This week, I felt fully immersed in and energized for my
WomenNC experience. First, on Sunday the tea and speech by Katie Starr served
as a great introduction to the WomenNC community and life beyond the
fellowship. Katie’s call to “carry this experience with us,” and her example of
global leadership as a Peace Corp Volunteer highlighted, for me, the pivotal role
this fellowship has in all fellows’ lives.
Throughout the week my mentor Maureen and I corresponded
about different possible resources for my research in women and labor—many
groups have worked to further women’s labor rights in North Carolina and the US
for decades. Hopefully I will get to talk with or learn about a wide range of
them!
Yesterday, I met with a previous UNC Student Action with
Workers leader. Our wide-ranging discussion covered how to build worker power
in the most anti-union state in the country and how students can contribute to
this. Learning about the on-campus struggles of interactions with management, organizing
across racial and linguistic lines and logistical challenges demonstrated how labor
issues affect all aspects of women’s lives. I think women’s human rights are
uniquely qualified to address women and labor because human rights can address
all of these aspects—from health to discrimination to socio-economic conditions.
This conversation encouraged me to dive into my research and
the opportunity for expert feedback helped me narrow my topic. Now, I think I
will focus my research on UNC housekeeping and female hospitality workers
nationwide and globally.
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