The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls recently hosted a panel discussion in its WomenTalk series on the cultural and political shifts happening in Chester County, with women at the helm of the movement.

Approximately 60 women and men gathered for “Women on the Rise: Stories from a Movement” to reflect on ways to truly engage with issues affecting the community. The full discussion was streamed through Facebook Live and is available here.

Nia Meeks, communications leader and Principal at bgConnex, facilitated the discussion on coming together as fellow humans – despite political affiliation – to find common ground. Panelists included Patricia Maisano, Chester County Treasurer; Jasmine Sessoms, founder of the nonpartisan organization She Can Win; and concerned citizen Kate Young.

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The group also reflected on the power of female mentorship, knowing one’s worth and being prepared to advocate for oneself in a professional or personal setting, and remaining hopeful about the political change process by looking to examples of candidates winning (or losing) a race by only a few deciding votes.

As midterm elections approach, the panelists also urged attendees to support female candidates whose beliefs resonate with them – or even to run for office themselves.

One attendee, Amber Little-Turner, is taking that last message to heart. The Coatesville resident and mother of four is running for state representative in the 74th Legislative District.

“I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the panel of women speak,” she said. “One takeaway for me is that women’s issues are not a partisan issue. We need to find qualified candidates and elect more women.”

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