Last week, the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls hosted a discussion – entitled, “Yes, All Women!” – about how women can learn from their own histories and create their collective future.

For almost two decades now, the West Chester-based nonprofit has been leading and uniting the community through philanthropy and advocacy, thus ensuring that women and girls have resources and opportunities to thrive.

The thought-provoking conversation held at West Chester University was a celebration of the CCFWG’s mission, as approximately 60 women – spanning a variety of generations, backgrounds, and experiences – connected.

Educational consultant Juliana Mosley, WCU student Lilah Saber, and former State Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith led the evening’s activities. They included an overview of the generations and the evolution of the women’s movement through history, as well as break-out discussions that highlighted the variety of perspectives of feminism.

Several of the women in attendance expressed that the fight for women’s rights needs to become more inclusive.

“I am a middle-class, millennial, Middle Eastern woman, and I can’t separate those,” said Saber.

Another theme that emerged was the need to leverage commonalities rather than stand divided because of differences.

“How empowering it felt to share our experiences,” said Susan Fiorentino of the Chester County Women’s Commission. “Although there was a diversity of opinion about the role of feminism in the lives of our group members, there were also intergenerational similarities that we reflected on. When it was over, I think it’s fair to say that we all wanted the dialogue to continue.”

Michelle Legaspi Sanchez, the CCFWG’s Executive Director, said that the evening reflected the heart of her organization.

“Women of all ages, races, and backgrounds came together toward progress,” she said.

The CCFWG raises awareness about the critical needs of women and girls by:

• providing actionable information on the issues they face.
• bringing together the community’s diverse voices and interests for the continued advancement of women.
• providing grants to nonprofit organizations that address the needs of women and girls.

Throughout the last 19 years, the CCFWG has awarded more than $2.6 million to 69 nonprofits.

Click here to learn more about the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls.