#WomensLives - Because Women’s Lives Are Newsworthy

I was recently invited to participate in a new media partnership between Public Radio International (PRI) and SheKnows Media called #WomensLives. This campaign is geared towards educating everyone about women’s lives today and giving a voice to women everywhere. I am very honored to have been selected, and yet I was also surprised to receive the email from the CEO of BlogHer inviting me to join this campaign.

After all, what is it that I am able to contribute? As a writer, as a woman, as a mother, as a teacher – what can I do to help give women everywhere a voice?

I really thought about this. How will I make a difference?

My life is crazy busy with a career as a teacher, wife, mother to six, triathlon training, fundraising for LLS, dogs, cat, aging parents – believe me, I know how thin I am stretched. So what compels me to sit and furiously tap away at this keyboard? I am a blogger that writes about how to create a beautiful life for yourself. But really, this blog is so much more – to me it is really about finding your power. Creating the life you want for yourself. What does that look like to you? A secure well-paid job? Access to good health care? A roof over your head? To be connected to others? The opportunity to continue learning?

When I write, I try to find the words to inspire my readers. But in order to create your own beautiful life, you need to have a voice. You need to have personal power over your decisions. In this arena I feel lucky. As a middle-class white American woman I am afforded more opportunities than some women in this world. So yes, I will use my voice to write on my blog and share the writing of others to help bring about an awareness, a spotlight of sorts, on so many issues that affect the women of today all around the world.

As part of #WomensLives I will help to tell stories about women’s rights and issues concerning health, education, wealth, economic development and combating climate change. (Today, only about 24% of all news subjects talk about women in any way, and only six percent of news stories highlight gender in/equality.) #WomensLives is an in-depth series by PRI that will reveal the strong connection between the empowerment of women and girls, and economic development and improved health around the world.

So stick around, share your thoughts with me – this can be an incredible conversation. If you don’t already follow me on my FaceBook Fan page or Twitter, please do – much of this conversation and sharing of others writings will be posted there.

Let’s work together to change the conversations in news media. #WomensLives – Because Women’s Lives Are Newsworthy