“There are chapters in every life which are seldom read, and certainly not aloud.”

So wrote Carol Shields in her award-winning novel, The Stone Diaries. And like many great authors, she was right in more ways than one. Specifically, the “seldom read” chapters are often those written by women. Throughout her long and lauded career, Shields had an unmatched commitment to highlighting the voices and work of women writers. In her memory the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction has been created to acknowledge, celebrate and promote women writers from America and Canada 

Author’s Note: Many disabled people choose to use identity-first language (“disabled people”). In contrast, others prefer person-first language (“person with a disability.”). This blog post mostly uses identity-first language. However, it is a personal decision, and I wish to stress the importance of respecting the individual choices of people with disabilities. Thank you.

Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

Dear Friends,

It’s Black History Month! Lets celebrate our nation’s history and heroes by taking a look at political achievements Black women have accomplished within the year. Black women have scored landmark achievements this year and it is important that these women get the coverage they deserve.

I used to give up wine or cocktails, and when I was younger, chocolate. With everything going on in our world, giving up alcohol or sweets seems so 2019. Last year in 2020 — and again this year — I am giving up the patriarchy for Lent.

Natalia Tu is a research intern at RepresentWomen and a current senior at Carleton College majoring in Sociology and Anthropology. Her passion for women’s rights and representation drew her to RepresentWomen, and she is excited to focus her research efforts on gender parity in government on an international-level, specifically in East and Southeast Asian countries. In addition to her research interests, Natalia enjoys hiking and listening to true crime podcasts!

Molly Taylor, a rising freshman at Princeton University, is elated to serve as a communications intern at RepresentWomen. Interested in public policy and journalism, she looks forward to promoting RepresentWomen’s research and democracy reforms that will help the U.S. achieve gender parity. In her free time, Molly enjoys discovering new podcasts and playing in the snow with her black lab.

Meaghan Shea is an outreach and advocacy intern for RepresentWomen and a current junior at Marist College studying political science and philosophy. She is a quadruplet, born in New York City and raised in Warwick, New York, with her three brothers. Meaghan intends to graduate from Marist early and move to DC as soon as possible. She may not have a linear career path in mind but is passionate about advocacy and reform to ensure that our government is best equipped to be the most representative of its people.