Today, Maria Shriver together with her husband Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger gather more than 150 inspiring speakers from Deepak Chopra to
Mary J. Blige to educate and empower women to be “architects of change.” The
list of people involved is truly breathtaking. The experts will discuss women’s
health, how to lead, how to negotiate, how to find your voice, and even how to
better your love life.
And guess what? Just because you missed the conference
doesn’t mean you can’t gain the knowledge and inspiration. Watch a live stream
of the conference here today and tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are 10 ways you can be an architect of change according to The Women’s Conference:
1. Find your own unique voice and listen to what it’s saying.
2. Empower a young woman. Become a mentor by connecting with a young woman in your workplace, neighborhood or place of worship. Find small ways to reach out, listen and support her.
3. Act locally to make a difference globally. Make informed choices about what you buy and consume, as well as how you dispose of items. Reduce your carbon footprint, use energy and water responsibly and green your life.
4. Advocate for a cause that you care deeply about. Your time and expertise could help make a difference as a volunteer, counselor or board member.
5. Invest in women entrepreneurs. Join Team Maria in the WE Invest/Kiva partnership to give women the tools to start or expand their own businesses. For as little as $25, you can “Become a lender. Change a life.”
6. Speak up & ask for what you need. If you need to take time off of your job to care for a child or parent, ask for it. Families need more flexible work schedules, better child care policies and changes in family and medical leave. We need to use our voices collectively to improve workplace policies.
7. Engage your children in the world. As a mother, get your children involved at a young age in seeing the world through the eyes of others, respecting diversity, developing empathy and understanding the gift of giving back.
8. Donate to nonprofits that help women. Instead of purchasing a birthday, anniversary or holiday gift for family, friends and colleagues, make a donation in someone’s name to a nonprofit that works on improving the lives of women and girls.
9. Be an informed citizen. Educate yourself about the world you live in, share your knowledge, educate others and ignite a conversation.
10. Invite 10 of your friends to join The Women’s Conference online community atWWW.WOMENSCONFERENCE.ORG — The Home for Architects of Change.
