Dina Shehata_Blog 5

I’ll start with some quotes from an article I read titled “15 Quotes Every Woman Should Live By in 2015.” In this article, 15 quotes are taken from 15 famous women from various walks of life. The first quote was said by Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai said, “I think life is always dangerous. Some people don’t go forward. But some people, if they want to achieve their goal, they have to go. They have to move.” The second quote was said by Amy Schumer. Schumer said, “I am a woman with thoughts and questions and s*** to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story – I will.” The final quote was said by Maya Angelou. Angelou brilliantly stated, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” Personally, I think this article should have been titled “15 Quotes Every PERSON Should Live By in 2015” because these quotes speak to everyone no matter their gender. These quotes reinforce the strength of these women and many women out there who aren’t in the spotlight. We’ve started a new year which means we have the opportunity for a fresh start. A new beginning to keep working towards a world where men and women are equal in all aspects. Even though we have been continuously working towards that goal, a new year brings along renewed fuel to continue making a difference.  We have come such a long way but we still have a long journey ahead.

It’s 2015. Why is it that we still have major problems with violence and sexual assault against women in 2015? Why is there a girl in a university reduced to taking her mattress everywhere she goes around campus to convince the heads of the university to expel the boy who raped her? Why are there still prominent universities facing charges against them for letting individuals involved with sexual assault get away without any consequences? It’s crazy that we are still having issues giving out proper consequences and shutting down any aspect of college life that promotes these kinds of acts. We have a long year ahead of us, hopefully a year filled with change and accountability. I have high hopes for this year considering all the huge steps we saw in 2014 for women’s rights including consent laws being passed in California, hashtags including #YesAllWomen #WhyIStayed and #DudesGreetingDudes shedding light and providing personal experiences of very important women’s issues, and much more!

As far as my research goes, I am learning a lot from the organizations I chose to use as best-fit models. The organizations I chose to work with are the following: Girls Rock NC, Girl Talk Foundation, and Girls on the Run. I absolutely love everything these organizations stand for and I am so glad I was able to work with them. I am working on narrowing down all of my research which is unfortunately the hardest part. There is so much out there concerning female leaders and I need to somehow include all the necessary information without having too much information that doesn’t quite fit in together. I’ll continue working to have the paper draft ready by January 11^th and I will see many of you at the workshop on the 18^th! I hope you all had an amazing break with your families and friends and I look forward to hearing about all your adventures!

Dina Shehata