Garden Party, 6/25/11

Small Group Responses to the Question:

How Can We Help Women in Minnesota Thrive?

• Pray for each other and be each others’ accountability partners
• Don’t think of another woman’s talents or success as a threat, but rejoice and support them
• Actively sponsor women
• Take time to be in deep heart to heart dialogue together
• “Just ask for it” – speak up for what you want and tell the world about your success
• Stand up, take credit for what you’ve done so that young women see they can have a voice and be successful and don’t have to downplay their success for the sake of men’s egos.
• Barriers to women’s success: self confidence, love, being real
• Voice your concerns
• Keep it real, keep it simple
• Plan and stick with it
• Be visible and present, be a resource to others
• Helping each other, giving advice, being a good role model, trying to inspire people, caring for other people
• Young women need to be comfortable with yourselves
• Diversity, confidence, education, one by one
• Actions: have a daily mantra, mentoring, personal responsibility
• Involve high schoolers in social justice
• Support and appreciate each other
• Positive mental self-talk, give yourself permission
• Build more means to allow all women to earn a higher education
• Teaching, education, economic empowerment
• Everyone can benefit – focus on abundance
• Barriers: communication, discrimination in work force, confidence in young women
• More inclusion of diversity, more diverse education
• Step up to your beliefs, work to find a solution
• Be a good role model when friends are making bad decisions
• Share with friends examples of positive behavior, not following but being a leader
• We look at flaws rather than achievements and are hard on ourselves. We put others first. Take time to reflect on achievements rather than flaws.
• We are ashamed to share and afraid of what others think. Open up a sense of safety. Be confident with your story.
• Action: never give up, ask for help, be who you are, never doubt yourself, be strong and courageous
• Listen to each other and allow them to SPEAK their TRUTH!
• Having more visibility at the middle school, high school, college, city, state – nation-wide – to give women an opportunity to thrive
• Hang around with positive people, help young people a lot earlier to know themselves
• How can we help find meaningful opportunities for stay at home moms to earn money and stay engaged professionally?