Celebrate Her-story

While today technically marks the end of Women’s History Month, every day, we must constantly remind ourselves of those who came before us, paving the way and breaking down barriers. Even as we honor and celebrate these sheroes, there is still much work to be done.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

We’re closing out Women’s History Month just as we opened it—share your favorite female change maker and why, on social media using #our100days.

Sample Tweets:

My favorite female change maker is ______ because she ____________ #our100days

Celebrating #WomensHistoryMonth with #our100days. My favorite female icon: ______ who is yours? #our100days

 

It’s On Us

One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. The It’s On Us campaign is working to end sexual assault on college campuses across the country.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Watch the new PSA from It’s On Us and take the pledge to be part of the solution. Visit theUnited State of Women to learn more about the actions you can take to help end the rape kit backlog.

Sample Tweets:

It’s on us to intervene in sexual assault. Because we can. Watch & share this video to take the pledge: wawf.org/2nBl6HW #our100days

1 in 5 women & 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. Join @ItsOnUs to change this wawf.org/2mQxBAB #our100days

 

March Madness: Get Mad for Equal Pay

While most people are focused on their busted March Madness brackets as we head into the Final Four, there has been another maddening battle happening within women’s professional sports. Two weeks ago, the US women’s hockey team announced that they would boycott the World Championships, set to start on Friday in Michigan, due to stalled negotiations with USA Hockey over equal pay and equal treatment. Yesterday, the team reached a groundbreaking deal with USA Hockey that increases pay and provides greater support for travel and training.
 
The US women’s soccer team is also negotiating their contract with the US Soccer Federation, and in March of last year, several players filed a wage discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Take a moment to learn more about the disparities facing female athletes and share your thoughts with us on social media using #our100days. Pay attention to news coverage of women’s sports and write to editors and producers when you see disparities.
 
Support your local women’s teams by attending games! The Washington region is home to three women’s teams—tennis, basketball, and soccer. Check out their schedules below and follow them on social media.

Washington Kastles – @washkastles
Washington Mystics – @washmystics
Washington Spirit – @washspirit

Sample Tweets:

Women athletes deserve equal pay and equal attention. I’ll continue to support @washkastles, @washmystics & @washspirit! #our100days

 

Shorten the Road to Equal Pay

According to a new analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), if the earnings of men and women continue to change at their current pace, the gender wage gap in the United States will not close until 2059.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Based on the IWPR report, the gender wage gap will not close in Maryland until 2043, followed by DC in 2055, and Virginia in 2075.  A girl born in the U.S. in 2017 has a life expectancy of 87 years, which means that another entire generation of girls will face a wage gap.
 
The National Women’s Law Center also examined innovative and promising practices that employers are taking to close the gap. Read both studies and using #our100days share your thoughts and surprising statistics to your network.

Sample Tweets:

The gender wage gap will not close until 2059 according to @IWPResearch. Learn more: wawf.org/2nbfrG6 #our100days

@nwlc explores promising employer practices to close the gender wage gap: wawf.org/2o3QwrU #our100days

Did you know that #DC won’t close the gender wage gap until 2055? @IWPResearch examines state by state: wawf.org/2nbfrG6 #our100days

 

Find Our Girls

Last week, media coverage spiked regarding the number of girls of color who have gone missing in DC recently after #MissingDCGirls went viral. Despite some misinformation about the number of missing girls and the timing of their disappearances, #MissingDCGirls did raise awareness about a critically important issue that otherwise receives little attention. This Vox article does a great job of explaining the complexity of the situation.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Regardless of the circumstances that cause girls to leave home, runaway youth are at an increased risk for exploitation and trafficking. Please take a moment to learn more about several local organizations working to end the exploitation of girls in our community—Courtney’s House, FAIR Girls, and the Amara Legal Center—and how you can help advance their missions. Additionally, take a moment to learn more about the Black and Missing Foundation, which is an organization that seeks to raise awareness, provide resources, and educate communities about missing persons of color.

Sample Tweets:

@Courtneyshouse has helped 500+ victims escape trafficking. Learn more about volunteer opportunities: wawf.org/2nsKIH0 #our100days

@FAIR_Girls has educated 3,000+ youth about trafficking w/ empowerment & prevention education: wawf.org/2nsJ2x9 #our100days

@AmaraLegal provides free legal services to survivors of sex trafficking. Pro bono attorneys needed: wawf.org/2nYbgkw #our100days

Learn more about how you can help bring awareness to missing persons of color nationally w/ @BAM_FI: wawf.org/2nEXQJy #our100days

 

Help Change the Odds for Girls

Only 6.7% of women graduate with #STEM degrees. For this reason, Microsoft recently launched a campaign to inspire young women and girls to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers.”What if she could be the one to find the cure, crack the code, or invent something that has the potential to save lives?” they ask in their latest campaign #MakeWhatsNext.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

When we encourage girls to pursue STEM, we double the potential to solve problems. If she stays in STEM. Help a girl save the world today by encouraging her to look into various STEM programs like Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, Girls Inc.’s Operation SMART, and more and watch Microsoft’s latest ad.

Sample Tweets:

Only 6.7% of women graduate with #STEM degrees. We can change that by encouraging girls to to pursue STEM: wawf.org/2n2ReBw #our100days via @Microsoft

Help change the world, and encourage girls to stay in STEM. wawf.org/2n2ReBw #our100days via @Microsoft #MakeWhatsNext

 

Treat Yourself

We just partnered with ELOQUII, the body positive brand that’s taking the fashion world by storm. They recently opened the brand’s first ever brick-and-mortar location at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Visit us at ELOQUII at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City today (March 25th) to shop, sip and enjoy small bites from 1 – 4pm while supplies last. 10% of the proceeds from the day’s sales will go to The Women’s Foundation.

Sample Tweets:

Treating myself today at @ELOQUII in honor of @TheWomensFndtn, who will receive 10% of today’s sales! #our100days

Need a new outfit? Do it for a cause. Visit @ELOQUII today at @FashionCtrPC! 10% of today’s sales go to @TheWomensFndtn!  #our100days

 

Mentorship is Key

Many women who have broken glass ceilings credit their success to other women. There’s something about seeing someone in a higher position of power, who looks just like you. It makes it easier to envision yourself in the same role. In other cases, it takes someone seeing that special something in you that you couldn’t see in yourself — a mentor. If you don’t have a mentor, Harvard Business Review just released an article on “What The Best Mentors Do” that could help be a guide for your search. If you’re in the Washington region, your search gets easier with Washington Business Journal’s roundup of women executives, some of whom serve as our Board Members and Grantee Partners, in “Meet 41 D.C.-area women who could be your mentors in 2017.”

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Need a mentor? Reach out to a woman whose career you admire and ask for her guidance. Want to be a mentor? Lend a helping hand to a young woman and let her know that you are open to providing her with career advice. Advocate for a young woman in your organization who would thrive in a leadership role or has the potential to grow within your company. Encourage your friends and family to do the same on social media using #our100days.

Sample Tweets:

I am reaching out to a woman today who I’ve always wanted to be my mentor. #our100days

I am encouraging young women that I work with to come to me when they need career advice. #our100days

I am advocating for a young woman that I believe has the potential to thrive in a leadership role.
#our100days

 

Let’s Practice Intersectional Feminism

Breaking the gender norms we have literally been taught since birth takes practice. We have internalized much of what society says is feminine and sometimes it may be difficult to recognize when we are playing a role instead of being ourselves. The term “intersectionality,” created by Kimberlé Crenshaw, executive director of the African American Policy Forum, noted that while the phrase was originally intended with black women in mind, it’s open to all people who are fighting more than just gender discrimination — people with disabilities, the LGBT community, transgender women, and women within immigration movements.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

For those of us who are parents, mentors and/or teachers we can begin to instill feminist ideals in our youth at an earlier age so that they realize that their gender does not define who they are or who they have to be. Read and share Romper’s article: How To Raise Your Daughter with Intersectional Feminism or Ravishly’s: 5 Ways I Practice Intersectional Feminist Parenting to social media using #our100days or provide a tip for how to be an intersectional feminist on social media using #our100days.

Sample Tweets:

You can raise your child to be an intersectional feminist by _____.#our100days

I teach my child to be an intersectional feminist by _____. #our100days



Read @romper’s article: How to Raise Your Daughter with Intersectional Feminism bit.ly/2lPhf7T #our100days 



Read @ravishlydotcom’s article: 5 Ways I Practice Intersectional Feminist Parenting bit.ly/2nJv5w8 #our100days

 

A Home of Her Own

Home-ownership has long been a cornerstone of the American dream. Unfortunately, becoming a homeowner presents unique challenges for a significant portion of the population—single women.  
Although unmarried women are better at keeping up with their mortgage payments than their male counterparts, they are charged more for loans. This is troubling when one considers that 15% of home buyers are single women, and that single women purchase homes at twice the rate of single men.

Here’s what we’re doing today:

Take a moment to educate yourself about how gender and marital status affect the home buying process.  Check out the Urban Institute’s report Women Are Better than Men at Paying Their Mortgages.  If you’re looking to buy a home, be encouraged by The Balance’s article Single Women Are First-Time Home Buyers, Too!

Sample Tweets:

Are you a single gal looking to purchase a home? Read @thebalance’s stories of women who made the jump. bit.ly/2mp4292 #our100days

Women are charged more than men for mortgages. Read & share @UrbanInstitute’s report to learn more. urbn.is/2n9EhZf #our100days