genEquality Showcase: Writer's Workshop

genEquality is showcasing at the 2018 Speak Up, Rise Up storytelling festival!

The goal of the genEquality Showcase is to share the seemingly-small, but super-meaningful actions that people take in their daily lives in order to move the needle a little closer to gender equality. By sharing these anecdotes and stories, our storytellers provide inspiration for the rest of us as we collectively seek to create positive change.  

Both the genEquality Showcase and the Writer’s Workshop are for people from all walks of life. The Showcase will feature a diverse set of people, most of whom don’t engage in storytelling for a living. Whether you’re a public servant, a financial analyst, a programmer, an activist, an artist, a manager, or something in between – we believe that you have an inspiring story within you.  

If you're excited about the idea of sharing your story and inspiring others at the Speak Up Rise Up storytelling festival, then our workshop will be perfect for you. The focus of the Writer's Workshop is to help you identify, develop, and practice a short story about an action you’ve taken to create gender equality. You'll leave with a well-crafted story to share and use to inspire others to advance gender equality - at home, at work, and everywhere in between. 

Here’s a summary example of an action that was shared with us by a our team, that could be developed into an inspiring action anecdote:

>>A product manager at Google realized that he was unconsciously using male pronouns when writing product specifications (e.g. a user guide). Realizing that pronouns played a role in inclusion, he began using "she" and "they" in his product specifications in order to break gender stereotypes. His short story of action revolves around the moment he realized how a seemingly small change in language could have larger ramifications for inclusion and equality. Change starts small, and for the users of Google products, seeing is believing!<<

I'm sure there are folks in this community who are doing seemingly little things that add up to making the difference of change. It's important to share and highlight these actions, initiatives, and ideas.

We would love to have you join us in sharing and inspiring more of these seeming-small-but-super-meaningful actions. We’ve designed this creative writing workshop to help draw out your stories, develop them into a punchy anecdote, and help you prepare to share and inspire others. And, yes, lunch will be served!

Register for the Writer's Workshop here. If nothing else, you’ll leave with a well-crafted story and a plan to inspire others to take action as well. That said, we hope you’ll also take advantage of the opportunity to share your short story (less than 5 minutes) on stage at the Speak Up, Rise Up storytelling festival on August 10. It’s not mandatory, but it’s a great opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted to do in a non-judgmental space! We’ll be cheering for you and your positive action, no matter what.

Hope to see you at the Writer’s Workshop and at the genEquality Showcase! Please help us by sharing this event and inviting your friends!