There is much to celebrate this week.
On Sunday, Girls Scouts of the United States of America turned 111! Founded in Savannah, GA, with 18 girls, Girls Scouts of the United States of America has a membership and alumnae base of nearly 60 million!
I was a Brownie. How many of you were Girl Scouts?
As I listened to The Takeaway with Melissa Harris-Perry, I appreciated the conversation with Meridith Maskara about the business model of selling Girl Scout cookies. My Goddaughter, Shelby, is a Girl Scout, and like many, I eagerly await the email letting me know it is cookie season! Watching her mature from a shy girl pulling a cooler full of cookies to sell to participating in a video announcing it is Girl Scout Cookie season has brought me joy.
Alumnae of the Girl Scouts often report how being a Girl Scout increased their confidence. I encourage you to read the research produced by Girl Scout Research Institute.
An Oscar for Breaking Barriers
Girls can gain confidence by participating in programs like the Girls Scouts and seeing women who look like them break barriers.
The women who made history with 2023 Oscar wins will use the 24-karat gold-plated solid bronze statue to shatter glass ceilings and knock down barriers that impede the full participation of women and girls who see themselves in Michelle Yeoh (Malaysian), Ruth E. Carter (African American and a Hampton University (a historically Black university), or Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga (Indian).
And yet, as we celebrate the anniversary of the Girls Scouts and the history made at the 2023 Oscars, yesterday, 3/14, Pi Day, was also Equal Pay Day for Women.
Did You Notice the Irony?
2023 Equal Pay Day for Women fell on Pi Day, yet we do not have an equal share of the pie. If a man gets a whole pie, a woman receives a portion (See Figure 1). Gen Z has the smallest pay gap.
I’d also like to congratulate Erica Johnson, Chairperson of our Board, on the launch of her podcast, “The Me Bet.” Take a listen → https://anchor.fm/themebet.
Be Well,
