by Cassandra Kiger, Equitable Well-Being Manager, Durham County
Kiger is a dedicated advocate for equity and justice, and promotes collaborative learning with diverse communities. She has nearly a decade of experience building and implementing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging programming and strategies.
Since I support Durham County employees, their needs drive my work. For example, women working in public safety suggested forming a group focused on their needs and experiences. This group provides support for working in this field, and, as we all interact with police and EMT, valuable perspectives for all of us. As a government employee and fairly recent resident to the area, I love to go deep on exploring our local resources. Durham residents know how to keep their history and culture vibrant. In that spirit, for those who want to engage deeper in Women’s History Month, I am suggesting activities that bridge past and present experiences of people who identify as female.
1. All human beings have bias, but it is important that we recognize how bias impacts our decisions. Does bias impact your ability to solve this riddle? Take a closer look at whether you have any bias around your concept of women by taking any of the three gender related tests in the Harvard University Implicit Project.
2. Learn more about how our local community has been shaped by women by taking the in-person or virtual “walking tour” of Women’s History at UNC Chapel Hill, or visiting the virtual exhibit Votes for Suffrage: 100 Years of Women in Durham Politics at the Museum of Durham History.
3. I led a group discussion between five Durham County female employees from four different departments about their experiences as women in their professions, how other women and allies have or could support them, and what advice they would give to their younger selves. Watch or listen to the video.
4. The Durham County Library has events and activities throughout March that you can celebrate. Here are just a few amazing examples:
This column is part of our Level Up series recommending resources to help you skill up on a different topic each month. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates. Email Aimee Munsell to submit a potential topic and/or guest author.
