Chesco residents gathered to discuss female-led cultural movement

The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls hosted a panel discussion in our WomenTalk series on the cultural and political shifts happening in Chester County, with women at the helm of the movement. Sixty women and men from all over the county gathered at “Women on the Rise: Stories from a Movement” on Jan. 24 to reflect on ways to engage with issues affecting our communities. The full discussion was streamed through Facebook Live and is available on the organization’s Facebook page.

Facilitator Nia Meeks, communications leader and principal at bgConnex, was joined by panelists Patricia Maisano, Chester County Treasurer; Jasmine Sessoms, founder of the nonpartisan organization She Can Win; and Kate Young, for a discussion on coming together as fellow humans, despite political affiliation, to find common ground. The group also reflected on the power of female mentorship, knowing one’s worth and being prepared to advocate for oneself in a professional or personal setting, and remaining hopeful about the political change process by looking to examples of candidates winning (or losing) a race by only a few deciding votes.

As midterm elections approach, the panelists also urged attendees to support female candidates whose beliefs resonate with them — or even to run for office themselves.

One attendee, Amber Little-Turner, is taking that last message to heart. The lifelong Coatesville resident and mother of four is running for state representative in the 74th Legislative District.

“I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the panel of women speak. One takeaway for me is that women’s issues are not a partisan issue. We need to find qualified candidates and elect more women,” she said.

The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls is a grantmaking and education foundation that addresses needs of women and girls in the county. For 20 years, CCFWG has raised awareness and awarded nearly $3 million to 71 non-profit organizations. To learn more, visit www.ccfwg.org.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The audience listens to conference panelists.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Panelists (from left to right) Jasmine Sessoms, Patricia Maisano and Kate Young were joined by moderator Nia Meeks for a discussion on the power of female representation and engagement.