the concept of women’s rights is not new but for me it was not until last year
but for me it was not until last year
but for me it was not until last year that I began to realize how disparity
that I began to realize how disparity
that I began to realize how disparity between the sexes in our culture
between the sexes in our culture
between the sexes in our culture negatively impacted my quality of life I
negatively impacted my quality of life I
negatively impacted my quality of life I realized that I could not recall a time
realized that I could not recall a time
realized that I could not recall a time when I had felt as though I’d lived
when I had felt as though I’d lived
when I had felt as though I’d lived without an understanding that I could be
without an understanding that I could be
without an understanding that I could be the subject of oppressive behavior
the subject of oppressive behavior
the subject of oppressive behavior because of my gender and honestly the
because of my gender and honestly the
because of my gender and honestly the realization was shocking to me I had
realization was shocking to me I had
realization was shocking to me I had considered myself to be a strong and
considered myself to be a strong and
considered myself to be a strong and independent woman from a long line of
independent woman from a long line of
independent woman from a long line of strong independent women my
strong independent women my
strong independent women my great-grandmother was a suffragette my
great-grandmother was a suffragette my
great-grandmother was a suffragette my grandparents divorced in the late 50s
grandparents divorced in the late 50s
grandparents divorced in the late 50s and my grandmother went on to become an
and my grandmother went on to become an
and my grandmother went on to become an accomplished marketer I was raised by a
accomplished marketer I was raised by a
accomplished marketer I was raised by a single mother I myself am a veteran how
single mother I myself am a veteran how
single mother I myself am a veteran how could I have not had a voice when it
could I have not had a voice when it
could I have not had a voice when it mattered and how could I now honor what
mattered and how could I now honor what
mattered and how could I now honor what had been done before me to allow me to
had been done before me to allow me to
had been done before me to allow me to live as freely as I do as a woman today
live as freely as I do as a woman today
live as freely as I do as a woman today as I sorted through my life experiences
as I sorted through my life experiences
as I sorted through my life experiences I had two realizations I consistently
I had two realizations I consistently
I had two realizations I consistently had not had a voice against these
had not had a voice against these
had not had a voice against these oppressive behaviors when I should have
oppressive behaviors when I should have
oppressive behaviors when I should have so I should find my voice to begin
so I should find my voice to begin
so I should find my voice to begin creating change in my life and the lives
creating change in my life and the lives
creating change in my life and the lives around me and to have equal rights both
around me and to have equal rights both
around me and to have equal rights both women and men need to be treated with
women and men need to be treated with
women and men need to be treated with the same deference both sexes have their
the same deference both sexes have their
the same deference both sexes have their strengths and vulnerabilities physically
strengths and vulnerabilities physically
strengths and vulnerabilities physically but we are as a whole intellectually and
but we are as a whole intellectually and
but we are as a whole intellectually and emotionally equals and should be treated
emotionally equals and should be treated
emotionally equals and should be treated as such women should not be ignored or
as such women should not be ignored or
as such women should not be ignored or dismissed we should not have to stay
dismissed we should not have to stay
dismissed we should not have to stay quiet so as to not make waves woman’s
quiet so as to not make waves woman’s
quiet so as to not make waves woman’s ability to reproduce leaves us
ability to reproduce leaves us
ability to reproduce leaves us vulnerable in countless ways through our
vulnerable in countless ways through our
vulnerable in countless ways through our ability to have children through sexual
ability to have children through sexual
ability to have children through sexual advances pregnancy childbirth and the
advances pregnancy childbirth and the
advances pregnancy childbirth and the responsibilities of parenting but women
responsibilities of parenting but women
responsibilities of parenting but women are humans not objects although I had
are humans not objects although I had
are humans not objects although I had found my own voice and defined what
found my own voice and defined what
found my own voice and defined what equal rights meant to me I quickly
equal rights meant to me I quickly
equal rights meant to me I quickly identify challenges to creating
identify challenges to creating
identify challenges to creating meaningful change in the area of women’s
meaningful change in the area of women’s
meaningful change in the area of women’s rights the concept of when
rights the concept of when
rights the concept of when rights encompasses a diverse spectrum of
rights encompasses a diverse spectrum of
rights encompasses a diverse spectrum of issues with mostly polarized
issues with mostly polarized
issues with mostly polarized perspectives I have shared what women’s
perspectives I have shared what women’s
perspectives I have shared what women’s rights means to me
rights means to me
rights means to me but definitions of women’s rights are as
but definitions of women’s rights are as
but definitions of women’s rights are as diverse as we are individuals however
diverse as we are individuals however
diverse as we are individuals however our personal definitions are not the
our personal definitions are not the
our personal definitions are not the only hurdle as I do have deeper into the
only hurdle as I do have deeper into the
only hurdle as I do have deeper into the issue it became apparent that how an
issue it became apparent that how an
issue it became apparent that how an individual defines rights is critical to
individual defines rights is critical to
individual defines rights is critical to their perspective today my favorite
their perspective today my favorite
their perspective today my favorite definition of rights is found on
definition of rights is found on
definition of rights is found on Wikipedia citing Stanford encyclopedia
Wikipedia citing Stanford encyclopedia
Wikipedia citing Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy
of philosophy
of philosophy rights are legal social or ethical
rights are legal social or ethical
rights are legal social or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement
principles of freedom or entitlement
principles of freedom or entitlement that is rights are the fundamental
that is rights are the fundamental
that is rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of
normative rules about what is allowed of
normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to
people or owed to people according to
people or owed to people according to some legal system social convention or
some legal system social convention or
some legal system social convention or ethical theory legal social and ethical
ethical theory legal social and ethical
ethical theory legal social and ethical rights that is a lot it is no wonder
rights that is a lot it is no wonder
rights that is a lot it is no wonder issues of rights are so challenging to
issues of rights are so challenging to
issues of rights are so challenging to reconcile for me legal rights are the
reconcile for me legal rights are the
reconcile for me legal rights are the most easily defined of the three most
most easily defined of the three most
most easily defined of the three most easily understood and resolved ethical
easily understood and resolved ethical
easily understood and resolved ethical rights while less straightforward are
rights while less straightforward are
rights while less straightforward are relatively consistent from perspective
relatively consistent from perspective
relatively consistent from perspective to perspective in Western culture it is
to perspective in Western culture it is
to perspective in Western culture it is in social convention where I think
in social convention where I think
in social convention where I think things become very unclear and where
things become very unclear and where
things become very unclear and where most of the conflict arises social
most of the conflict arises social
most of the conflict arises social convention has a different standard from
convention has a different standard from
convention has a different standard from area to area and group to group but if
area to area and group to group but if
area to area and group to group but if an issue that needs to be resolved deals
an issue that needs to be resolved deals
an issue that needs to be resolved deals with social convention can we simply
with social convention can we simply
with social convention can we simply tell people that they need to change how
tell people that they need to change how
tell people that they need to change how do we approach that and then do we just
do we approach that and then do we just
do we approach that and then do we just wait for the change to happen based on
wait for the change to happen based on
wait for the change to happen based on my experience as a parent and in the
my experience as a parent and in the
my experience as a parent and in the field of conflict resolution I know that
field of conflict resolution I know that
field of conflict resolution I know that telling people what to do and how to do
telling people what to do and how to do
telling people what to do and how to do it is not the most effective way to
it is not the most effective way to
it is not the most effective way to manifest behavioral changes instead the
manifest behavioral changes instead the
manifest behavioral changes instead the best path forward would be to model the
best path forward would be to model the
best path forward would be to model the behavior that you would like to see but
behavior that you would like to see but
behavior that you would like to see but what to model and isn’t modeling
what to model and isn’t modeling
what to model and isn’t modeling behavior a lot easier said than done
behavior a lot easier said than done
behavior a lot easier said than done as I consider this challenge I realized
as I consider this challenge I realized
as I consider this challenge I realized that this Lu
that this Lu
that this Lu may be found in the conflict resolution
may be found in the conflict resolution
may be found in the conflict resolution principle that meaningful change cannot
principle that meaningful change cannot
principle that meaningful change cannot occur if any voice goes unheard if we
occur if any voice goes unheard if we
occur if any voice goes unheard if we all take the opportunity to listen share
all take the opportunity to listen share
all take the opportunity to listen share and discuss ideas to consider all
and discuss ideas to consider all
and discuss ideas to consider all perspectives we could make change happen
perspectives we could make change happen
perspectives we could make change happen if we begin to have those hard
if we begin to have those hard
if we begin to have those hard conversations and become solution as
conversations and become solution as
conversations and become solution as opposed to outcome oriented complex
opposed to outcome oriented complex
opposed to outcome oriented complex issues such as women’s rights can be
issues such as women’s rights can be
issues such as women’s rights can be resolved because to listen and to be
resolved because to listen and to be
resolved because to listen and to be heard are powerful tools in healing
heard are powerful tools in healing
heard are powerful tools in healing conflict it is through open dialogue
conflict it is through open dialogue
conflict it is through open dialogue that resolution can occur by sharing
that resolution can occur by sharing
that resolution can occur by sharing openly and seeking to understand
openly and seeking to understand
openly and seeking to understand seemingly incompatible differences
seemingly incompatible differences
seemingly incompatible differences become less conflicted as emotional ties
become less conflicted as emotional ties
become less conflicted as emotional ties to an outcome begin to relax I believe
to an outcome begin to relax I believe
to an outcome begin to relax I believe that we have come too far to settle for
that we have come too far to settle for
that we have come too far to settle for anything less than equal legal social
anything less than equal legal social
anything less than equal legal social and ethical rights almost exactly a year
and ethical rights almost exactly a year
and ethical rights almost exactly a year ago on Veterans Day in 2016 I decided to
ago on Veterans Day in 2016 I decided to
ago on Veterans Day in 2016 I decided to use my voice through art as a way of
use my voice through art as a way of
use my voice through art as a way of reaching a larger group than I could
reaching a larger group than I could
reaching a larger group than I could enter personally the conceptual art
enter personally the conceptual art
enter personally the conceptual art project is entitled women rising now and
project is entitled women rising now and
project is entitled women rising now and is promised upon the idea that
is promised upon the idea that
is promised upon the idea that meaningful change cannot occur if any
meaningful change cannot occur if any
meaningful change cannot occur if any voice goes unheard it is collaborative
voice goes unheard it is collaborative
voice goes unheard it is collaborative nonpartisan and a response to the social
nonpartisan and a response to the social
nonpartisan and a response to the social divides that impact the rights of women
divides that impact the rights of women
divides that impact the rights of women the goal is to create an opportunity for
the goal is to create an opportunity for
the goal is to create an opportunity for others to explore the complex issues of
others to explore the complex issues of
others to explore the complex issues of women’s rights and to consider how each
women’s rights and to consider how each
women’s rights and to consider how each could be addressed and resolved because
could be addressed and resolved because
could be addressed and resolved because the concept of women’s rights is not new
the concept of women’s rights is not new
the concept of women’s rights is not new and although women and men have
and although women and men have
and although women and men have different strengths and vulnerabilities
different strengths and vulnerabilities
different strengths and vulnerabilities physically we are as a whole
physically we are as a whole
physically we are as a whole intellectually and emotionally equals
intellectually and emotionally equals
intellectually and emotionally equals and should be treated as such we all
and should be treated as such we all
and should be treated as such we all have a responsibility to listen have a
have a responsibility to listen have a
have a responsibility to listen have a voice and to challenge ourselves and
voice and to challenge ourselves and
voice and to challenge ourselves and others to begin to think differently
others to begin to think differently
others to begin to think differently when wanting to create change on areas
when wanting to create change on areas
when wanting to create change on areas that are is conflicted and complex as
that are is conflicted and complex as
that are is conflicted and complex as women’s rights
women’s rights
women’s rights how does disparity between the sexes
how does disparity between the sexes
how does disparity between the sexes impact your quality of life can you
impact your quality of life can you
impact your quality of life can you create meaningful change for the rights
create meaningful change for the rights
create meaningful change for the rights of women through dialogue as you leave
of women through dialogue as you leave
of women through dialogue as you leave here today consider your experiences go
here today consider your experiences go
here today consider your experiences go out and have those hard conversations to
out and have those hard conversations to
out and have those hard conversations to learn what others think and why find
learn what others think and why find
learn what others think and why find opportunities to have a voice without
opportunities to have a voice without
opportunities to have a voice without promoting a specific agenda ask
promoting a specific agenda ask
promoting a specific agenda ask questions listen seek to understand and
questions listen seek to understand and
questions listen seek to understand and share respectfully or maybe it is not a
share respectfully or maybe it is not a
share respectfully or maybe it is not a conversation in the traditional sense
conversation in the traditional sense
conversation in the traditional sense like my art project
like my art project
like my art project how can you stimulate dialogue and
how can you stimulate dialogue and
how can you stimulate dialogue and therefore promote meaningful change for
therefore promote meaningful change for
therefore promote meaningful change for the rights of women with your voice
”
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