"I have a twin brother and grew up in a Cuban family that was very old school and traditional and quite a bit machista. Having this person that was the same age - the same everything made me aware when my brother got more liberties than I did. And at a young age I would tell my parents that it wasn't fair and they acknowledged what I was saying- and it changed them. There was no room for argument because we were twins. That shaped me. I was able to to stand up for myself in a very concrete way." - Cristina Tamayo works for parallel18 and is pregnant. She is expecting a girl.
Margie Alley
"In 1974 I wasn't allowed to be in or even try out for Little League. There were four of us girls who fought to change the rule and we won. It became a big deal. The headline in the newspaper read, "Girls make History/Herstory". All four us tried out and made the league. They put each of us on different teams though. Our teammates were very respectful, they knew we were good players. The boys from the other teams who didn't have girls on their team made fun of us." - Margie Alley
Dianthe Johnson
"I told myself if I didn't have a baby by the time I was 25, I wasn't gonna have one. I wanted to have a baby, raise her and still be able to be young and live my life. I raised my baby. I'm still young, I move around and I enjoy life." - Dianthe Johnson works in the construction field and is also a Lyft driver in New Orleans.
Kym McNicholas
Big News: Amazonweb collaborated with Me&EVE at the Girlsintech conference this year. And, for the next 5 days I will be sharing what we produced. Thank you again Amazonweb for helping me give women an opportunity to be seen and heard.
“I would tell my younger self not to let what she doesn’t know or has never done before get in the way of her dreams. If you have drive and perseverance, you can do and learn anything.” –Kym McNicholas, “Extreme Tech Challenge" Competition Director
April Greene
"My father was one of six boys. His mother kept having children because she wanted to have a girl, but she never did. Instead she dressed my father like a girl until he was 5 or 6 years old. Not sure if this is why he was so gentle. My mother was the more hand's on, no nonsense parent - she worked hard and I don't think she ever had a manicure in her life. I was less receptive to the idea of sexism and it wasn't until recently when a female friend, who is a welder, was telling me about how her boss was always trying to get her to smile or laugh at his stupid jokes to gain her approval. She just wanted to get her work done and didn't think it was her job to make the boss feel good or laugh at his jokes. I had a boss once who used to pass by my desk and tell us to smile - it was annoying." - April Greene is a writes about workplace strategy for PlastArc.
Arianna O'Hara
"I wish I could have voted. If younger people could have voted the outcome would have been different. In my High School we had a mock trial and Hillary won. Our generation is next to vote and we have hope. After the next four or eight years we will have a chance to change and fix things. We are more progressive and we are more hopeful." - Arianna O'Hara
Kayla Gerdes
"People don't see prison as a woman's issue. They also don't see the oppression that women experience in prison and that women experience as leaders of criminal justice reform. I was in prison from 18-23 years of age. If I hadn't had this experience I may not have found my strength. I don't regret going to prison, because of prison I am going to change the world." - Kayla Gerdes is an advocate with LifetoLife LLC and a council member of the National Council For Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Kayla is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
Dianne Berkun Menaker
"As an educator it sometimes disturbs me because there is an assumption that women should be teachers because we are nurturing. I maintain high expectations, I set a standard for my students and I have a real skill and talent in what I do. I believe that girls and women need to feel purposeful. What I teach them here will grow with them, they develop their talent, their minds and they understand their value as a human being. If the focus for young women is about being beautiful - then all they have is a declining asset. Music and singing is about your unique voice - and really it is all about having a voice that matters. Some girls arrive in the program they don't value themselves, they are basically apologizing for the floorspace they take up in the room. And over time, I see them see themselves as being of value." - Dianne Berkun Menaker is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.
Xiao Jing Xu
Jing and her husband have owned Crystal Cleaners and Laundromat on East 20th Street for eight years. "Because I am a woman I am very luck to have babies. I have two happy and smart daughters," said Jing. "I think maybe in the work world and at school it may be easier to be a woman, but at home it is harder. We have to take care of the home, the food, the children," she said. For Jing it doesn't matter that she didn't have any sons. "In Chinese culture having boys is more celebrated. I am happy that I have two girls but maybe for my family, they would have been happier if I had a son," she said.