Written by: Adriana Leigh, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As we enter Women’s History month, I reflect how women are often faced to hide or choose between different parts of ourselves, for our own safety, employment or to remain accepted by our communities or families.
Women are explicitly/implicitly often told what roles to play to be a “good” daughter, mother, wife, employee etc. We are sent messages on how to behave and what parts of ourselves are “acceptable” to fit into a pre-determined norm. We are sold mixed messages by media ‒ “stay quiet”, but yet “speak up!” “Don’t get too thin, but don’t get too fat!”
In our own communities, we may be encouraged to identify with one part of ourselves over another. I heard from a brilliant, inspiring speaker at my Synagogue recently, a black Jewish woman who refused to be pulled to identify as only black, only Jewish, or only a woman; these were all parts of her experience.
Many of us face these stereotypes and biases in our personal and professional lives that put us in “boxes”. Studies show that there is a significant emotional tax on women of colour in workplaces, forced to guard for acts of discrimination and bias. See Emotional Tax: Catalyst Research Series on the emotional tax levied on Asian, Black, Latinx, and multiracial employees. This leads to physical and mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.
The World Health Organization notes that socially determined gender norms, roles, and responsibilities place women, far more frequently than men, in situations where they have little control over important decisions concerning their lives, leading to mental health issues. Gender-based differences have been shown in studies to contribute to the higher prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in girls and women than in boys and men…for example, lower self-esteem of teenage girls and their anxiety over their body-image is known to result in a higher prevalence of depression and eating disorders. See: Gender and Mental Health and Gender and Health.
This year, I am running a campaign to showcase a series of women changemakers entitled "Don't make me choose between different parts of myself.” This campaign advocates for women to reclaim their narrative and proudly share the different parts of themselves.
Through this campaign, we will showcase women changemakers in all their wholeness from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria.
These women will share pictures of themselves in moments that capture them as their authentic selves, along with a write up that shows the different parts of themselves, reclaiming their narrative, free of bias and discrimination.
I am attaching the picture of myself for the campaign as a sneak peek of what I will be sharing.
Through this campaign, we are also calling attention to intersectionality – how multiple forms of inequality compound to create obstacles that often are not understood within “conventional ways of thinking about anti-racism or feminism or other social justice structures.” See: What is Intersectionality: Kimberlé Crenshaw
Starting March 8, follow the “Don’t Make Me Choose!” campaign on ALG Consulting on Linked in and Instagram!
Support and share widely with your networks using hashtags don't make me choose and break the bias!!
Other women are invited to write and share their own “don’t make me choose” stories.
During this Women’s History Month, remember ladies, you never have to choose between the different parts of yourself; you write your own story!
Adriana Leigh, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Adriana Leigh is a Canadian self-described "recovering lawyer" turned global gender consultant, facilitator and trainer, writer and speaker, She builds safer, gender-equitable, caring, and inclusive workplaces and organizations, free of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
She brings a much-needed human and heart-centred, rather than a merely compliance-centred approach to these issues, combined with her legal and subject matter expertise and background in human rights education.
Adriana delivers global workshops, sexual harassment and violence policy and reporting processes development, implementation coaching to managers and human resources and thought leadership. She works cross-sector with UN agencies building the capacity of partner organizations, international human rights organizations, in addition to private sector clients and universities.
Her work has been showcased by Charity Village, Medium, UN Women, Sexual Violence Research Initiative, Mtavari Channel, Brainz Magazine and World Pulse, among others.
She is the recipient of a World Pulse Spirit Award in the Champion category, and was featured by World Pulse in the article: “Her Story Makes History: 21 Women Leaders to Watch in 2021” in the company of a group of 21 changemakers from 13 different countries who are connecting online to power change on the ground.
