Women’s Wednesdays: Women’s Rights – Experiences in Advocacy

As International Women’s Day approaches, we are taking a step back to discuss the different forms that advocacy takes in the struggle for Women’s Rights. From policy making, to volunteer work, to social media and dinner table conversations, we each have a role to play. Join us March 6th to talk strategy, share concerns, and ask questions!

– What is meant by “women’s rights?”
– What does it mean to be an advocate?
– What is unique about advocacy in The Bahamas and the Caribbean?
– How has social media changed the landscape of social justice?
– What do we need to improve the effectiveness of our advocacy work?
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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Mental Health

Caring for our minds is as important as caring for our bodies. Stigma, time-constraints, and lack of access to resources and information are common obstacles to mental wellness. Join us for a conversation with mental health professionals for a conversation about strategies for improving mental health and supporting one another in the process. We will be guided by the following questions:

1. What is mental health?
2. How can we assess our own mental health?
3. What is anxiety?
4. What is depression?
5. How can we support our friends who are dealing with anxiety and depression?
6. What do we need to do to break the stigma around mental health issues?
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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Women in S.T.E.A.M.

Bahamian women are succeeding in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (S.T.E.A.M.), defying traditional expectations about gender and careers. Nonetheless, Bahamian women and girls still face many barriers to entry, including limited exposure to S.T.E.A.M. subjects and opportunities. Through discussion of the issues, we hope to clarify avenues for change:

Who and where are Bahamian women in S.T.E.A.M.?
What are the challenges facing women in S.T.E.A.M. in The Bahamas of 2019?
What opportunities exist for women and girls interested in pursuing careers in S.T.E.A.M.?
What do we need from our institutions to support women in S.T.E.A.M.?
What can we do to increase girls’ awareness of the possibilities with S.T.E.A.M.?
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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Combatting Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is on the spectrum of sexual violence which includes rape, and when it becomes a norm, the cycle of gender-based violence is allowed to continue. Women often experience sexual harassment on a daily basis, and from a young age. During 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, Equality Bahamas invites The Bahamas to focus on sexual harassment as an element of rape culture, reject the idea that it is Bahamian culture, and co-create systems and actions to end it. On Wednesday, December 5th, we’re coming together to discuss:
What is sexual harassment?
Where does sexual harassment take place most often?
How can we respond to street harassment, as people experiencing it and as bystanders?
What legal protections are available to women who have experienced harassment or assault?
What do we need from our institutions to combat sexual harassment?
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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

World AIDS Day Twitter Chat with SRHR Adventures

We’re looking forward to chatting with SRHR Adventures with Dr.Pat on Twitter, December 1st at 10am (11am in Guyana). We’re talking about #SexEd programs, condom availability and use, safe sex practices for people of all genders and sexual orientations, and getting zero.

Women’s Wednesdays: Women in Leadership

More Bahamian women have been assuming leadership positions in the past few years, going beyond traditional expectations and limitations. It must be acknowledged that there are still many barriers facing women leaders today, and this raises questions for us as women leaders and the women they represent.

What does it mean, in The Bahamas of 2018, to lead?
What are the differences between leadership, management, and representation? When do we need each?
What are the tools for effective leadership, especially in the face of challenges?
How can we bridge the gender gap in Parliament?
How can we balance work with self-care?
What do we need from our women leaders, and what do they need from us, in order to build the world we want?
How can we support each other more as women?
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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.
Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Women in Bahamian History

Knowledge about the past is key to understanding where we are now and why. We need this information to create the feminist world/ future we need. What work have Bahamian women already done, and how did they do it? Is it included in the written accounts of history? What can we learn from the work of Bahamian women in the past? How do we ensure that the work we are doing now is recorded and shared for the benefit of those who come after us? We will be joined by local historians and storytellers who will add their thoughts to the discussion. See you there!
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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Women’s Rights and LGBT+ Rights

The Referendum of 2016 proposed four constitutional Bills. Bill #4 sought to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, which could have paved the way for improved legal rights for the LGBT+ community. The bill incited highly publicized displays of homophobia. There were voters who considered themselves in favor of women’s rights, but against Bill 4.

These events raise important questions:
-What are the intersections between women’s rights and LGBT+ rights?
-What are the institutional and cultural barriers to achieving equal rights for LGBT+ Bahamians?
-What can we learn from regional LGBT+ movements in the Caribbean?
-What does it mean to be an effective ally to the LGBT+ community?

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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Changing the Way We Talk About Sex

Events
From proposals to sterilize women on the election campaign stage to public shaming of young black women on the frontlines of white-owned businesses, sexuality and the right to bear children are under attack. The rules seem to be different for women — black women, poor women, unmarried women. We need time and space to talk about the “issues” raised, largely by men, where our bodies are concerned. Join us for a conversation about sex. Who gets to have it? With whom? For what purpose? What policies, systems, and services exist to support our choices? What do we need to create for ourselves?

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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.

Women’s Wednesdays: Self-Care Workshop

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a great time to talk about self-care. We hear it all the time. “Please put on your oxygen mask before assisting others.” We really do need to prioritize ourselves, and that means forming new habits. How much time do we spend taking care of other people? Compare that with the time we spend taking care of ourselves. What is the difference, and why does it exist? We’re busy, people depend on us, and there is only so much time in the day, but we can’t pour from an empty cup.

Join us for a conversation about self-care, and work with us to develop strategies for effective, intentional self-care that is part of our daily routines. How do we talk to and about ourselves? How do we recognize when we need help, and who do we ask for it? How does the way we treat ourselves compare with the way we treat other people we love? How do we engage our family members and friends in these conversations? How can we talk about it at work? In this workshop, we will each have time for self-reflection to assess where we are now, hear from Carla Moore of MooreTalkJa about her own experiences and her self-care-themed videos and writing, brainstorm self-care methods that fit our lives, and commit to a personalized self-care plan.

During our time together, we’ll consider:
– What is self-care? Why is it necessary?
– What does self-care look like?
– What techniques and practices can we use to meet the specific needs of the mind, body, and soul?
– How can we support one another in our self-care journeys?
– How can we take care of ourselves without spending a lot of money?
– What opportunities exist for us to make self-care an ongoing conversation and supported practice in our homes, offices, schools, clubs, places of worship, and other communities?

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Women’s Wednesdays was founded by Equality Bahamas as a response to community members’ requests for a space to access resources, experts, and practitioners, share knowledge, and engage in conversation with one another. Officially started in May 2017, Women’s Wednesdays highlights Bahamian women and our experiences in The Bahamas, specific to our identities including gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. Held once per month at minimum, the events draw women together to have conversations that bring our individual lives into focus while connecting to family, community, and national narratives.

#WW242 intentionally centers and prioritizes women and girls, and is open to the public through in-person events, livestreams, and social media activity. With the support of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, we create a safe space for knowledge-building, idea-sharing, critical dialogue, and movement-building.

Inspired by Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays, there is now a similar initiative in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean are expected to follow.