This week we’re highlighting some absolutely incredible women doing equally incredible things.
From the director of a documentary about female entrepreneurship, to a female futurist, entrepreneur and author, to the co-founder of a community that connects women through their homes, these ladies are making HUGE moves for women everywhere.
They shared with us what it means to them to empower women and how they’re helping do just that. Read their take below.
ERIN BAGWELL
Director of Dream, Girl
Photo via erinbagwell.com
What does it mean to you to empower women?
“Empowering women to me is about making sure women and girls know they don’t need permission to follow their dreams. James Baldwin says, “Your crown is already bought and paid for. You just need to put it on your head.” I want women to feel the full power that comes from embracing their sense of self.”
How do you empower women through what you do?
“All the work I do, whether it’s with my documentary Dream, Girl (showcasing the stories of inspiring and ambitious female entrepreneurs), on my blog Feminist Wednesday (a feminist storytelling blog), or through the conversations Diana and I have on our podcast BeaverTalk (the podcast where we give Hollywood unsolicited advice about feminism) is about making women’s stories and experiences front and center.
I want us to feel seen in our vulnerability, our power, our imperfections, and our strength. We get a lot of messages about who we “should be” and my goal is to tell our stories authentically. And thankfully these messages are resonating.
At a Dream, Girl community screening in San Diego two weeks ago I got a message that said the host took a poll before the film and asked the audience- a group of mothers and daughters if they saw themselves as leaders and only a couple of hands went up. However after watching the film the host asked the question again. All hands went up.
Once women are able to view dimensional versions of themselves in media, their idea of themselves transforms. That’s my goal for every screening, blog post, or podcast- to make women feel seen and unlock their true potential.”
To learn more about Dream, Girl head to dreamgirlfilm.com and to learn more about Feminist Wednesday head to feministwednesday.com.
OR check them out on Insta: @erin.bagwell @dreamgirlfilm @feministwednesday.
DANIELLE KAYEMBE
Female Futurist, Author, Entrepreneur
Photo via daniellekayembe.com
What does it mean to you to empower women?
“I believe empowerment comes alive through self-expression, embodiment and engagement. Right now, we are collectively in a process of learning what healthy, feminine embodiment looks like. It’s a process of ‘becoming’ that will take time and exploration. One powerful way we can empower each other is to create spaces for women to go through this process in order to step into natural self-expression – and step away from performative femininity. Empowered women express themselves freely and authentically. As women we also spark empowerment in each other by taking up space in public spheres through our voices, bodies and creativity.”
How do you empower women through what you do?
“I believe an important part of empowerment is inspiring women to engage with the world through innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity. I write about women and innovation because I believe the next wave of empire-building companies will come from women. So much of the world we live in has been designed by men for the comfort of men.
I talk about this idea that the male default has been ‘coded’ into so many of our products, and as a result women experience friction or ‘pain points’ when they interact with products. I try to spark in women an awareness that these hundreds of data points of daily discomfort can be translated into business ideas. Because if it bothers you, it bothers millions of other women, and there’s a huge opportunity in creating a solution for it. Spanx, The Honest Company, Glossier – are proof that women can take their curiosity and discomfort – and create innovation. I hope to empower women to design a world that meets their needs.”
Learn more about Danielle on her website here.
OR check her out on Twitter kkayembe or Insta @dkayembe.
ASHLEY SUMNER
Co-founder of Quilt
Photo via ashleyjsumner.com
What does it mean to you to empower women?
“Empowerment comes as a result of feeling the support and trust of your community, so much so that you begin to expand your boundaries and beliefs around what is possible.”
How do you empower women through what you do?
“Quilt exists to connect women in a thoughtful, intimate environment that promotes connectivity and knowledge sharing. We started years ago, testing this concept in a home that we operated ourselves but always wanted to build a tech platform that would make our offering accessible and inclusive to women around the globe.”
To learn more about Quilt head to wequilt.com
OR check them out on Insta @wequilt.
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If you’d like to get involved with Behere head to gobehere.com. Together, we can show more meaning and action around the words female empowerment, and support women around the world.
