Category: women

A book. A community. The sense of belonging.

301 words by Daniela Felletti

Why do I feel often judged or guilty? How should I behave to be respected? Why can’t they see my added values?
If you are a woman or part of any underrepresented group, I have a feeling you will connect to this constant self-questioning…
For 31 years of my life, I found myself living these conflicts and barriers that I couldn’t understand why they existed.
I was living in Madrid when I suffered a mobbing from a company for the first time in my life and I think that was the moment of my lowest self-esteem. At this point, I was desperate to find inspiration … continue

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RESERVE ME-TIME. STAY BALANCED.

301 words by Valerie Speth

It’s Monday 2pm, May 11th, 2020.
Blood all over me. My son’s blood. I hurry into the elevator while ordering Grab, the Uber of Singapore.
Destination: next hospital. I haven’t showered yet. The “community stay home order” allows you to focus on work, not beauty.
My two-year-old has fallen on the chin. I can literally see the bone and I am more than confident he’ll need stitches. In the cab, my phone rings. I decline. It’s my next business call to discuss urgent office
topics. My son stares at me, “aua”.
“Sweety, don’t worry. All will be fine.”
Emergency room check-in requires four COVID registration … continue

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HOW I BECAME MY OWN VERSION OF POWERFUL

301 words by Aleks Sztemberg

I always thought that to be powerful meant to be tough “like a man.” Speak with dominant language, a loud voice, and get openly angry when I don’t agree with something. 

When I realized that I am not advancing upwards in my career – only sideways – I looked into the experiences of my male colleagues along the way. I wondered how one becomes a C-level executive with less experience or knowledge than I have had?

In my last role, I started acting and communicating “like a man.” I was direct and not afraid to speak my mind. I was very open about my professional … continue

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Embracing my new Self

301 words by Garance Moulin

I was on track. After a business school diploma, I started my professional life as a financial controller. As I juggled my career and my family, I worked my way up to financial director. I wanted responsibilities and to enjoy my work.
I was the Program Director of a big IT project. More than 100 people. Millions of euros. I was dedicated and not sparing my efforts to make it work. My team was strongly relying on me to lead the way, make decisions, and give them motivation. I was working with the company employees, turning reluctancy into enthusiasm. And at home, I was raising … continue

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AM I GOOD ENOUGH?

301 words by Scarlett Fajardo

I’m passionate about making a positive impact and enjoy the professional success I’ve achieved so far. Nevertheless, I have often asked myself “Am I good enough?“.
After every promotion, I worried that I might fail and felt the need to prove that I deserved it.
When I talk with friends about this, I realize that many others – especially women – experience the same self-doubt. Why is it that even successful women – women I admire – feel this nagging doubt?
Maybe it is the perceived assumption that we were chosen to fulfill a quota. I often feel that society expects more of women. This … continue

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DAY ONE

301 words by Maria-Christina Tsitsopoulos

May 22nd 2019, the first day in my new job. My dream job. A job I wished for since I was a young girl. A job I had no idea how it would really be. Would it fulfil my expectations? Was I going to be any good at it? A job I couldn’t quite believe I had landed in the moment that I did. Now those first days blur into one. The feelings of excitement and adrenaline that come with every new beginning. The feeling of anxiety; was I doing things right, was my employer going to like me. I still couldn’t believe the journey … continue

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3 – 0

301 words by Marie Demont

“Are you f*** out of your mind!?”. I paused. I thought. I responded “Ok! Let’s go”, to my now-husband when he suggested we travel to Mexico instead of me accepting the internship I had just received from Coca-Cola in Madrid. On the scoreboard: Guts 1 – Brain: 0. It became an enriching experience working for the UN, while exploring Latin America for the first time, learning Kick-boxing, and making lifelong friends.

Years later, after having my first child, I was ready to go back to work. A safe job where I had proven myself, in an industry I had worked in for 8 years and … continue

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TAKE OFF YOUR ARMOR AND THRIVE

301 words by Katarina Stoltz

As a teenager my strongest belief was “life is a struggle” and I was miserable. I hustled for worthiness by getting good looking guys to like me. I toughened up on the outside, grew weaker on the inside and exaggerated my alcohol consumption. By my late 20s I had armored up so badly that I lost touch with the happy girl I used to be.

Then, I got hired as a photographer by one of the world’s biggest news agencies. My ego was thrilled! A few years later, I was at the top of my career when I suddenly found myself on the bathroom floor in … continue

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Here is my SCREAM

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Even though my illness was discovered just in time, no words can describe the emotional, psychological, monetary, social, and physical challenges that the news brought me. I faced a very agonizing process overcoming it, and a difficult post-surgery recovery. I became a very dark person and from this experience, I became somewhat of a hermit.
I used writing to journal about my fears, doubts, angers, and stresses to alleviate my pain. One day I was reading through my notes, and I realized the power of my own writing. I had finally discovered my inner voice. I thought that if journaling … continue

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Sister to Sister

I was born and lived my early years in a rural set up before moving to the city. I was lucky enough to study and work. Most of my classmates dropped out of school, got married and never had a real chance to reach their potential. Some of them, like my cousin who was more like a twin sister to me, were succumbing due to reproductive health and rights gaps that women from low-income families have. 
People talk a lot about The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) these days, which shall provide a better life to everyone. But they don’t mean the same thing for everyone. When we talk about the … continue

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