metrics show greater company success when executive boards include women, the professional environment remains unwelcoming to women.
Waiting for the statistic of pay disparity to increase cent by cent is not going to cut it. We don’t have time for that. President Obama’s first piece of legislation signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. While I was pleased to see this, I was also appalled. Why has it taken until 2009 for women to have legal recourse for pay discrimination? Equal Pay Day is still on April 9th because it marks the date of how long a woman must work into the new year to match what her male counterpart earned the previous year. As a female student about to enter the workforce, knowing I will be subject to systemic unfairness, this is disconcerting. My brother and I are close in age, we both graduated from high school with GPAs above a 4.0, dabbled in sports, joined clubs, took on leadership roles. We both have the privilege of a college education. I’ve taken interest in public service and non-profits, and he’s pursuing applied math and statistics. Even if we were entering the same field, statistics still show that he will make more money than I will. Is this fair? No. Will being complicit improve the situation? Definitely not. As young, ambitious women start entering the workforce, we need a proactive approach. Our point of individual action starts with salary negotiation, especially our very first to prevent compounding of lost wages. Working as a community organizer where I was often required to make requests that seemed outlandish I was repeatedly told, “Sometimes you get what you ask for, and not much of what you don’t.” Unfortunately, this is true when it comes to our salaries. Women are less likely to assume that wages are negotiable or ask for as much as a male counterpart. We need to learn how to ask for the pay we know we deserve. Businesses and the economy are more productive and successful when more women are included. Being treated as only 77% valuable is outlandish; asking for fair pay is not.
Women are impressively resilient for dealing with the negative consequences of this issue for so long, not to mention the pile-on of additional expectations when it comes to over things like appearance and family demands. I should at least be able to expect equal pay for the work I am equally qualified to do. It’s time for women to be confident in their strengths and enter the workforce ready to capitalize on their potential. Salary negotiation is an opportunity to make legislative progress a social reality on an individual level. I don’t fancy myself a demanding person, but I also don’t fancy myself as someone who likes to be paid less than I deserve. Brave and intelligent women before me have paved the way for this conversation, I am getting impatient and want to write “100” on my mom’s old t-shirt.
Join The Women’s Fund on Tuesday, April 9th at 5:30 pm to learn salary negotiation skills for the workplace.
Reserve your spot here: https://www.cypclub.com/events/2013/457/business-the-art-of-negotiation-a-benefit-for-the-womens-fund.html
Written by Anna Cooper
On a hot, summer day, most kids are thinking about taking a dive into a cool pool while some desire to plunge into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Believe it or not, 3rd graders can create projects that range from designing and writing code for various games, interactive arts and animations to building and programming a robot. Yes, children as young as eight years old are capable of being the designers and creators of technology rather than basic users of it. Unfortunately, research shows that girls and women in the U.S. are avid users of technology, but they are significantly underrepresented in its creation. Thankfully, 60 girls in Columbus will have the prime opportunity to counteract those statistics by participating in TECHie Camp: Girl Power! It is a full day, week long summer program designed to engage elementary school girls in hands-on, interactive STEM-related activities. The girls will take a “deep dive” into Programming and emerge with knowledge, concepts and skills that are useful in today’s classroom and tomorrow’s workplace. The girls will use Scratch, developed the MIT Media Lab, to learn the concepts of computer programming by using a simple graphical interface. They can create their own interactive art, interactive stories and games…watch as cars explode after traveling at great speeds or see fire-breathing dragons morph into gorgeous, long-haired fairy princesses who go onto marry the handsome prince!
In addition to the technical aspects of the camp, the girls will also participate in activities designed to improve their self-concept, self-esteem and dispel the myth that only boys/men are engaged and successful in computing related educational and career pathways. There is compelling evidence to show that innovative approaches such as greater hands-on access to computers and technology tools benefit girls’ ability to succeed. A recent survey conducted by the National Center for Women and Information Technology found that nearly half of current technology professionals indicated they participated in an informal technology-related educational program as a child. Furthermore, on a national and local level, women, Latinos and African Americans are underrepresented in STEM, and TECH CORPS works diligently to close that gap through programs like TECHie Camp: Girl Power and additional outreach. Through our girl-only programs, we literally hope to change the “face” of the Information Technology and Computer Science fields.
Written by: Carla Thompson
Today marks the 101st birthday of Girl Scouts in the USA! In honor of this anniversary, we highlight our grant partnership between the local Girl Scouts council, Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland, and The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.
For at least a decade, Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Council (GSOH) has offered programming aimed at the prevention of bullying. In many cases this is provided not through traditional Girl Scout troops, but in various in-school settings where girls who might not otherwise have access to the Girl Scout experience can participate. Last year, with the support of The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, Girl Scouts took that to a higher level.
Power Up! Doing Nothing? Not an Option is programming developed by Girl Scouts of Colorado and widely used in the western United States. It focuses on relational aggression, the most common form of bullying among girls, and teaches that it is never OK to stand by and watch another being targeted by a bully. In fact, it helps girls understand that by speaking up, these bystanders have real power. Then it helps them develop the skills and confidence to exert that power.
Last year, as a pilot project, Power Up! was offered in Fairfield County at two elementary schools, in an after-school program at the YMCA, and at a Girl Scout gathering. The program reached 138 girls in grades K through 6, with over 60% of participants in the third and fourth grade. The girls who participated gave it rave reviews, and the teachers and administrators in their schools report seeing a real change in the girl culture of the school as a result.
The Power Up! program got so much positive buzz in Fairfield County that this year Girl Scouts has had to turn down some requests for it. But thanks to an expanded Women’s Fund grant, they are going to be able to introduce this powerful program in Pickaway and Licking Counties as well. Facilitators have already been trained in Licking County, with the actual sessions to roll out this month and next. Pickaway County will follow soon after.
Through this funding partnership, Girl Scouts and The Women’s Fund are helping a new generation of girls find their own power.
Written by: Jodi Woerner
Around the globe we are celebrating the 100th International Women’s Day. In the past 100 years, women have fought hard to gain economic, social, and political opportunities, and this important work is still being done today.
You see, we are in the midst of a global movement. A movement that focuses on a woman’s ability to overcome unthinkable circumstances and create opportunity. Around the world this movement is known as Half the Sky. Here, in central Ohio, The Women’s Fund is mobilizing the collective power to create social change for women and girls.
Each day we witness what can happen when women bind together to restore their families, communities, and countries. We meet women like Norah of Rwanda Women in Action, who is creating a new system of support for refugee women resettled in Columbus after leaving their war torn nations. We meet women like Julie of doma International, whose passion for breaking the orphan cycle around the world led her on the path to fighting human trafficking in central Ohio.
These women remind us that change is possible, and we all can be part of the solution.
On this International Women’s Day, join this global movement in our local community by attending Keyholder featuring Award Winning Actress America Ferrera and author Sheryl WuDunn. On May 9th at the Ohio Theatre, this courageous duo will be interviewed by nationally acclaimed and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Connie Schultz.
Join us as they share the powerful and inspirational message behind Half the Sky, and how each of us can be part of this important work.
To purchase tickets click here or call our office at 614.225.9926
The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio exists to transform the lives of women and girls, by mobilizing the collective power and passion of all women working together. We strive to create a climate of empowerment in a community where many voices can contribute to the shaping of wills and attitudes. Today, we use our voice to speak out in support of the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA seeks to improve criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. A number of services are provided by VAWA, including community violence prevention programs, funding for victim assistance services (including rape crisis centers and hotlines), legal aid for survivors, and services for children and teens.
Unfortunately, these are necessary services. The current climate in which we live forces women to face these situations all too often. Until we move forward to a day when all people can live harmoniously, without the fear of stalking, sexual assault, or violence, the Violence Against Women Act is a necessary protection.
We will continue to hold the line on this issue. Without this critical law, victims of violence will lose life-saving protections. While we are waiting for the passage of this Act, victims of violence are being left without the protections they need and remain in harm’s way with few places to turn. Congress must act now. We know that passing a VAWA that includes ALL victims is the only way to continue to move forward to create change.
We can’t do this alone. Join the collective of women working to protect this vital legislation. Reach out to your representative and the Speaker to let them know how important VAWA reauthorization is to sustaining and improving services for victims in your community. Our voice is our power, take action now.
For information on how to contact your representative, click here.
Strike, dance, and rise against violence against women. The 13th and 14th of February are booked full of events that aim to educate people about violence against women.
We believe in the power of the collective of women to make change. This Valentine’s Day, we have an opportunity to show the world the power of the collective of women banning together for a common case. One billion women in this world will be abused or raped. One billion mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, and friends violated. This year there are many local opportunities to join the one billion rising up and demanding an end to violence against women.
Wednesday, February 13th
7pm, Otterbein University: Conversation on Sexual consent and a screening of the film, The Line. For more information about all of the Otterbein events, click here.
Thursday, February 14th
10am, Harbor Yoga: Free ‘Love Yourself’ Yoga class. Space is limited and advanced sign up is recommended. To find out more click here. All classes will accept donations. *
3pm, Otterbein University: Conversation on Rape Culture.
4:30pm, Otterbein University: Otterbein Rising Dance Mob
5:00pm, Otterbein University: Free Your Body! Open Movement Class. Donations suggested for the dance class. *
* The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio has been selected to receive the proceeds made from these local events.
In the spirit of Black History Month, it is a good time to reflect on how black women have managed to achieve so much in the face of so many obstacles. Black women have truly been a powerful force in history that has managed to shape our culture and society. From the mid-1960s to the 1970s, black women were trapped in a double jeopardy, facing discrimination in both civil rights and feminist movements.
In the civil rights movements, the contributions of black women were deemphasized as black men largely oversaw the efforts for racial equality. White women in the feminist movement tended to ignore socioeconomic issues such as poverty, when black women made up a disproportionate amount of the lower income bracket. Between these movements, a black woman’s typical question to herself would be – where do I fit in? Indeed, black women had to contemplate whether it was race or gender that they wanted to prioritize more, for they faced discrimination on both fronts. Yet even despite these internal conflicts and the presence of such social barriers, progress was made. And in the name of progress, two steps needed to be taken – raising awareness of the problem, and working towards solutions. Frances Beal was essentially the first to give the problem of double jeopardy its name.
Beal participated in activism for several years, mainly with the NAACP, and hit many obstacles along the way. Carrying valuable experience and awareness of hardships in society, she wrote a powerful essay in 1969 called “Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female” that was a defining moment for articulating the history of black women. In this essay that propelled her into national recognition, she effectively pinpoints the intersecting identities of being black and being a woman, and how black women have struggled with these identities. She was the first to set a theoretical framework for understanding how the two identities work together, and this framework is still used today in academia. Beal founded an organization called the Black Women’s Liberation Committee (BWLC), which by 1971 was named the Third World Women’s Alliance (TWWA). This persevering, energetic organization wrote a very comprehensive program around what it would take for the freedom of black women – it included comprehensive childcare and healthcare services, as well as free and equal education opportunities, for women and families. In addition, the organization put forth the message that a woman should be what she desires – be it a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, or a politician. Helped by both her essay and the work of her organization, Beal was a true inspiration who took both steps toward raising awareness of the problem and working toward solutions.
The TWWA was a precursor to many efforts in organizing black women that came in the years after. Thanks to the contributions of Frances Beal and the organizations she ran, society has a fresh perspective on the problems of and solutions to double jeopardy. One cannot deny the progress that has been made for all black people and women. But the journey towards social change for black women doesn’t end here. So let’s make this Black History Month another beginning for bringing about even more change for women – about increasing access to education and health care, about opening up more opportunities for employment, about eradicating discrimination, and opening our hearts and minds to change for women.
Written by Sagarika Devarakonda
This year over 100 million people will tune in to watch the Super Bowl, while tens of thousands flock to New Orleans to see the big game. With such a major event, though, comes an even bigger problem that must be seen.
Each year, the Super Bowl brings an increase in prostitution and sex trafficking. This Super Bowl Sunday, it is estimated that thousands of underage sex slaves will be trafficked into New Orleans. Pimps see these sorts of events, with large and predominately male crowds, as opportunities to traffic young girls. Girls are lured in by promises of friendship, freedom, and an escape from the pressures that nearly all middle and high school girls experience. These promises are shattered, though, as girls who are trafficked face a reality of enslavement by their pimps. The average age of a girl first being trafficked is thirteen, and their estimated life span following that is seven years.
But there is something being done about this.
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in the United States, as well as one of the biggest events for sex-trafficking. Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution (SOAP) is an outreach organization founded by Theresa Flores, and based in Worthington that aims to help end human trafficking. The organization distributes thousands of bars of soap with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number and key identifying questions free to local motels. One of these bars of soap can be a lifeline for a child who has been trafficked. At the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas, SOAP approached 105 motels and gave out 10,000 bars of soap in two days. This year they will be in New Orleans during the Super Bowl, distributing soap, educating motel owners on human trafficking, and raising awareness of their cause.
While sex trafficking is a serious issue, especially during major events like the Super Bowl, there are ways to help, and things being done to stop it.
To find out more about SOAP or to get involved in their mission, please visit http://www.traffickfree.com/.
Written by: Morgan Calahan
You know her. You’ve laughed, cried, hoped, and daydreamed with her. She’s the funny friend, close confidant, and relatable love. Simply put, she’s America’s sweetheart. And on May 9th we will begin to know her as so much more. That’s right. Keyholder 2013: we’re talking to Meg Ryan!
Joined by Sheryl WuDunn, award winning co-author of Half the Sky, we will talk with our dynamic duo about their lives as mothers, daughters, and agents of change. The evening will embrace women and girls around the world as well as right here in central Ohio. It will certainly be a night to remember, filled with inspiration and encouragement. And we can’t wait to share it with you.
To purchase tickets click here or call our office at 614.225.9926
