Words We Heard: ‘Her stance is one of determination, willing to take on the status quo’

What a week for women! International Women’s Day rocked the planet, with everyone from mom-and-pop shops to Wall Street to national news outlets taking notice. What did the movement mean to you? Drop us a note at womenofcincy@gmail.com.

  • “From cooking and cleaning, to fetching water and firewood or taking care of children and the elderly, women bear a disproportionate burden of unpaid work across the world. Unpaid work supports the economy and often fills in for lack of public expenditures on social services and infrastructure. In fact, unpaid care and domestic work is valued to be 10 and 39 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.” -UN Women’s “Facts you should know: Women in the changing word of work“
     
  • “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.” -Gloria Steinem, journalist/activist, on International Women’s Day’s website
     
  • “We’re marching because we need to have our voices heard. It feels like not a lot has changed in the last century, but as far as women’s rights go, we’re regressing. It’s very important to get out there and let people know that women’s rights are important.” -Evangeline Mezzanotte, in an interview with Women of Cincy at the Cincinnati Women’s March
     
  • “It was around the time when all these share models like Airbnb were getting popular, and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if everyone, no matter what your finances, could have access to really cool, high-quality toys by sharing them?’” -Julia Rose Fischer, on the idea for the new Play Library in Over-the-Rhine, 
     
  • “One of the most iconic images on Wall Street is the charging bull. So the idea of having a female sort of stand against the bull or stand up to the bull just struck us as a very clever but also engaging way to make [a] statement. Even though it’s a little girl, her stance is one of determination, forwardness, and being willing to challenge and take on the status quo.” -Lori Heinel, State Street’s deputy global chief investment officer, in an interview with Business Insider‘s Rachael Levy
     
  • “This is about being welcoming. It’s not about not providing discounts to certain people. It’s about standing with our beliefs. We think our prices are fair all year round. It’s just a little something extra we could do on Women’s Day.” -Kato Lombardi, owner of Seattle’s North Star Diner, on only charging women 79 percent of their bill on March 8, in an interview with MyNorthwest.com’s Dyer Oxley
     
  • “Reward yourself with reading. Clean the bathroom, read a chapter. Vacuum, read a chapter. Do the dishes, read a chapter. Prep dinner, read while it cooks.” –Hillary Copsey, founder of Make America Read Again, on how to make more time to read
     
  • “It’s not about putting on a musical once; it’s about creating a sustainable program.” -Julia Cohen-Theobald, executive director of the Educational Theatre Association on the JumpStart Theatre program, in an interview with ArtsWave
Kiersten Wones