Women 2 Be // Program lead by Mary Flannery
For over nine years, I have had the privilege of leading a group for teen girls called Women 2 Be. Young women know that being a member of this group means the opportunity to become a vital part of a long- standing tradition at RAW. I watch with pride as young women of all shapes and colors step up to help each other through the ever-changing emotional landscape that affects their lives.
Our weekly group begins with snuggling on the couches, eating yummy food and then we "check-in." Check in is where each member writes on a rock one word that best describes her day, and then goes on to share the details behind the word with the rest of the group. I know that for many, this is the first time that they learn the value of listening with respect and empathy. This creates a feeling of safety and trust that enables them to immerse into their art-making with a new-found honesty. Untold stories that previously have gone unheard are revealed in this process, and the young women allow themselves and each other to let go of the hard stuff so they can move on. I am forever reminded it takes a tremendous amount of courage to venture out to the thin end of the limb and they do!
With each week I see their growing commitment to each other, belief in their ability to make good choices, and a willingness to own their destiny, they begin to find a collective voice that says, “I can, we can!” In the end of the year, I am in awe as each amazingly profound and passionate young woman will talk with such clarity about how "she" been a vital part of Women 2 Be and leaves knowing she is capable of recreating this kind of connection with other women throughout her entire life.
I try to remind them there is the word "good" in "good bye" because almost our entire group went on to college this fall after being together since their freshman year of high school. The "good" is that they continue to stay in touch (Facebook does have its merits!).
In May 2010 RAW mounted a new exhibit entitled Let’s Face It. Our young women were given the task of responding to the question, “What challenges do you all face as a group of young women right now?” Their collective response was strong. “We are tired of being seen as objects, sexual objects.”
They designed a visual concept, My Eyes Are Up Here! The description they collectively created which hangs by their artworks reads:
“We are sick and tired of being seen as objects. Objects of lust and not of love. We need to be seen, heard, and understood as vital and strong women who care deeply for those we trust. It is time for us, our sisters, our mothers, and our future daughters to be looked at straight in the eye to discover the core of our being.”
Enclosed in their pieces Women 2 Be artists created small cards with personal messages for people to take away and pass along to someone who needs to be reminded of how women want to be treated.