March 8 is an international day celebrating women across the globe.  It recognizes what we have done, where we have succeeded, as well as what steps we still have to take.  This is a day that honors all that women have accomplished and the steps that we have taken towards complete gender parity. The theme […]

Mental Health When it comes to mental health, research indicates that more women seek out services than men (Mackenzie, Gekoski, & Knox, 2006). Why? That’s an important question. Gender role expectations heavily contribute to this issue. There is a societal expectation for men to be more independent and be more in control of their emotions […]

With the upcoming 2020 election, there is much political tension and uncertainty in our country. In this next season, women’s voices and attendance at the polls will be vital. Currently, women make up 50.8 percent of the population, yet 53 percent of non-voters are female. With these significant numbers, we have to ask, why is […]

“And yet, old friend, books do not age as you and I do. They will speak still when we are gone, to generations we will never see. Yes, the books must survive.”  (Rabbi, The Hiding Place) As I learn about the life of Corrie Ten Boom and her family, I am more certain than ever […]

Over the past few years, I have heard the quote, “empowered women empower women.” Without much thought, this quote made sense to me. I thought, “oh, yes, women should mutually encourage one another.” I realize now that it might not be this simple. How can we feel empowered so that we can empower others? The first […]

  For many people, the holiday season is their favorite time of year, but for others, it brings unwelcome guests – stress and depression. Women are often expected to ensure holiday plans, gifts, meals, and other aspects are taken care of, but this added stress opens the door for mental health concerns to surface. Research […]

Self-esteem: Building confidence, being true to yourself, and cheesy Pinterest quotes.   Self-esteem is a term that is often overused during adolescence, but just as frequently misunderstood. Before researching self-esteem, I had a bias of the term “self-esteem” and its meaning. Self-esteem had been drilled into me as a teen and I remember being tired […]

I want to preface this collection of thoughts with two important pieces of information: The intersectionality of humans encompasses all levels of identity: gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, race, ethnicity, nationality, etc. I will be focusing on the experiences of women and girls of color, particularly African American women and girls, in the ensuing […]