InHer City

Respect...

Check out this great article by Courtney on her blog... she mentions GFC!

Depressed Teens and Dating Violence

Girls who have significant symptoms of depression as teens are 86% more likely than their peers to become victims of abuse from a boyfriend or husband as young women, according to a UC San Francisco study published in the March issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Girl Blog Entries

Ciara, 15 years old

What things are most important to you in your life? My friends are really important to me. When I feel lonely or empty or full of self pity they are there for me. I would not survive without them.

DaVaughn, 10 years old

What would you like to change in your community?
How people shoot & rape.

Griselda, 17 years old

Tell me a time when you took a leadership role? When my parents left to work out of the country and I had to be the mom.

Alicia, 11 years old

How has being in Girls For A Change made a difference in your life? It helps me to be confident.

Karina, 10 years old

What are your plans for the future?
I would like to be a singer and a teacher.

Lisbeth, 11 years old

What would you like to change in your community?
I would like to change the shootings happening in my neighborhood.

Angelica, 11 years old

How has being in Girls For A Change made a difference in your like? I feel more special because I would like to do lots of changes in my community.

Blogging For Change

At the recent Girls For A Change Spring Into Action Event we did a workshop about Blogging For Change... Below are some entries from girls who attended this event.. speaking their mind about being a girl, social change, and GFC.

Ruby, 16 years old

What is one thing that you want adults to know about young people that you think they don't know? I think that they don't know that even when we're annoyed at their nagging, deep down we still do listen to what they're saying.

Alexa, 16 years old

Tell me about a time when you took a leadership role an how it felt? I take a lot of leadership at our GFC meetings which makes me feel really responsible.

Margaret, 16 years old

What would you like to change in your community?
I would like to change the number of people that smoke and pollute the world and me. It makes me mad that people poison themselves slowly to develop a horrible disease. I would like to help people quit and not have people try it and get addicted.

Hannah, 15 years old

How has being in Girls For A Change made a difference in your life?
I feel very powerful because I am able to make changes in my community and make changes in people's lives.

Poetry Slam

It is so inspiring, amazing, and super energetic to attend a poetry slam with people from your neighborhood. You get to see, listen, and feel all sorts of different things. The Girl Steering Committee for Girls For A Change had our first connection event at MACLA, the well-known place for poetry slammin’! I was so inspired and energetic by the time the event was over. I even felt like taking poetry workshops; which MACLA offered for free for about three weeks. Anyway, the slam had a variety of poets/poems, from simple everyday things, to personal and deep feelings, and definitely culture expression!

During the slam, I listened to someone express their feelings and thoughts about something as simple as coffee. Something people drink for energy, but usually never stop to make a poem about. I also got to listen and feel the thoughts about peer pressure not just from school but from home and parents as well. But, the most inspiring poem was about my culture and things I’ve had to deal with, yes: Machismo. This brilliant young man, gave us the definition, the things men and women do when their lives are ruled by this negativity, and the consequences that we refuse to see before our eyes. We are so blinded that we don’t stop to change this ugly mentality.

This poetry slam was a place where I met young adults who are opening their minds, becoming “un-blinded” and take steps for a positive change. To see people expressing themselves and speaking their minds made me feel so proud. I said to myself, “Look at us, how many people have the ability to express themselves in poems and speeches? We are so not the stereotypical lazy Mexicans”

This is so empowering to me because many of us (Mexicans) or any other Minorities (Cultures) don’t have the opportunity to even realize, that they have all this incredible potential inside themselves for anything they are passionate about. So, when I see someone on stage from my culture, being so powerful and expressing themselves in front of the public, it is like seeing family on stage! And, to see family on stage, makes me feel very proud of who I am and where I come from.

As a young Mexican, this is very important to me, because I see my culture taking baby steps to a positive change! No matter how big or how small the steps are. Did you know that California had the largest Hispanic population in July 2004 (12.4 million) and the largest numerical increase (351,000) since July 2003. If there are so many of us, then why are this statistics the way they are:

Of the 81 women serving in the 109th Congress, 7 are Latina

Of the 81 women serving in statewide elective executive offices, 3 are Latina

Of the 1,666 women State Legislators serving nationwide, 69 are Latina.

But even little statistics can be empowering…

I am now part of those who take baby steps for change, because of GFC, and because of the inspirational people I meet. From big names like Bertice Berry, to common young adults like me at the poetry slams. Imagine what it would be like to see more members of Congress and the U.S. Senate who are of our cultures, imagine the big change: who really gets represented in the “big house” I’m not saying go into politics, I’m just saying “Anyone has potential, who gets to see it and practice is a few people” So, find your inner potential and use it, because it is a great tool, the key to many doors! - Alicia

RESPECT- Celebrity Guest Bloggers!

We wrote RESPECT: A Girl’s Guide to Getting Respect and Dealing When Your Line Is Crossed to support girls in becoming strong and confident forces in their own lives and the world. But our mission doesn’t stop there. That's why were so excited to help 1,000 girls get a free copy of Respect at the Girl Summit November 4!

When we were teens we struggled with lots of issues—negative body image or labels, doubts about our intelligence, seemingly "world-ending" mistakes, unhealthy relationships with guys and family members, and violence.

Once we were both in college, we found more support, guidance and sisterhood. We focused on our passions and accomplished our goals, such as becoming journalists. This helped us become more comfortable with our true selves, and made it easier to make choices that were right for us. And we finally discovered that what was missing in our teen years wasn’t just life experience—it was self-respect. We needed more of it, and the respect we did have, well, we needed to know how to hang on to it.

A few jobs out of college, we met as editors for ChickClick, a progressive media network for girls and women. And it was there that our joint mission began. Thousands of girls were talking on our network about dilemmas, drama, and traumas that they were dealing with every day. From not knowing how to let their true feelings be known to being pressured into stuff, harassed and abused. They were going through the same things we had, but even worse in some cases.

We were tired of girls and women being held back by disrespect, myths, and mixed messages. Like girls are told they can do anything but then they are pressured to package themselves as objects of desire. This is so false!

We wanted to pass on to girls what we had finally learned: That respect is connected to everything. No matter what girls are going through or need, respect is the remedy. So we set out to write a guide to life for girls centered on how to build self-respect, get and give respect in relationships, take action to deal with disrespect, and spread more respect for all people.

So that's how Respect was born! We’re so excited to have raised enough books to offer them to every girl attending the Girl Summit this fall! As coaches and volunteers for GFC, we know that it helps girls learn and live our 7 Respect Basics. GFC is event featured in the book our "Spreading Respect" chapter which gives girls tools to fight for their rights.

To check out excerpts from our book or to find out how to plan a RESPECT DAY for girls you can go to our Web site: www.respectgirls.com. While you’re there, don’t forget to tell us in My Say how you’re building respect in your world. - Courtney & Andrea

*** Interested in being a celebrity blogger on the InHer City blog? Email [email protected]

Whew...

Well it is over.. come and gone in one quick day. 1200 girls attended!

The 3rd Annual Girls For A Change Summit. What an amazing day.

We will have more photos up on the website soon.

It was an exhilarating day full of girl power and fun!

Brandi Chastain spoke to all the girls.. as well as a whole bunch of other women and girls!

We are now recovering and will start planning the next Summit for next year in two cities: San Jose, CA & Phoenix, AZ! Stay tuned for details. - GFC

The Annual Summit

  The Annual Girls For A Change Summit will be held on November 3, 2005 from 9-3:30pm at the San Jose Convention Center. Over 1000 girls from all over the Bay Area will be there to learn about social change! All girls are welcome to attend. To get more information or register please visit the GFC Website.

Hope you can make it!

- Whitney

I Put An End To It

If I were my mother, I would have prayed to God for help and begged Him to do something about my problem.  The fact is, I’ll never be my mother.  I’ve heard this statement many times in movies and middle schools, “Youth is from planet earth, Parents are from planned old.”  The difference amongst generations is obvious; the world changes everyday and so do the people that grow each day.  However, there are those people who love the way things were when they were young, that they simply don’t want to change.

In high school I was never involved in anything because of the strict rules of my Macho step-father.  I got into college and my mind sort of opened up.  Things I wanted to do and were fun, were things I couldn’t do because of the rules.  Where I come from, women stay at home with the children, while men go out and “work”.  I realized that’s what my father wanted me to do.  He never said it directly but when I put together all the verbal abuse I had over the past years of my life, it was all clear.  I begged my mother for support of the things I wanted to do, but she said she couldn’t help me because of the “rules”.  Surfing the web, I found something called “Girls For A Change” that would change my life entirely.  Immediately I signed up and decided that I could do the commitment as long as I lied to my parents and said “It’s mandatory for school, sorry guys”.  Things were hard when I would say, “ I have a meeting here and there” but I didn’t care.  If I would have listened, I would have missed out on so many opportunities.  With GFC my ideas were heard and were not only considered but were a reality.  I have a voice on the board of GFC, I have a voice in event planning, and I was a representative of Girls For A Change at the PBWC (Professional Business Women of California Conference)!  GFC offered me so much, that I can’t thank them enough. 

I have to admit sometimes I do feel awkward when being surrounded by girls younger than me, because I’ll be turning 20 in a month, but I realized that many girls at my college level could use a dose of GFC for the professional business skill it offers. So I am quite fortunate to be a member of the

Girl Steering Committee

.  Since my parents are from “Planet Old”, I decided that it was time to make my own life and follow my “fresh” ideas, not the old traditional way he wanted me to be.  I have moved out, my step-father doesn’t talk to me, my mother is sad; but I had to put an end to it and follow what I’m passionate about.  GFC is like my family now; I get so much support and continue to open my mind to the world.  "I put an end to it" and made a change for myself.  Since that change, I feel that any change I try to make is definitely possible. 

Chicanas Rising

Where's all the females in business today?  Statistics show that there are less women in business than men, and even less women minorities.  So, what do you say ladies, I think we need more women of color in higher positions in the corporate world.  We need more women to inspire us to be managers and CEO's of companies.  Well, I know one kick butt woman who has worked her way to the top of the business pyramid.  My mother, Lorraine Ramirez, is one of a hand full of Chicanas taking a stand.  She started out as a rookie at Xicor.  Majoring in computer science she got a job as a computer operator.  After four years she moved from Xicor to Loral Rolm Mil-Spec.  She finally became a supervisor here.  She then worked at Octel/Lucent for nine years as the Data Center Manager.  She had a group of people reporting to her, including men.  She has changed her field of work and now is in Community Relations at National Semiconductor.  She says, "This change has been so rewarding and exciting for me. I am able to work with nonprofit organizations, school districts, grant giving and volunteering in the community." On a side note, Lorraine has been a coach for GFC at Milpitas High. She is now on the GFC Board of Directors, which is also amazing. Lorraine might be a statistic, but she has truly untied the knot to success. - Stephanie

Buy A Girl A Book

How cool. The authors of Respect- A Girls Guide to Getting Respect & Dealing When Your Line Gets Crossed have created an amazing opportunity for girls to get a copy of their book. They are hosting a Buy A Girl A Book opportunity. Check out this book and also consider buying yourself a copy or if you are an adult buy a book for a girl. - GFC