Boston GLOW is proud to announce the finalists of the 2012 IGNITE Change Essay Contest. These ten young women will be recognized at the 2012 Awards Dinner on April 10 at Maggiano's Little Italy. The IGNITE Change Contest encourages teen girls in challenges communities to find their voice and make a call for change through writing. Developed in 2010 by Boston GLOW, IGNITE Change, judged by a panel of published female authors, seeks to award finalists with educational funding and support, including pairing each girl with a writing mentor to personally help her in the process of realizing the power of her own voice. 

"Each of these young women have something very important to say, but aren't always given the opportunity to be heard," said Leah Moschella, Founder of Boston GLOW. "Our mission is to path a path for these girls, through which their voices will be heard, and their future goals will be realized. It is incredibly inspirational to read their words, but when we meet them in person we tangibly see and feel the power and energy of determined women."

Meet the finalists:

Kheyla Thaimar Orival, Somerville, MA 

Who are two females who inspire you? I would have to say Maya Angelou and Michelle Obama.

What are your career goals? To become a Pediatrician in a hospital because I like to work with children. I hope to pursue my dreams of becoming a pediatrician and also if I am eligible, play Tennis or Volleyball for which ever University I attend. 

An excerpt from Kheyla's winning essay: “If every female in the world could see that just by changing the way they think every day or the way they feel every day into something positive, they can create many wonders.  For example, when writing this essay I had no doubt in my mind that I was actually going to accomplish anything.  Even if this program doesn’t progress the way I wanted it to, I would at least know that I had this thought to change my community by something that I go through and that other females go through like me.” 

 Jasmine R. Taylor, Dorchester – Lower Mills, MA

Who are two females who inspire you?  Iris Jacob – She is the author of My Sisters’ Voices.  Her book, a compilation of essays and poe

ms by girls of color on a variety subjects, inspires me to write stories where girls of color take center stage.  Judy Blume – Like her, I want to write stories that explore the challenges young people face with sympathy, humor, and respect.

What are your career goals?  Psychologist – Because psychology fascinates me. Novelist – So I can share my stories with the world.

An excerpt from Jasmine's winning essay: “When we see girls and women of color saving lives, solving problems, or even having normal lives while they work towards their own goals on a daily basis, it creates and reinforces the voice in a girl of color’s head that says, ‘I can  do anything! I can make a difference too!’…I  want all girls, especially, girls of color, to have easy access to media that gives them constructive message."

Fatima Khan, Somerville, MA

Who are two females who inspire you? My Mom, and Michelle Obama

What are your career goals? Biochemist, Doctor, or a Software engineer at Apple

An excerpt from Fatima's winning essay: “It is not wrong to have different interests, or to look different from other people…It is crucial to see the damaging effects that emotional bullying can have on an individual and the importance of changing this stereotypical nonsense and putting an end to emotional bullying.”

Giselle Maria Bonilla, Hyde Park, MA

Who are two females who inspire you?  My mom Maria and my older sister Katherine. They are two of the strongest, caring and loving women in my life.

What are your career goals? My career goals are to major either in psychology or philosophy. In the future I would like to work with teenage girls  or start  my own organization focusing on Domestic Violence largely and other topics that affects teenage girls. 

An excerpt from Giselle's winning essay: “I was one of those teenage girls in Dorchester that didn’t understand my value nor what I deserved.  I want to help young women realize their worth and build their self-esteem...  I want to let teenage girls know that there is no such thing as love behind violence.  Love should feel safe, warm and good.” 

Catherine Nakato, Somerville, MA

Who are two females who inspire you?  My mentor,  my mom and Alicia Keys.

What are your career goals? Lawyer or Doctor/ Surgeon.

An excerpt from Catherine's winning essay:“When I walk in my neighborhood, I see a lot of unhealthy choices like drug addicts, alcoholics, drug dealers, and more.  But the one thing that sickens me is the pattern of unacceptable behavior that is trickling down upon our youth, girls and boys my age, 16, and younger having unprotected sex, getting STDs and STIs, getting pregnant, getting drunk and high and being proud of it.”

Zacorah Kamaria Jackman, Dorchester, MA

Who are two females who inspire you?  Lorraine Hansberry and Assat Shakur.

What are your career goals? Some of my future career goal choices are journalist, teacher, city councilor, and entrepreneur in non-profit business.

An excerpt from Zacorah's winning essay: “I believe that if we organize ourselves, we can equip young females to facilitate change in an infinitely progressing fashion…We will not only be able to ignite change, but transcend change ultimately creating a new nrom.  Since women are the first teachers, these values will be taught to the generations who may come to follow the young girls.”

Lin-Feng Collins, East Somerville, MA

Who are two females who inspire you? Anne Frank and Rosa Parks.

What are your career goals?  My career goal is anything as long as I am able to fully enjoy it and put forth my best effort in it so that I can use my knowledge and abilities to give back to the world.

An excerpt from Lin-Feng's winning essay: “This world is full of opportunities and things to be changes.  All a girl needs to be a hero and a leader is to have a dream, be strong, and be determined.  Girls are so important because they change the world.  Without us, the planet we live on right now would not be so creative, so magical, or so wonderful.  Girls are powerful.”  

Crystal Walker, Dorchester, MA

Who are two females who inspire you?  Cynthia Creary (my mother) and Kiku Adatto.

What are your career goals? My career goal is to work in the medical field and I would like to have a job as a teacher educator on health and cancer treatment or be a physician.

An excerpt from Crystal's winning essay:  "Dignity made us realize that even if our parents were struggling or immigrants, college was not just a dream but a reality; because if people believed in us and we believed in ourselves, we can find a way….There is dignity in strong voices.  As my mama’s daughter I believe change begins with dignity.”

Franchesca Viaud, Dorchester, MA

Who are two females who inspire you? My mother and JK Rowling.

What are your career goals? I'm interested in jobs that allow me to be creative and use my imagination. Not jobs that force me to sit behind a desk or anything else completely boring. My crazy dream jobs range from being a writer, movie producer/director to an international diplomat.

An excerpt from Franchesca's winning essay: “I know that my mother is a shark, a realist and a survivor, the kind of woman you write about, but she’s also human, which I think is the hardest fact for any child to accept about their mother. And while she may bleed, hurt, cry and not be eight feet tall at all, she’s a warrior in her own right.  And that is why, above all other reasons, I want to ignite change."

Nasteho Ali, Roxbury, MA

Who are two females who inspire you? My mom and Oprah.

What are your career goals? I would like to be a physiatrist or something involving human resources.

An excerpt from Nasteho's winning essay: “Self-esteem is all a matter of how you feel about yourself not enveloped in makeup and accepting all your flaws that you were born with.  I believe in order to achieve this acceptance we need to teach young women that revealing yourself is not the way….Hopefully, young women will be able to recognize that everyone has flaws and the beauty is finding out how to live with them.” 

We are excited to honor these ten remarkable young women at the 2012 IGNITE Change Awards Dinner on April 10th!

We are so proud to share the success of the fifth annual Boston Community Production of the Vagina Monologues, sponsored by Boston GLOW, the Young Black Women's Society and YWCA Boston. 

Our three performances, held at the YWCA's Kuumba Library, were completely sold out with over 250 tickets sold and nearly $4500 raised! Boston GLOW feels incredibly privileged to have been a part of the VDAY movement again this year and to have helped bring its message to the Boston community. As with all of our endeavors, this success could not have been possible without the time, dedication and tireless work of our volunteers.

Our cast of 30 performers, ranging in age from 16-40, spent 6 weeks rehearsing and collaborating to make this performance our best yet. Our youth performance featured 20 young people from The City School. Our team of volunteers, which totaled 18 women and men, stepped up to every challenge we presented - from constructing a giant fabric vagina, baking vagina cupcakes and chocolate vagina lollipops to collecting tickets, selling raffle tickets and greeting guests. 

As happens every year, we were in awe of the response from each audience - the laughter, standing ovations and tremendously positive feedback reinforced for us once again why the Vagina Monologues are so powerful. We were thrilled to see a male contingent in the crowd again this year. This show unites women across a common theme but also illuminates for the male audience some of the experiences women share and endure across geographies, ages and cultures. As ever, we hope these performances have helped spark dialog about the issues facing women every day and the importance of addressing these issues to make a better, safer world and future for women.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Vagina Monologues is a play written by activist Eve Ensler, based on dozens of interviews Ensler conducted with women about the experience of being female - from sexuality and social stigmas to rape and abuse. Four years after the play first launched in 1994, with funds raised at a celebrity performance of the Monologues, Ensler founded V-Day. The mission of V-Day is a fairly simple one: "it demands that violence against women and girls must end. To do this, once a year, in February, March, and April, Eve allows groups around the world to produce a performance of the play, as well as other works created by V-Day, and use the proceeds for local individual projects and programs that work to end violence against women and girls, often shelters and rape crisis centers. What began as one event in New York City in 1998 today includes over 5,800 V-Day events annually." 

This year's Monologues also spotlighted the plight of women in the Congo, the most dangerous place on the planet to be a woman or girl. V-Day 2012 highlights a commitment to creating City of Joy, "a transformational community for Congolese women survivors of sexual violence, conceived, created and developed by the women on the ground. City of Joy will support women survivors of sexual violence to heal and provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership through innovative programming."  

Finally, this year's Monologues announced a global call to action, called ONE BILLION RISING:

There are 7 billion people on the planet. Half are women. One third of them will be raped or beaten in her lifetime.

 Planned for 2.14.13, ONE BILLION RISING is a global movement that invites one billion women and those who love them to walk out, dance, rise up and demand an end to violence against women, across every country. Participants, encouraged to sign up here, pledge the following:

"I refuse to watch as more than one billion women experience violence on the planet. I'm joining V-Day on 02.14.13 in a global strike to demand an end to the violence."

Please join Boston GLOW in support of ONE BILLION RISING and learn more about the V-Day campaign. Thank you to everyone who attended the performances and helped support the V-DAY mission in Boston - we are thrilled with the outcome and can't wait to do it again next year.

About the YWCA Boston

"We are an organization of firsts. We were the first YWCA in the United States, established by leaders in the abolition and suffrage movemet to address critical social justice issues of the time.  We were the first organization in Boston tackle professional and economic empowerment for women, and among the first to fight for racial and gender equality." 

About the Young Black Women's Society of Boston

"Founded in Boston in 2005, the Young Black Women’s Society Inc. (YBWS), was established to provide a platform for women and girls of color to further develop their personal, professional and civic lives. YBWS sought out to be “The Society” for this demographic, providing relevant programming, activities and personal connections that complement their future goals and aspirations. We welcome you to learn about our organization and join our movement as we affect change and strive for advancement and access in Greater Boston and beyond!"

Happy International Women’s Day!  This week we have been highlighting the experiences of women throughout the world.  We have highlighted Egypt and South Sudan with more to come!  Today’s blog post is brought to you from Fatima Azzahra El Azzouzi, a female engineer from Morocco.

SPOTLIGHT – Women Engineers in Morocco

Located at the West of North Africa, Morocco draws the diversity of its cultures from its proximity to Europe, the Arab world, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The female workforce in Morocco is active in various sectors, but let’s shed a light for a moment on the Moroccan women who have chosen a male-dominated world: Engineering. Women engineers in Morocco might be outnumbered but they are not outmanned… or rather they are not out-woman-ned! I am taking the privilege of creating that neologism on this 8^th of March!

From students on the benches of engineering schools to top executives in large organizations, women in engineering are demonstrating excellence in the field and often outperforming their male counterparts. Statistics about the representativeness of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields in are not available but it’s sufficient to visit any engineering circle to notice the disparity in numbers.  It is no surprise given that women often represent less than 20% of engineering students even in the most developed countries.

In the workforce, it’s becoming easier for women in Morocco to enjoy a professional career in engineering, partly because there are more and more of them proving to companies that they can deliver outstanding results and bring unique attributes to the workplace. This said, some disciplines such as software engineering count more female engineers than other more traditionally male disciplines such as civil, industrial or mining engineering. Ahlam Takaoute, a young industrial engineer working closely with older male colleagues at the factory, explains: “As a woman engineer, it’s always hard to find a job in the industrial arena. Although entrepreneurs are starting to trust women on the job, they still hold the prejudice that the operators and technicians won’t accept a woman as their supervisor, and so they prefer to recruit men.”

Let us focus today on the bright side, and celebrating a handful of overachieving Moroccan women engineers:

• Dr. Merieme Chadid, astrophysicist engineer, the first woman astronomer to reach the South Pole
• Ghannou Laassiri,  the first woman Topographical Engineer in Morocco
• Dr. Amina Benkhadra, mining engineer, former Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment
• Dr Najat rochdi, computer scientist, Deputy Director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Geneva
• Dr. Asma Kasmi, chemical engineer, UNESCO Chair “Water, Women and Decision Power”

We owe it to these women engineers and many more like them around the globe who continue to pave the way to a more fair and comfortable environment for girls and women who have a passion for engineering.

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About the Author: Fatima Azzahra El Azzouzi

Fatima Azzahra is an engineer from Casablanca, Morocco. She holds a Master’s degree in control engineering and Bachelor’s degree in computer science. She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Today’s International Women’s Day blog is by guest blogger, Erin Polich.  Erin is currently working on a health project in the world’s newest country, South Sudan.

SPOTLIGHT: WOMEN IN SOUTH SUDAN

I have two reactions when thinking of women in South Sudan. One is full of heartbreak and frustration at the relative female powerlessness pervasive throughout the culture.  The other is immense pride at the fights won and still being waged for women in South Sudan.  Somehow it’s the ebb and flow of these two realities which make the newest country in the world what it is today: a nation at the crossroads of its future.

South Sudan currently has the world’s worst maternal mortality. The statistics are poignant and gloomy:  

A child born has a one in forty-eight chance of losing his mother at childbirth.  A woman in South Sudan has a one in seven lifetime risk of dying in child birth.  This is a greater chance than she has of finishing school. Eighty-seven percent of women deliver in their homes without a skilled attendant (silently, because making noise during childbirth is seen as a selfish action which disturbs others nearby). Eighty percent of women polled believe it is okay for a woman to be beaten by her husband for certain reasons. Women are sold into marriage for cattle.  They suffer from the feminization of HIV infections due to polygamy, a lack of bargaining power in sex, and high poverty rates which lead women to seek employment in a burgeoning sex trade. A meeting I attended recently informed me that men should be the ones deciding if a woman uses contraception because “It’s called family planning. Otherwise it would be called women’s planning.”

As someone who grew up in the United States, who early on identified proudly as being a feminist, who viewed attending college as an inevitability instead of a fantasy, and who worked in multiple domestic violence shelters, being throw into this overwhelming patriarchal and oppressive culture is a bit of a challenge. Daily heart rending moments remind me just how far women globally have come, and just how far there is left to go.  Despite this, I see the small accomplishments which are moving towards attitudes and practices slowly towards gender equity. 

In South Sudan, more and more women are finishing school each year. The government recently sent an entire class of women for midwifery training (the first of several) who will return to meet their community needs. Women form support and activist groups to advocate at both village and national levels.  And in the newly formed Government of the Republic of South Sudan, 25% of seats at each level of government are to be set aside for women.  While this might not be attained at all levels, 7 of 29 ministers are female with the ability to advocate for issues that effect them.   

Recently I visited a health facility in Warrap State, a swampy state in the northern part of the country, which often finds areas inaccessible for months at a time due to the rainy season.  In the maternity ward, I met Christine, a midwife trained in Uganda who had come back to South Sudan to improve maternal health services in her country. When I asked about family planning, Christine’s eyes grew bright as she explained that while overall numbers remain low, she’s seen a significant upward trend in women inquiring about both natural and hormonal methods.  She turned to me and, looking shyly in my eyes while discussing the women coming in for counseling, said, “Culture, it is slow to change. But slowly, slowly.”

100 years ago, women in America couldn’t vote.  They couldn’t hold political office.  They died in childbirth at astronomical rates.  When I reflect on this impressive cultural transformation in the US, despite the ongoing battles women continue to wage, I am reminded of progress women are capable of achieving.  I look at the immense progress women are making every day here, and I am inspired.  I cannot wait to see how women in South Sudan, the newest country in the world, will transform their own country. 

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About the author:

Erin Polich is currently working on a health project in South Sudan.  She graduated from Fordham University in 2007 with a degree in Political Science, History, and Peace and Justice.  She has experience working in domestic violence, labor rights, environmental consulting, and public health because she is bad at sitting still and focusing and besides everything is interconnected anyways.  In 2011, she finished a degree in International Public Health at Boston University School of Public Health where she concentrated in gender and sexual health. Her culminating experience looked at the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of expanding IUD usage as contraception in sub-Saharan Africa.    She enjoys coffee, black lab mutts, discussing sexual health and infectious disease, riding bikes, and being not at a computer despite being addicted to the sultry allure of the internet.  She also occasionally blogs at www.erininjuba.wordpress.com,

As many of you may know International Women’s Day is Thursday March 8^th.  We here at Boston GLOW are eager to celebrate the amazing work and successes of women across the globe with their incredible accomplishments and major steps forward towards empowerment and equality.  This week, please follow our blog as we highlight the inspiring work of members of the Boston GLOW community throughout the world. 

Our guest blogger today is Amira Elmallah.  Elmallah is a 24-year half-Egyptian, half-American, born and raised in California but currently living in Cairo, Egypt.  Today she shares her thoughts and we'd love to hear yours! 

Spotlight: Egypt’s Revolutionary Women

 More than overthrowing a dictator or a regime, more than ushering in a new era in Egyptian history, the Egyptian Revolution of January 25, 2011 united all Egyptians, regardless of social class, religious orientation, birthplace or gender. Though some lament that the power of this unity has faded with time, I continue to be inspired and amazed at how strong the revolutionary spirit remains in society more than a year after the people demanded and realized the downfall of the Mubarak regime.

 A song released this fall captures the sense of unity generated in Tahrir: Ya El-Medan

 More than anything, this is a period of redefinition, characterized by the freedom to define Egypt’s identity in a way that was previously prohibited, to rebuild Egypt according to the people’s vision of the future, founded upon the principles echoed in the revolutionary slogans which are still chanted in the protests to this day,

 “The revolutionaries, liberated, will complete the struggle.”  What are we struggling for? “Bread, Freedom, Social Justice.”

 Egyptian women and men are struggling together to realize this vision, within which we find women’s roles and position in society. I can’t speak for all Egyptian women, ultimately a diverse group of individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and opinions, but I can share some of the conversations that are taking place in this period.   Conversations initiated by empowered women defining what role they want to play in the Egypt of tomorrow.  Let's break it down:

**Political Representation: Though a 30% quote of female participation was instituted in the 2010 elections, this quota was not reinstated in the most recent parliamentary elections. As may be expected from women’s low ranking on party lists, women’s representation in parliament reached an appallingly low 2% (the international average is 19%). While some call for a return to the quota system, others resent it as unnecessary or unfair, as the idea of the quota itself was tainted by the illegitimacy of the 2010 elections. 

**Decision-Making: The Egyptian Women’s Union is sponsoring a march this International Women’s Day (2012) demanding women represent 50% of the seats in the council that will revise Egypt’s constitution. Though there is no consensus on the exact percentage, we know the council will have considerable symbolic and tangible influence in charting Egypt’s future, and thus is a crucial decision-making space that men and women must share. 

 **Women’s Rights Framework: What role should international human and women’s rights frameworks play in Egyptian society? Regarding international conventions such as CEDAW, some women question why Egypt would need to import a system for protecting women’s rights when Islam represents an indigenous system which advances full equality for women (the challenge is applying it correctly and who defines what is correct).  Read More.

 Underlying all of these themes is the freedom to chart a course that blends domestic and international perspectives on equality and women’s rights. Just as democracy is practiced and shaped to fit the society in which it grows, women’s rights and roles, gender relations in general, too must fit their context. Our perspectives may be different—some women believe that wearing a head cover is oppressive, while others in Egypt and around the world believe it liberates a woman from being viewed in terms of her physical appearance, bringing to the forefront her ideas and opinions and actions.

 So what unifies us? Not that we all realize the same outcome, but that we can all agree on a woman’s right to define what equality means to her.   Empowerment itself lies not in the outcome but in the act of struggle. This is the struggle we all champion this upcoming International Women’s Day.

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 About the Author: Amira Elmallah is a 24-year half-Egyptian, half-American, born and raised in California but currently living in    Cairo, Egypt. She studied International Development at UCLA and Gender & Global Issues at UC Davis, and is currently studying Arabic and volunteering with local NGOs. For any questions or comments about this post, she can be contacted at amira.elmallah@gmail.com.  

    “If your vagina could talk, what would it say?”  In 1994 playwright, activist, and feminist, Eve Ensler began asking women all over the world this question and many others about their personal experiences being a woman. Currently, in the city of Boston nearly 40 volunteer women have come together to tell these stories in the annual production of The Vagina Monologues.  Our cast is made up of women of all ages, shapes, colors and backgrounds.  We are daughters, sisters, lovers, activists, professionals, quiet, loud, leaders, thinkers, silly, fun, emotional, busy, talented and passionate.  We are coming together to make a difference.

 Every year, someone hesitantly asks, “Sooooo… what exactly is The Vagina Monologues?”   As organizers of the production, we’ve heard all layers of trepidation, intimidation, or casual comments about “spending two hours listening to women discussing the flower-esque layers of their vaginas”. 

So, we wanted to take a minute to answer the question: what is The Vagina Monologues?

The Vagina Monologues is a movement. 

Think about it: every 2 minutes someone is the victim of sexual or physical violence (1).     The Vagina Monologues strives to break the silence this through stories, performance, and entertainment.  The movement doesn’t stop there.   We encourage community building, awareness and shared resources. Here in Boston, the Boston Community Production of The Vagina Monologues has been organized annually for five years.  We have engaged over 100 women in performance and leadership and have had over ten sold-out performances. 

 The Vagina Monologues is True Stories of Women.  

All of the stories in the monologues are based on interviews with real women throughout the world.  Some of the stories are amalgams of many interviews, so are one woman’s stories.  Like all women, some are hilarious, some are serious, some will make you angry, and many will make you happy.

The Vagina Monologues is a Fundraiser to End Violence against women and girls.

   100% of the ticket sales, raffles, bake sales, and all other donations will be split between 3  organizations supporting women and girls in Boston.

•    Boston GLOW with a mission of fostering opportunities for women of all ages to become active world  leaders, and engaged world citizens
•   Young Black Women’s Society  established to provide a platform for women and girls of color to further develop their personal, professional and civic lives
•   YWCA Boston  YWCA Boston is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
•   10% of all donations will go to the VDAY Spotlight  - Women and Girls of Haiti

The coolest part is that all of the performers and organizers are volunteers, our space and staging materials are donated, and we spend only a few dollars (literally, under $30) on the performance!  Therefore, we can assure you that the money you give is donated!

The Vagina Monologues is an experience

You will laugh. You may cry. You will be angry. You will be confused. You may get a little turned on.  You will laugh some more. You will be moved towards action and committed to your part in breaking the silence and supporting the empowerment of women and girls

The Vagina Monologues is for EVERYONE!

This means you, gentleman.  The Vagina Monologues is as much for men as it is for women.  Primarily, it takes any and all genders to create a movement.  But also, you owe it to yourself to know about our moaning. 

The Vagina Monologues is something you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!

So get your tickets today!

Every year this performance has sold out, so don’t miss your chance!

March 23, March 24, March 25

YWCA Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston MA

http://vaginamonologuesboston.eventbrite.com/. 

We are also still recruiting volunteers to help by ushering, selling raffle tickets and baked goods and setup/cleanup.  If  you are interested, email bostonglow@gmail.com! 

Today is Valentine’s Day.  It’s a day to celebrate the people we love, those who support us and those who inspire us towards new horizons while sharing in the earnest joy of our accomplishments.  We celebrate loving one another in a way to means respect to the full beauty of a person: their intelligence, their passion, their drive, their ability to make us laugh, and their ability to support when we need to cry.  We celebrate the mothers, partners,  brothers, sisters, mentors, teachers, spouses, and friends who love us. 

However, not all women and girls experience love in this context.  Over the past three months, we have been collecting the words of young women in the city of Boston through our IGNITE Change essay contest.  We have heard local stories of teen pregnancy, dating violence, rape, and pressure to dress in revealing clothing.  We’ve heard young women tell their personal stories about being torn between their goals and boyfriends.  We’ve heard pleas for comprehensive sex education and access to birth control. 
According to the United Nations, United Nations states that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That is more than one billion women living on the planet today.

According to the IGNITE Change Essay Contest Applicants, girls and women in Boston are striving for support that will lead them towards loving healthy relationships. 

"I believe no teenage girl should be abused by a guy whom she thinks she loves. I want teenage girls to understand that they have choices, believe that they are valuable and know that they are precious. They deserve someone who will cater to them, respect them and value them"

These are the powerful words of one of this year’s IGNITE Change Applicants. She reminds us of the reality of dating violence, but realizes that with help and support we can transcend this experience. 

 So this year, as we celebrate those we love on Valentine’s Day, let’s renew our commitment to demonstrate love through supporting the young women in our community.  Let’s help them to understand that love means being respected and valued. Let’s remember what it means to love safely and confidently, and that true love commences with loving yourself.

 Let us remember that love is an action.   Here are some ways that YOU can put your LOVE into action with Boston GLOW:

• Become an IGNITE Change Writing Mentor or Career Mentor!

Each Writing Mentor is paired with an IGNITE Change Finalist.  You write a personalized response for them and support them at the awards dinner on April 10^th in Boston

Each Career Mentor is paired with an IGNITE Change Finalist.  You are responsible for providing a job shadow day as well as help her to develop her career goals!

• Help plan March 8^th International Women’s Day Event!

• Volunteer for this years’ production of The Vagina Monologues 
• Attend (and get your friends to attend) on March 23, 24, and 25!
• Share the voices of young women in Boston:

"I was one of those teenage girls in Dorchester that didn't understand my value or what I deserved...I want to help young women realized their worth and build their self esteem."

"When we see girls and women of color saving lives, solving problems, and having normal lives, it creates and reinforces the voice in a girl's head that says, 'I can do anything! I can make a difference, too!'"

"When women and girls work together to complete a task, I believe it can be accomplished. We have incredible power"

 “In our society we have this mindset that everyone is out there for themselves. But it doesn’t have to be that way unless we want it that way. We were all put in this world together, so it makes no sense for us not to help one another.”

 Happy Valentine's Day to all of our supporters! 

Keep loving, Keep fighting!

One of the most wonderful aspects of the Organized Women community of GLOW is seeing what the amazingly creative and talented women in our group and on our board.  As we all reach new levels of leadership and civic engagement in our own lives, we wanted to take a minute today to congratulate our incredibly talented board member, AC Gaughen  and the Valentine’s Day debut of her first novel, Scarlet.

 SCARLET, a young adult novel that sweeps readers away in this new version of the Robin Hood tale full of action secrets, and romance.  Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

 "Scarlet was such a fun character to write,” says Gaughen. “Her voice is incredibly unique, and as a writer, it really propelled the story forward for me.”  She’s not your typical damsel in distress; this heroine makes the plans, saves the hero, and wields a set of deadly knives.  “She’s tough!” Gaughen says.  “It’s a totally new take on Robin Hood, because the legend never really featured a strong, capable, awesomely independent girl before.  Scarlet is not afraid to be grumpy and angry and still save the day.  I love that about her.”  Kinda reminds of us the How to Be a B*tch blog series!

 AC brings GLOW to a new level on a daily basis.  You may have see her at our IGNITE Change workshops in the fall.  We are thrilled to have her as part of our team as an example of what women can accomplish when they use their voices, commit to a goal, and ignite their passions. 

Check out the trailer featuring another immensely talented woman of GLOW , singer song-writer, Jenna Paone of City of Squares. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e87UkdqDUek

And be sure to get your copy soon! 

It’s almost February.  For many, this is the time we begin to evoke romantic images of flowers, chocolates, and elegant dinners as we build up the ideals of Valentine’s Day.  For us here at Boston GLOW, we are getting just excited for V-Day.  For the 3^rd year, we are embarking on our annual celebration of the V-Day movement by organizing, performing, and awareness raising through Boston’s only community based production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.

  This year, nearly 40 women from all walks of life will join together in performance and volunteerism on March 23, 24, and 25.  So what makes V-Day and The Vagina Monologues different?  V-Day is a movement, not a day.  It is a fundraising and awareness raising movement for all men and women focusing on ending violence against women and girls.  The Vagina Monologues consists of stories from real women’s experiences across the world.  These are stories of sexual empowerment, of confusion, of dating, of rape, of birth, of war, of connection.  They will make you laugh, cry, scream, and question.  Each monologue is a real woman’s story.  Each monologue ensures that women’s voices are heard.   Most importantly, the entire production is a fundraiser!  This year, proceeds from the production will be supporting the Young Black Women’s Society, the YWCA Boston, and Boston GLOW. 

So, hopefully you’re asking yourself – HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED?

Currently, we are looking for women of all ages, colors, shapes and sizes to perform in and assist with all elements of the V-Day experience (from ticket sales, promotion, community building, light design etc!)  You DO NOT need any previous performing experience.  You only need a commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

 (As a note: only individuals who identify as female can perform in the Vagina Monologues, but we love and need male volunteers for the production and community building.  All genders and backgrounds are needed to end violence against women and girls!)

To participate: 

We are holding two days of auditions: 

February 7th from 5:30-7:30 and February 11^th 1030-2:30. 

 Both audition days will be held at the YWCA Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston MA. 

You do not need to prepare a monologue for the audition. 

If you would like to participate, but can’t attend an audition date please contact our director at tngraham5587@gmail.com

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

March 23 at 7pm, 24 at 7pm, and 25 at 3pm

YWCA Boston – Kuumba Library

140 Clarendon Street

Boston, MA

So come join the movement to end violence against women and girls!

Keep Loving, Keep Fighting,

Boston GLOW

with questions about the performance, participation or tickets, please contact bostonglow@gmail.com

“We’re constantly getting these messages to mind our own business and look the other way if we want to be well-liked,  to not tell the truth or speak our mind or say anything too intense. Well, I’m telling you here that this approach not only makes you party to other people’s crimes against themselves but is a prescription for mediocrity and delusion.”

                                                             -    Kelly Cutrone, Fashion Publicist

Another week, another Boston Glow Bitch Post. In case you missed Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this series, click through and catch up with the rest of us!

This week, we’re on to Bitch Tip #4: Ignore the negative.

There’s not a person on earth who goes through life without receiving some sort of feedback, both good and bad. That being said, we all have to learn how to separate constructive feedback from negative or abusive criticism. There is a big difference between a heartfelt piece of advice designed to help someone improve and a nasty comment designed to bring someone down. And more likely than not, we’re all going to experience both during our lives.  No matter what your dreams are, it seems that there are always multitudes of people waiting in the wings to tell you just how impossible those dreams are, how unrealistic your expectations are, and just how stupid you are for even considering such attempts. Know what bitches say to those people? Go. To. Hell.

So many women out there get a bad rep for ignoring people the naysayers, for doing things their way and making their own rules. When I think of someone like Anna Wintour, for instance, who is, by all accounts, considered to be elitist, sexist, demading, pushy, cold, evil, and a thousand other lovely things, what strikes me most is how focused people are her personality, and how little credit they give her for her accomplishments. She might very well be a mean person, but you can’t deny that she is the most important voice in the fashion industry. I wonder sometimes, whether she would get as much flack as she does if she were a man. I also wonder how all of this public hatred makes her feel. (She is, after all human.) And I admire her public management of those feelings, her utter lack of acknowledgement of this negative attention, and her refusal to change herself to conform to someone else’s idea of who she should be. She does not comment about herself or her personal issues with others (in fact, I couldn’t even find a meaty quote from her for this post), but instead, lets her success speak for itself.

 When I find myself coming up against a particularly annoying wave of negativity, I try to remind myself of what and who really matters to me. My family and my friends love me regardless of what anyone thinks, and their opinions are the opinions that really count. The rest of it is just noise.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the cinematic masterpiece that is Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. And if you’re anything like me, you felt a flush of pride when those zany ladies one-upped their high school nemesis at the end of the movie. I leave you with a piece of advice from Romy herself. The next time you come across someone who decides to put you down, look them straight in the eye and repeat this mantra in your head:

“I don't care if you like [me], 'cause [I] don't like you. You're a bad person with an ugly heart, and [I] don't give a flying f*ck what you think.”

Then smile politely, thank them for their opinion, and never think about it again.

Now I want to hear what you think. Leave your comments below!