Women’s Empowerment on Rosa Parks Day

Among the countless legacies in our U.S. history, Rosa Parks is one that helped with the advancement of the civil rights movement—and in such a simple way by refusing to give up a seat on a bus. This and so many other acts of courage (more like requests for humanity) have inspired generations to continue to stand up, or sit down in Park’s case, for racial equality, political freedoms, and one of our favorites, women’s empowerment. To commemorate her efforts and activism, we dedicate December 1 as Rosa Parks Day; the day in which she was arrested and set yet another stake in the ground for societal change 63 years ago.

Many women came forward with Rosa and demanded equal rights for voting, job and pay opportunities, and education. Over time, women have been able to provide for their families and contribute to the household. It has been known that empowered women positively affect the families, communities, and the economy. In fact, females reinvest 90% of their income back into their families and communities, compared to only 30-40% for males. And when children are given more chances to stay in school, get involved in extracurricular activities, and even have a good meal on the table, they are more likely to add further value to the families and communities in turn.

In a recent groundbreaking book called “Equality for Women = Prosperity for All,” research shows that gender inequalities are a significant driving force that leads to the high volatility we currently experience throughout every single level of society within all economies and cultures of our world. For many women, fewer jobs are available, or much lower pay, limited education, etc., which then adds to the struggling economy. The book goes on to detail the many differences across the globe and how some countries are working to keep women involved to force changes to the disparities and promote overall growth.

It is refreshing to see more women involved in government and politics, sitting in C-level positions, influencing the masses on social media, and our own women of Televerde that continue to fight every day to be heard. Our new Chief Responsibility Officer Michelle Cirocco declared her vision for the company as a collaborative effort with the leading members of the community to provide a holistic and strategic approach to help others to transform their lives for their families. By focusing on this, women will have more support once released from prison to build stronger relationships with their family and contribute to society.

Rosa taught us so much from her arrest and how her exhaustion from enduring the same discrimination and racism every day could no longer be tolerated. And she didn’t stop there. She fostered this initial wave of racial contention to transform into the overarching theme of basic human rights. Her lifetime involvement in the many activist groups helped to bring these profound issues top-of-mind. And as we remain diligent in our endeavors, we thank Parks for leading the charge and passing the torch to revolutionize our lives for a better tomorrow.

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