From Bitter to Better! “What do you enjoy in life”? : this is one of the most frequently-asked question, to students of 10th, 11th and 12th grades, who are still ambivalent about their future … Read More » I am… I am… A woman A scientist A teacher A friend A daughter A sister A mentor A coach Who… …has gotten a B.S. in Biology, Teaching Credential, and M.A. in Education before the age of 24 …has started an international nonprofit … Read More » Right Now is Never Too Late “We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together” #standbehindyourwomen … Read More » Wrong Gender Doc My name is Adrian and I was born a supposed female. I grew up in a Christian family (which i didn’t believe in). I always felt like something was off … Read More » Make a Change I am a female who is in school to become an ordained minister, a field that is dominated by men. I am active in my community to train clergy that … Read More » In graduate school I… In graduate school in psychology (many, many years ago) I created an “explicit gender stamp” which I stamped on all my term papers. It said that a coin toss would … Read More » The debate A few days ago I was in class and we were talking about police brutality. Because the cop that was not following protocol was female, my teacher decided it was okay … Read More » Powerful Women My dad and I were in the car having a conversation. Somehow, it got to him trying to explain a situation to me. One of the examples he used was … Read More » Women Empowerment Advocacy I advocate the status of women through being active within the community. Locally I am involved in activities such as cross-country running, athletics, calisthenics, netball, badminton, choir, musicals, and working … Read More » Trust your gut After I got a divorce and I was on my own. I developed my gut instinct because I needed a way to assess any situation quickly. After the initial assessment I … Read More » The F-Word A little girl grew up in a liberal household, knowing that all are equal, that racism and sexism are wrong. This little girl also grew up without hearing the word … Read More » The tale of the dressing-up Being a woman and being actively involved in the business scene has certainly been a tale of trying to please everyone (my superiors, my family, my significant other, my friends … Read More » Mommy Problems My mom has suffered from depression my whole life. I love my mom deeply but it has been a struggle to be raised around someone who could not always be … Read More » The Graduate View » There will always be hard times, and they will teach you to stand strong Ever since I started coding in middle school, I’ve decided on a career in computer science . I’m very lucky and grateful that I was able to find a passion at … Read More » Be YOU, not just what people think of you. I go to a great school, everything is awesome, and I just love life. I have so many best friends, and I don’t care about what others think. That’s what … Read More » Keep moving forward I lost my sense of identity a little over a year ago. It felt like I was wearing shackles, rather than freedom. I left my job, my home, and a … Read More » Bits not Boobs My father trusted my brother to inherit family company and take over. Most of my dads free time would be allocated to my brother. My younger sister and I would … Read More » A Successful Decade in IT I started working in IT as a Tech Writer when I was 21 years old. I’m 33 now and have been with the same company since day 1. I was … Read More » Yes, I can see you. Somehow, my mother always knew when I did something wrong. She could be in another room, in another town, hell, even in another state, when the offense occurred and she … Read More » Super Hero Action Mom At 26 I divorced my husband because I had finally had enough of his attitude and drug and alcohol use. He was a very aggressive guy who would fly off the … Read More » See you at C U As an Arab woman of color, a Muslim woman who wears hijab, people have an assumption about me. They assume that I will be the quiet, barefoot and pregnant type, … Read More » Olivia’s Winning Goal It was the championship game for soccer and I am one of the weaker players. It was the last few minutes and the game was tied. I was out on … Read More » Survivor I am a survivor of Officer Involved Domestic Violence. My executive law enforcement husband ( X- spouse now), tried to murder me, raped me, and physically assaulted me during the … Read More » Embracing my Inner Pink I was always leery of wearing pink. I thought it would make me a girly girl and the guys wouldn’t listen to me. I worked in Oil and Gas as … Read More » Women Can Save Lives I grew up with my father being a firefighter and paramedic. I ended up following in his footsteps, which I am proud of and honored to do, but to add … Read More » Even if a dress is involved… Growing up, I out ran just about everyone I knew, even those older than me. I could flip around the monkey bars at warp speed. I read by the time … Read More » It Was Never Because of the Dress At age 13, I was drugged and sexually assaulted. When I came clean to someone about it, my confession wasn’t heard past the fact that I was wearing a dress … Read More » I’m Not Gonna Wait In Line Ever Again This winter was the first time I experienced going to the bathroom with a sign that read “BOYS” on the front. I was incredibly nervous as a female identifying person, … Read More » STOP compassion This is my third year working as QA Engineer and Software developer. I love my job. But what I hate the most is to hear some comments of compassion coming from … Read More » My hands tell my story I’ve always been a person who wanted to work with my hands, use tools and create. Often this placed me in jobs and on crews where I was the only … Read More » disruption in Eindhoven I made/printed out feminist posters and put them on a board in the city of Eindhoven (The Netherlands) … Read More » My Girls My feminism has been a bit dormant over the last decade as I focused on other social justice issues: education, race relation, health care. But now, under this administration and … Read More » Capes Kick Imposter Syndrome to the Curb! Thanks so much for starting the #itwasneveradress movement. I realize that those of us downplaying or outright denying our creativity, intelligence and successes have a way out by claiming our … Read More » Wanting to be in the STEM Field Programming is not just for boys! Robots are not just for boys! Being athletic is not just for boys! If anything we’re stronger! I’ve been in times where I have to prove to … Read More » My Epilepsy Journey Hi! My name is Robyn, and I’m an epileptic from Maryland, and this is my story… My story begins on the evening December 30th, 2015. I was going into the kitchen, … Read More » Less Wages More Work Finding out you’re less effective counterpart makes more money because of a sack of semen hanging between his legs makes for a terrible Friday. But I won’t stop working harder, … Read More » The Truth in Stories To be clear, this is just one story in my life. We all have so many stories. I could share about how my husband is crazy supportive of me and … Read More » Teaching Teaching in an all boys grammar school I expected to meet with much resistance and lack of understanding when teaching about equality of the sexes. How wrong was I!? The … Read More » The Battle of the Hair Growing up I always hated my long hair. It was hot and it got in the way. One day I cut it off in a bob, and my mom loved … Read More » A High School Boy. During my senior year of high school, right around when class rankings came out, a guy in my class — who had previously teased me for being a god-forsaken feminist … Read More » No Boundaries I knew one thing was for certain when I got out of college, I was going to be my own boss. Thankfully, I was raised by parents that never told … Read More » Sisterhood, blood & boobs at the London Marathon 2015 The night before my first marathon, my period decided to show up. In the whole year I had trained, I had never had to do any of my long runs … Read More » Gaining Momentum I was a teenage girl in the 80’s. My dad has been a programmer and worked in technology for as long as I have known him. He brought home computers … Read More » Saying No Women are taught to be polite and kind and fragile. When we say “No” we say it with a gentleness, if we can say it at all. We are taught … Read More » Women Belong In The House… And the Senate As a female who is a political science major, I strongly believe in feminism and that it just makes sense that people of all races, genders, and ethnicities should have … Read More » Football in the mud While volunteering at an animal rescue, some of the staff invited a few of the male volunteers to play football with them at the end of the day. I asked … Read More » Anti=Vietnam war protest, 1969 We were 300,000 strong in DC and when the lines outside the women’s bathroom became 3 times longer, all the bathrooms became unisex by ‘facts on the ground’. No one … Read More » Gender does not determine what I can or cannot do I am a 16 year old girl. I go to high school and have one younger brother and one younger sister. One day, my mother and I were talking about … Read More » Astronaut and Construction Worker View » How I became a women in tech. I am a senior development manager for a tech company. I have a passion for exposing young women to potential careers in tech and STEM. They often know about the … Read More » Pulling Ahead I came off the assembly line as the 3rd child in a family of 5. I belonged to the brand, shared the name, but was never made welcome. I was … Read More » Disrupting at Axosoft We were the first to make some necessary changes to our bathroom signs! … Read More » My Education is MY education I was told in junior high that boys are better at math, exceed in literature and that I would never surpass a boy in school because “girls spend too much … Read More » Friend Edition! Thanks for the important message! This has been bugging me forever! … Read More » We do the same thing I attended an all girls summer camp when I was young for many years. At the time I blissfully lived with the idea that equality was something I was born … Read More » Little Bald Girl At 28 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy and a fabulous bald herald from chemo, I felt the most powerful that I have ever felt. I … Read More » Lip Test In 7th grade, the boys in my homeroom class went around assessing all of the girls and assigned them a “yes” or a “no”. They were laughing and having a great … Read More » My life All my life I was told I didn’t dress very feminine or that I should wear makeup. I had a really hard time accepting myself until just recently. I’ve learned that … Read More » Superpower To parents of small children, both boys and girls: I wanted to share something I’ve got going with my nine-year old that might be useful to change the world for … Read More » Today’s Doodle No.72 It Was Never A Dress … Read More » School In high school, I took a computer science class for the first time. When I walked in on the first day and saw that there were almost no girls and lots … Read More » Grafham Studio Creations at 62 I am a mixed media artist. My life goal is to be a full time working artist. When I embarked on my journey in the last few years, it became … Read More » Returning from mat leave I work for a large tech company. Before I gave birth I spoke with the CEO of the company to discuss my next role when I return from maternity leave. … Read More » Hell yes! I was studying in University (2014) and I was really into economics. As most of us know, there is a well established norm that men understand economics (not just economics, … Read More » Soccer I get really bad cramps. The week before and during my period. To the point where I throw up. I play soccer for my school. I honestly was was not … Read More » Landing at Phoenix Comicon My arms are a little tired after the flight to Comicon! #ItWasNeverADress … Read More » Direct We have been conditioned to be polite, avoid confrontation, and “sugar coat” our feelings. I work at a girls’ summer camp. Our staff are college-aged women and our director constantly engage … Read More » The Southern Woman I credit my independence and determination to necessity. I had to, so I did. And why commit to life if you’re not true to yourself? And yet, so many people … Read More » I am Goliath. I was unwanted at birth. In 1962 birth control pills were not widely available. Abortions were available, in some states, but not socially “allowed” to married women. My mother, hopelessly … Read More » Mother/daughter book club My daughter and I just started a mother/daughter book club and we plan to read and discuss books related to girls as leaders and role models, gender bias, and the … Read More » Not the Firstborn Son In my family, the firstborn son was everything. He carried on the name, he was expected to go to college, to have a phenomenal carrier and provide for a family. The … Read More » The Boy Who Hated Feminists I guess my story is small in the grand scheme of things, but every little triumph helps. My best friend’s brother hated feminists. He didn’t like the way that he … Read More » I’m So Sorry…But for What? Why are we conditioned to apologize for claiming our own space? Our own time? Why is it that we teach girls to apologize for everything, while excusing boys for anything? … Read More » Big woman I always thought that because i’m an only child i would be spoiled, incapable of doing anything by myself and i saw others who were only children and they were … Read More » Girls in STEM I know that most people say women in STEM but I think it is important for us to have girls in STEM. Right now I am a 16-year-old female who … Read More » Powerful Women Raise Powerful Girls As a mom to 2 teenagers, it is my responsibility to pave the way for them and to help them grow into what they hope to become. It can be … Read More » My Story is Everyone’s Story We all struggle as women, for various reasons. We work, take care of our families, support our friends, and as if there is time left over, try to take care … Read More » Passing on the Strength When I asked my 15 year old daughter if her father was hurting her in anyway, I was sure she would say “No”, but something in my gut made me … Read More » Why I Was Looked Down On I used to be ashamed of what I was and when I came out I was looked down upon and some said hurtful things but now I have someone who supports me … Read More » 200 miles and 22 days Along with a group of 8 other young women, I just hiked the last 200 miles of the Appalachian Trail. It was a 22 day backpacking trip, and it just … Read More » My Mum My Hero My darlingest Mum was always perceived as a little mousy woman married to a big strong outspoken bloke. What we didn’t realise wast she was the backbone of their partnership. … Read More » Sexism in STEM. 3rd grade experience. I love robots, my VEX robotics team went to the World competition this year and won a award, but It wasn’t always this way for me I have had to … Read More » New mums! I work on a Family Birthing Unit as a nurse and I am inspired everyday by the mum’s that I meet and the strength and love they give to their … Read More » Owning my truth! I was born in the early 70’s, the youngest of 8 with 6 older brothers. All my life I felt unseen, unheard, not quite good enough. My family is wonderful … Read More » A Testimony To a Mother Working From Home My grandmother was born in 1941 to a mother and a father that died when she was in her thirties. Over vacation when I visited her beautiful house in southern … Read More » Raised Resourceful, Tough & Kind My mom was an immigrant who was forced out of Poland in the 1940s. It was years before she and her sister and her mother were reunited with her father … Read More » I Can Do It. Hello! After reading some of the stories published I felt the need to post mine. I am the youngest and only girl amongst my three older brothers. Growing up, I … Read More » Own it. What I’ve learned in 20 years in tech: You deserve to be here. Your ideas are just as good, or probably better than other people’s. Speak your mind. Take up space. … Read More » Showing how a girl can be stonger When I was at camp last year we hiked and paddled down the St. Croix (the border between Canada and USA) at the same time another boys camp was paddling. … Read More » Fox 10 News Fox 10 News Team Capes Up! … Read More » Short Hair When I cut my hair to a pixie cut, I felt the most feminine I’ve ever felt. Even though people would say I looked like a boy and that I … Read More » Wonder Woman “She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her … Read More » Escape I have recently ended an abusive relationship of eight years. At times physical, mostly psychological. Being threatened is scary. I reflect upon my mother, who stayed in a marriage till … Read More » Waking Up I was taught by everything I heard as a child that only men could be spiritually liberated. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, etc. Spiritual openings started happening in my life, but still … Read More » Small and Large Ways I’m a white woman and I’ve largely lived a life of privilege. I started to forget that sexism effects people in real world life & death ways…that violence against women is … Read More » Physics is a Girl’s World Too My sister was in a physics class in high school and she was the only girl in Physics C. Although many suspected she would quit because of the huge gender … Read More » Girls World In 2018 I made a decision to keep my focus on building a life independently for my 5 yr old daughter and myself. I became tired of relying on others … Read More » Oops My story might not be incredible but I fought against hating my body and I learned how to accept it the way it is. … Read More » Breaking the Cycle I was raised in an addicted home. I saw and experienced things no child should ever have to see or experience. So it naturally, and to no surprise I ended … Read More » The Power Mountain I was told as girl I could never do the things a boy could but I proved them wrong. This summer I finished my thru hike from Georgia to Maine and took … Read More » I Am Out! One day at school I learned that you don’t have to have the things you were born with. So I started thinking about that and I realized that I never … Read More » No reason to learn math! I was a highly gifted child. I skipped a grade in elementary school, was always in the most accelerated math class, and always scored in the 99th percentile on math … Read More » Becoming a TRANSparent I grew up in the Bible thumping, spare the rod spoil the child south. All I’ve ever heard my life was how wrong homosexuality was. When my daughter was 6, … Read More » Being Shaped My mother lived in a man’s world in every sense of the word. She grew up not being allowed to work. The men made the life decisions. She would never … Read More » Bio Test In my biology class, we took a test about DNA and RNA and we got our results. My teacher announces that only one person in all of her classes got … Read More » Teacher I was lucky I had that teacher and if you are lucky, you had her too! She made sure you understood your value. She made sure you knew that taking a … Read More » Girls can be superheroes!! Today i found a dress for my daughter at Walmart that said Supergirl and i thought it was adorable so i bought it for her. when I came home and … Read More » F, 23, SF I joined my company as the twelfth employee, and first female. I was the first entry level sales development representative at the company, making the sales team a party of two. … Read More » Only Boys Go to Hebrew School My parents had three children. First my sister, then my brother, then me. They did not have a ton of money and could only afford to send one of us … Read More » Parkour Practitioner, Teacher for Social Change I’m a high school English teacher in NYC, a coach, a professional parkour practitioner (traceuse), and a 4-time American Ninja Warrior. I’m trying to promote a different image of women … Read More » Minority Report I’m currently taking an organization communications class and today was the day we finally got around to talking about gender in the workforce. We explored the HUGE gender gap with … Read More » I Choose Full Colour! Everyone has a chapter or chapters they don’t read out loud. I’ve encountered neglect, rape, physical abuse, addiction, emotional abuse, miscarriage, depression, bothched surgeries and they have all left their … Read More » Surviving Life and the Dress My mother gave my the cape. For all her faults and failings, her enduring gift to me is the cape. I survived an abusive marriage and an over-demanding manager. I plastered … Read More » A Daily Pick-Me-Up Whenever I see the original bathroom sign for women/girls, I can’t help but smile and picture the red cape. My t-shirt makes me feel strong, and it certainly catches people’s … Read More » Moms are the best I’m an average 18 year old French kid. I don’t have lots of tales to tell about my life yet, but as a woman I think every woman deserves to … Read More » Whats Happening with the World? Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico First, I want to a little about me, I am a young girl and I live in Tijuana, a Mexican city on the border; and I have started … Read More » GIRL POWER! We host a running program for our 3rd and 4th grade students at our elementary school (I am the head coach) where they learn to run a 5K in May … Read More » Why Does it Always Happen in Elevators? I’m no stranger to conferences. And do you know what else is no stranger to conferences? Alcohol. As a young woman in tech (and an introvert), I like to have … Read More » Fear is an Illusion Time We only have so much time to make a first impression. They tell me I scare people. Why? Because I look at them in the eye when we talk? Because I listen to what … Read More » Dress or Cape? I started to think about this much more after my friend asked, “What’s wrong with a dress?” I shared a few thoughts on my blog about how it actually doesn’t … Read More » Growing Feminist I always considered myself to be a feminist without ever knowing what it fully meant. I knew that I thought women were equal to men. However as a child I … Read More » Multi-tasking at its Finest Six days after my daughter was born I found myself breastfeeding my newborn in one arm while balancing my laptop on the other so I could send data to my … Read More » Consent It was February of 2016 when it happened. It turned my whole life around. It changed my view on things. It changed me. I felt like I was a good … Read More » I Never Deserved It I wasn’t always the prettiest girl actually more of the opposite. I did hang out with the pretty girls but never considered myself truly one of them. I had an eating … Read More » Fox 10 News Fox 10 News Capes Up! … Read More » In the airport… I travel a lot for work and when I walk through airport terminals, I have to travel pass multiple restrooms. The ever-present “universal” symbol for girls/women/females, the stick figure with … Read More » Growing up When I was a little girl I helped my dad build and mend. Didn’t want to grow up as I didn’t see any women who did this. I did grow … Read More » Not Just a Costume Anymore I’ve always considered myself a feminist. Never an activist though. For the last few Halloweens in a row I’ve stuck to a theme of strong, smart women. For 2016 my husband … Read More » Computer Science Inequality When I walked into computer science class freshman year, I was slightly terrified. I had always been interested in comp sci, but had the perception that it was a male-dominated … Read More » A Different Meaning For as long as I can remember, I knew I was different, I just didn’t have the words to describe what I was. Earlier this year I finally pieced it together … Read More » Searched #ItWasNeverADress on Pinterest 30 Minutes later… … Read More » Seriously!? I started as a secretary in an intense environment. I did not have a lot of money for clothing at the time but I was doing the best I could … Read More » Slut I have been told my whole life how girls can’t do things; how they’re not as good in sports as boys, how they don’t belong in politics, etc. But you … Read More » Can’t Touch This I moved houses, states, schools, all within the past year. I grew up in an environment in which progressive, trailblazing ideas were commended and labeled innovative. In this environment I … Read More » Women in Technology I hadn’t planned for a career in technology- somewhat backed into it. Although fully qualified both academically and experientially, I feel that I have to go far beyond to ‘convince’ others … Read More » My mom wore three capes! Most moms are amazing women. My mom was amazing! She wore three capes. Cape One: She raised three sons that were quite a handful but she didn’t do it with discipline … Read More » First Impressions When I first started my job, I was in charge of a quality improvement project for which our hospital’s clinical engineering team were consulting. I was the only female in the … Read More » The Bathroom is for everyone remix 2 View » 3rd times a charm I’ve been divorced twice. I don’t tell many people that because I’m worried they will judge me. I’m now happily married and I know everything happened for a reason. But … Read More » We don’t need to be entitled to dresses! I may only be 10 years old, but that doesn’t stop me from believing that I don’t have to be a pink sparkly girly-girl if that isn’t me. No one … Read More » Entrepreneur I graduated with my MFA in Photography from Texas Woman’s University and it was a great environment of empowerment to study. Now I own my own screen printing company HEN … Read More » Why Did You Name Your Children After Scorned Women of the Bible… My mother-in-law was horrified when she heard the name of my first born…Magdelene. Yes, named after Mary Magdalene. She came unglued when I told her my second baby was going … Read More » Firsts? In 1997? When I graduated from an engineering college, I never dreamed that I would be a pioneer. Women were already in engineering, right? One year later, I discovered that me and … Read More » My Cape is Flowing as I Innovate & Use Technology to Create a More Heart-Centric World. Greetings Women and Girls! I’d like to add my story here, as a woman leveraging technology, and, like all of us here, actively pushing out the boundaries that remain active in … Read More » Fourth Grade Epiphany I was a tom-girl. I played war with the boys until fourth grade when I was told, “You’re a girl. You can’t be the spy. You have to be a … Read More » No Means No I have just started attending college for my freshman year. I have been here for a week and have already been called a bitch for saying no to guys and have … Read More » Never Told No I had a very unique childhood. There were eight children in my family. I was number 2. I watched baby girl after baby girl come home from the hospital until … Read More » Tough world for mothers It was never easy to be a woman to begin with. In the IT industry, women are the minority. Surrounded by men, we try to ‘man up’ and be more … Read More » Real World Confirmed by Election In the world of education, we were taught women were equal. We were afforded the same grades and able to attend the same classes. The first year of college we … Read More » I did it! A+ I have always struggled with school, because I have both dyslexia and dyscalcula, which make reading, writing and mathematics really hard for me. This year I started University and it’s been … Read More » You can be anything I’m 20 years old and married to the best person on this planet. I’m from Pakistan and apart from what most people would think, it’s not the most war stricken … Read More » Aren’t you afraid? “Are you alone? Aren’t you afraid?” I got this response frequently when I knocked on a stranger’s door. “I’m okay” I responded. This was my job. I worked doing door … Read More » Single Gender I am teaching an all girls single gender class in a public school. They are 4th-grade girls from low-income families. I am trying to empower them. We talk about how some … Read More » New Perspective on the Bible Hi, I grew up in a Church which elevated men as spiritual leaders and silenced women. A series of events forced me to search out for myself the message of … Read More » We deserve justice for when we are abused My parents would always warn me about how I had to be careful around men because some (not all!!) didn’t have the right intentions. I never really listened and always … Read More » Break the Lass and Fall into the Glassblower’s Breath During the Green Revolution, I returned to Iran to curate a solo exhibition of Masami Teraoka’s watercolors. On August 5, 2009, my partner and I took a cab towards the gallery. … Read More » LOVE I am a father and a husband. I am 64 going on 34. So, I hope its ok with everyone that I contribute my “two cents ” All I have to say … Read More » 200 miles of pure strength I just returned from a backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail which runs from Georgia to Maine. I did 200 miles of it with a group of 8 other girls, … Read More » Taking Computer Science to the Elementary School After I went to an all girls computer science program a few years ago, I really questioned why men believed that the STEAM field was just for them. A big … Read More » Hormones The struggle of being a teenage girl today, isn’t just harmless “are you on your period” jokes. It’s the fact that I, multiple times, have been mistrusted because I’m emotional. … Read More » The Clothes Don’t Make the Scientist I’m a volcanologist, which means I spend part of my time outside hiking, getting up close and personal with rocks and ash and clay, and generally engaged in grubby pursuits. … Read More » In the figure of a man Think of a time and place where you belonged, but didn’t feel welcome. What happened? What did you do? What didn’t you do? What would you do differently today? Write. I … Read More » Computer Science Associate Professor It is my staunch belief that fear and hate is what got us into the predicament of distorting the value and worth of others. As women and minority groups … Read More » The car mechanic I have been discriminated against as a woman many times, but on one occasion it was so blatant even my husband noticed. We had taken our car in for repair. … Read More » Viewing the STEAM World from a Young Girl’s Perspective When I was little I was lucky to be brought up shielded away from the world of discrimination, it never occurred to me that I was growing up in a … Read More » Pass It On…. I was a civil engineer 20 years ago. I was the only female and it was a terrible experience. I left civil engineering and went into IT. I spent about … Read More » They Don’t Know How I Do It My mom and dad raised a strong independent self sufficient woman. I have worked my way through school earning an associates degree and then a bachelors degree, all the while … Read More » Original Wonder Woman My mom has always been my super hero. She and my father divorced when I was young. We had very little means. But she worked three jobs to keep us … Read More » Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Do Something! I was lucky enough to grow up with parents who didn’t buy in to gender stereotypes. They supported and encouraged anything I wanted to do. When I was about 7 … Read More » 23 years in technology and now I’m launching a startup I started going to school majoring in CIS shortly after the birth of my first son. At that time I was making barely above minimum wage as a bank teller … Read More » Trying to make a change Since I was a kid, my mom taught me how important it was to be independent and free. For all my life I thought I could make some change. Women suffer … Read More » Only for a Man I was brought up to believe loving football was a good thing. And I did – I loved football- but it was not until after I left high school that I … Read More » Inspiring Change As a veteran teacher who was removed from technology while I had and raised two children, I hadn’t become updated with the latest and greatest with technology in the math … Read More » Reaching the next generation I found this #ItWasNeverADress sticker online one day and showed it to my mom and some friends They all loved it and shared it with more friends, which was great, … Read More » The Power of Deflection My mother excelled at everything. She also excelled at criticizing anyone that was inferior to her including people in her own family. Dinner table conversations with Mom revolved around her … Read More » Empowering Girls I am a teen advocate and the Director of Healthy Sexuality of Girls Inc. of Wayne County. I love #ItWasNeverADress and the platform it opens for discussion. I teach an … Read More » Catcalling No one should ever be catcalled; it’s so demeaning and plain disgusting! I was at a shopping center once and we were standing outside when a car came by with … Read More » YOU ARE A LADY! All my life, I`ve been corrected one way or another, told I can’t do something because I`m a lady. Whenever I swear in front of my dad, he yells at me … Read More » Proud to be a Girl I’m a 16 year old girl And i’ve been trough bullying for two years You know why? Because I was a tomboy I loved football and sport I was very good at it I don’t know … Read More » Keep telling Like many women, I’ve experienced harassment and even violence in the workplace. The time I experienced violence was about 15 years ago. And I didn’t get help. For a lot … Read More » Stronger Together When I was 10 I wanted to help Women and Girls like me but I did not know what to do, I though that since I was just a little … Read More » Single Mom I grew up with a single mom who was my world. She wasn’t just a role model for me, she made the word woman synonymous with strength. We never had … Read More » Ms. We can no longer remain silent. Each woman’s voice needs to be heard. Our stories need to be told. We need to share our collective stories. We must raise our … Read More » I do because I can Dx with MS at 34, now 43. Wife, mother, VP at Fortune 500 company. Tomorrow is never certain, so take make your mark today. … Read More » #seebeautiful Every day, I work to connect my female students with book characters who prove that they can be strong, independent women. I want them to believe that someday, they can … Read More » Mans Game I joined the Army, not only that, I decided to step into a very technical role within what is already a very male dominated world. From day one it was … Read More » An Unlikely Superhero Like Tania, one of the creators of #ItsWasNEVERAdress, I have felt like a split-brained, misfit in my career as a technical professional. Since I am a creative person, I often … Read More » Ladies, we are just as good! Calling all girls who have been discriminated against! Sometimes, it hurts my feelings when I see the ladies sign. I’m tired of being treated in a stereotypical way. I am not … Read More » He Said “Congratulations!” When I lost my job after 17 years I knew I wanted to do something more! I took a job in a new industry, but doing a similar role. I … Read More » Caucasian v Apartheid Warmth…being able to run around in the sun, in the streets. No mobile phones, no Xbox or PlayStation or.., wifi!!! Not that long ago. I am now saying the dreaded … Read More » Girls in Tech Catalyst Conference Sara and I taking the It Was Never A Dress lady on a rickshaw ride in Downtown Phoenix! … Read More » My journey via feminism I was a single mom in small town Ohio in the 1960s when I was introduced to feminism and attended consciousness raising sessions. In 1972 I got into the streets … Read More » 2nd Generation Working Mom I grew up with working parents. Both of my parents were hard working and worked long hours, which meant there was a lot of collaboration between them to make it happen. I … Read More » Can’t Unsee It Was NEVER A Dress! … Read More » Firefighters don’t wear dresses anyway I have never really been into the “role model” thing. I have 2 parents to thank for that: my dad let me build my own furniture, my mom has a … Read More » Mean boys I am currently 20 years old and this 2018 will be turning 21. To be honest, when I was 13/14 years old I didn’t think I would become the person … Read More » Twitter Tragedy During the summer before my junior year of high school, I participated in a program called Girls Who Code. There I had the opportunity to visit companies in the Boston … Read More » Not too young to be feminist I did that and intend to do so again! I’m only 13 but I still do things like that often. I’m only in 7th grade but I will ALWAYS be … Read More » You could be even be Miss Universe! I don’t blame them, it’s what they knew. They didn’t realize the message of inequality they were communicating to me. You see, I have an older brother. We have both always … Read More » My Mom My mom has always been someone I have looked up to my entire life and she was always the one in my family to work. She was a manager for years … Read More » The World I Want To Live In As A Woman Only by traveling outside the closed environment of a classroom that you realize the world is not as flat as Friedman claimed it to be: the so-called globalization of ideas … Read More » Tech Teacher Private School I am left speechless when a co-worker has a problem with their iPhone or the printer or other technology device and they fail to ask me for help. My position … Read More » Working in Man’s Field I am a 22 year old girl and I hold my bachelors degree in electronics. I work at a company where there is both field and office work. Every time I ask … Read More » Pivot I am an aspiring software developer, looking to do my small part in changing the ratio of women in technical positions at high growth companies. … Read More » Gender Roles SUCK Gender roles are embedded into all of us and they control every bit of our thinking and decision making. I am working on raising a strong 3 year old girl … Read More » Didn’t I Just Say That? For 8 months, my credit card was charged incorrectly by a local newspaper for a digital subscription that I wasn’t receiving. After 8 calls over 3 months, I was able … Read More » You Add Value! In the 1980s I wanted to get a degree in comp sci, but I was too intimidated by my all-male classmates who already knew how to code. So I settled … Read More » 7th Grade In 7th grade I was wearing a tank top with thick straps. A boy in my class had the same style of tank top on and you can guess which … Read More » Shine Bright Like a Diamond Much like the Rihanna song, Diamonds, being the only girl in a 400 level computer science class made me shine bright like a diamond. I currently a junior in college … Read More » Superhero Mommy Bathroom Changing perceptions for the next generation! … Read More » I should have known better My story starts like so many others I’ve heard… I was in college. I was drunk. It was late. There was a boy. I should have known better. Those last 5 … Read More » self sufficient I grew up really poor. My mom raised my brother and me by herself, on a waitress salary. She got no child support and our father was no where to … Read More » STEM, Women and Girls: A male perspective “I’ve been incredibly blessed to know a large number of bright, successful people over the years while working in Information Technology. And a very large percentage of them were women. … Read More » Teenage Women Being a teenage girl is hard. Every day you are faced with the judgment of your classmates, boys, teachers, coaches, parents, strangers. Being a girl in high school you are … Read More » Election waves My disruptions started when I stood up for my beliefs in regards to the election to all of my Trump supporting friends and family. Some have now unfriended me or … Read More » Clueless Boys Boys talk a lot. They are constantly unaware of their egotistical comments and the effect those words can have. The other day a boy was tagging along with another boy … Read More » My Story I have believed my entire life that women were subordinate to men, from the history books to real life interactions. With the help of this movement I hope to change … Read More » Wonder Woman at the March for Our Lives It was a powerful experience to march as a daughter, mother, and now grandmother with & for the student-led March for Our Lives. The most moving moments were always all … Read More » Feminist Nation When I was in middle school, we had feminism as a vocabulary word. One of my friends said out loud ¨Yeah go feminism!¨ I went to a small private Christian school … Read More » Librarian I want all kids to have opportunity as storytellers and makers. We hold a ‘Maker Monday’ that isn’t geared towards encouraging girls to participate in STEM; instead, it validates everyone’s stories … Read More » Started Young In sixth grade, a male teacher frequently asked me to wash his chalkboard before class, even though several boys usually arrived before me and were also sitting and waiting for … Read More » Fibers When I was in graduate school, pursuing my MFA, the university was looking for some departments to cut. One that they chose was the fibers department in the School of … Read More » engineering an equal workplace I went to an engineering camp. I’m a girl, and engineers are typically men. Because of this, a lot of guys at this camp thought they were better than the … Read More » My Story I’m a young gay woman living in California. Even in such a liberal state, I sometimes find myself being oppressed by my male counterparts. I’ve learned to use my voice … Read More » My Boys I am a mom to 3 precious little boys. I have the amazing privelege of raising these little men to appreciate the strength of women. I am finishing up my … Read More » Fuerte y mujer Trabajo en una escuela pública en la ciudad de Madrid. Doy clase a niños entre 6 y 10 años. Ayer me fui al trabajo en bicicleta, algo que suelo hacer … Read More » ChiHacks Earlier this year, my friend and I attended a Hackathon in Chicago. Excited as I was, I was nervous being one of the only girls there. I tried not to … Read More » Refusing to be Silent I don’t know how this works, but this is my feminist story: I’m 11 and as you can imagine, people won’t listen to my voice or my opinion. It started as a … Read More » Generational Change When I was about 12, I became acutely aware of the perceived roles of men and women. I started asking lots of questions such as “Why are there no female … Read More » “Things Happen to Girls.” This was what my parents told me growing up when I asked why I had a curfew and my twin brother didn’t. I wasn’t allowed to go somewhere unless my … Read More » SuperNana My mom passed away when I was just 3. My grandma raised me, my brother and sister since I was 9. I’m 26 now and I’m grateful for her for … Read More » TORSHEEDEH: The Significance of Being a Sour Iranian Woman I grew up in Arizona, after my family immigrated there from Iran when I was four. There wasn’t much of an Iranian community in AZ when I was growing up, … Read More » Bathroom Signs Matter! Yesterday, I got my employer to change a kind of sexist sign for the bathrooms. Super proud of myself! Celebrating with an #ItWasNeverADress sticker! … Read More » Women in Science I chose to go into science because women are greatly underrepresented in that field. After I was accepted into pharmacy school, my mom mentioned it to her class that in … Read More » strong I am an athlete. The coach of the football team wants me to be on his high school team but the boys have started picking on me because I am … Read More » Thanks, Dad. My dad was a scientist, my mom a farm-girl. Both left Europe and started life anew after the war in Canada. For a few years, my dad studied, and my … Read More » Hyper Femininity As a trans woman, I used to feel like I had to subject to the typical stereotype of women to be considered one. Even if I don’t “dress like a … Read More » I am not her As a first-generation Mexican girl, I am different than my family. My mom expects me to be very girly, but that is not me. I am a tomboy, I don’t … Read More » Local Cafe, amended women’s bathroom sign (instagram) View » Made in America When I was little people would always worn me about things that could happen to me. I always listened but thought that bad things would never actually happen to me. When … Read More » New world I have never before faced gender inequality like I have this year. I was promoted to a high level education position. However, the highest level is the good ole boy … Read More » Chemistry Class Sophomore year of high school I got placed into a chem lab group with 3 other boys. One of them automatically assumed that because I was a girl, my opinion was … Read More » Social Problems I own an instagram page where my goal is to help others. I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and decency. If I can just help one … Read More » I’m not a supermum… I’m a woman “Enjoy your mummy time” says my husband, as I leave for my weekly coffee. Hurt, anger and frustration bubble. I’m not heading out for mummy time, in fact, with two … Read More » New Shirts! Some of my team at Axosoft rocking our new It Was Never A Dress shirts! … Read More » flyers I put up lots of feminist flyers all over a big city here in the Netherlands … Read More » Cheerful Every week for twelve years of my life I said, “I will do my best to be honest, to be fair, to help where I am needed, to be cheerful, … Read More » I’m no longer afraid of soaring! My wings have been clipped for most of my life. However, today I’m no longer afraid of soaring! Growing up, fear was instilled in me non-stop. About everything. About being an illegal immigrant. About … Read More » Fitness Our school has a fitness club that everyone can try to get into based off of their scores on different tests such as the mile,pacer,push-up,etc. No one thought that I … Read More » Getting the Titanic Agile! I work for a large Fortune 100 company in the internal IT organization. We are an engineering organization that is VERY process- and waterfall-centered that needed to change to stay … Read More » The Box Never Fit Never girlie enough to be amongst the girls, biologically disqualified to be with the boys. Fitted into neither box. Took too long to realize the boxes are the problem, not … Read More » Awareness Finally feel like I’m becoming aware of who I am, what my power is, how I can help and inspire others. First, I have to find that strength in myself … Read More » Professions have genders? I was definitely referred to as a tomboy, which I never understood, because I didn’t get that it isn’t girly to climb trees, race boys on my bicycle, and take … Read More » Finding my passion I always felt a bit about of place. In elementary school they said what do you do for fun and you could say drawing. In middle school they would say … Read More » Strength in Spite Last year, when I was in my final year of school. We had to do a debate in my legal studies class. All of the people who were in my … Read More » Harassment When I started the 8th grade my life changed forever. I always thought it was my fault I was being harassed on every level: sexually, emotionally, physically – all levels. … Read More » Cooking class I was sitting in cooking class when I turned around and said something about drama class to the boy behind me and he spat in my face. so I told … Read More » The “Dreaded” Pixie Cut Hello people of the inter-webs, I’m “Ark” (it’s just a nickname) and today, May 31, 2016, I got a slightly modified pixie hair cut. I’ve wanted to cut my hair … Read More » (Wonder) Woman Christian + Division 1 Basketball Player + Professional Figure Athlete + PhD = (Wonder) Woman. … Read More » A little bit creative, A little bit technical It took me a while to find my place. Two sides of me seemed at odds with itself — the liberal arts side and the technical side. However, I was … Read More » What is gender anyway? I have crossed the gender divide. I am transgender. I have lived as a male, albeit always feeling on the fringe of what that means, and I’ve accepted that privilege … Read More » Corporate Chaos A couple months ago I was invited to a private lunch with an executive and other alumni from my high school. The executive came from the same hometown that we … Read More » Eating Psychology Coach & College Administrator I teach a class called “How to Get Your Groove Back.” This is an excellent reminder to my clients of their superpowers. I also work at a community college and … Read More »