Fearless Dallas

By now, you are likely aware that the month of March represents more than just a peak at Spring, and is in fact women’s history month. What’s more? Today, March 8, 2023, is International Women’s Day, and we are ready to celebrate and raise awareness! We’ve been talking about International Women’s Day for a while because it not only aligns with our mission to provide women ages 18 and older the resources and workshops needed to take on their next stage in life, but it communicates the importance of celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women+. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX community takes a look at your role in this important international celebration and discusses how FearLess Dallas can help you bridge the gap.

Gender Balance Is Not Solely a Women’s Issue

International Women’s Day is a global holiday that brings attention to both the achievements accomplished by women and gender minorities, but also highlights the work that still needs to be done. Indeed, issues such as gender equality, violence and abuse against women, and more may have improved somewhat over the last hundred years or so, but that does not mean the fight is even close to over. As a matter of fact, it has only just begun.

As policies and economics continue to stay the same or even work themselves backwards, more and more women+ are finding themselves in positions of fear, concern, and vulnerability. This is why we need International Women’s Day, and why we have to speak up. This year, the theme of IWD is #EmbraceEquity, and it is crucial we are all aware of the differences between equality and equity. While equality represents the state of being equal in status, rights, and opportunities, equity represents the quality of being fair and impartial. It means recognizing privilege in its various forms and understanding that we all do not start on an equal playing ground.

In addition to recognizing these key differences, it is also important to realize that gender balance is not solely a women’s issue, but an economic one as well. The COVID-19 pandemic damaged the economy greatly, and as a result, led to a significant stunt in women’s labor force participation. Moreover, policies and politics continued to leave women in the dust as pay equity worsens and jobs of the future continue to leave women behind. Learn more about this process and its impact here.

Challenging Gender Stereotypes

Whether you are a woman+ seeking equitable treatment or a male ally, it is important to recognize the role that conscious and unconscious bias have on women’s equality. Gender stereotyping is not only damaging, but it forces women into a societal box that is virtually impossible to escape from. It is for these reasons that complacency and passivity become damaging. Fortunately, today’s level of dialogue means that bias, discrimination, and stereotypes are more likely to be called out.

A Continuous Need for Progressive Mindsets

It is not enough to generate buzzwords and keep a passive outlook on the issue. International Women’s Day is a global movement, and while various nations acknowledge it, there is still a greater need for progressive mindsets and inclusivity. There is strength in numbers, but feeling safe and receiving the platform to speak up is not easy to come by. We must make our own paths and combine our voices to effectively work toward a more equitable future.

Workshops to Incite Change

Previously we mentioned that International Women’s Day is a special and important day to our FearLess team and community, and we take it very seriously. On the days of the year that the world is not celebrating and raising awareness, we want to make sure that women+ know they have a safe place to not only be themselves and enjoy the company of others, but to find the resources and learn the life skills necessary to thrive in their environment.

FearLess Dallas hosts a wide variety of workshops and community events throughout the year, and there really is something for everyone. From open mic storytelling to budgeting and goal setting workshops, we strive to provide programming that meets the needs of our community.

How FearLess Women Can Help and Be Helped

To be FearLess is to take control of your life and your situation, to say ‘I am not going to let society, the patriarchy, or anything else tell me I can’t.’ Whether you are just entering the adult world or are experiencing a major life change later in life, we believe having a mentor and a supportive community can make all of the difference. This is the basis of our full-circle mentorship approach, and we invite you to give our team a call today to learn more.

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