Celebrating Empowerment on International Women’s Day 2023
Happy International Women’s Day from all of us at The Dandelion Philosophy!
Today, we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide, and we reaffirm the call for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Empowering women is not only a matter of social justice, but it’s essential for economic development and sustainable growth.
The Dandelion Philosophy has had nearly 300 volunteers from 36 countries around the world; today, we are honoured and delighted to introduce you to some of the remarkable women in our team, as well as four of The Dandelion Philosophy’s own phenomenal women leaders.
Women have come a long way in their pursuit of empowerment and equal representation in the corporate world. We are inspired by so many women from different walks of life who lead and drive change in their respective industries.
The Dandelion Philosophy is proud to have some phenomenal women serving on our Board of Directors, Strategic Advisory Board, and Senior Leadership Team. Today, we invite you to learn about their experiences and perspectives on empowerment.
Dr. Jenni Kincaid
My name is Jenni Kincaid, and for over 20 years I have worked across education, government, and industry, empowering leaders and communities by delivering high-impact programmes.
Empowerment is often defined as the process of becoming stronger, more confident, and in control of one’s life.
I’ve learned that empowerment is a process that enables new possibilities and new ways of being in the world, even our transformations. It is not a one-time event. It’s ongoing, a journey of discovery and change.
So how do we create empowerment?
It happens in moments, seasons and reasons, and more importantly, it happens over our life. It helps to remember humans are complex and contradictory, and I am no exception. My life has become a tapestry of threads, woven together to create what I can now see as a beautiful whole. Each thread is a story, a moment in time that helped form my identity.
A pattern emerges from the threads of who we each are. Our life’s tapestry is a testament to all we are, survival and resilience, but it's also the story of navigating shifting identities in extreme circumstances.
I’ve been a division I collegiate athlete and morbidly obese. I’ve been a juvenile probation officer and a school principal. I’ve lived and worked in America, and various countries around the world, from South East Asia to the Middle East.
Throughout my journey, I have learned that “what I am”, and “who I am” can be very different things. The process of becoming is empowerment—who you are and what you are will change over time, and that’s part of the human experience.
Some of our identities may become more fluid or more pronounced, yet it’s all a part of our unique personal developmental journey. Acts of service, kindness, and opportunities are the greatest gifts I’ve ever given or received.
Find and build a community of people who champion you, challenge you, and celebrate you, and those that allow you just to be you.
Then do these things for others, so as a collective of women together, we can become stronger.
As we celebrate Women’s Day today, I celebrate each of you, your hopes, dreams, and all of what’s yet to come in the process of becoming!
Mooniba Bhyat
My name is Mooniba Bhyat, and I am the Executive Director and Founder of D.A.R.E.
My different work and travel experiences have been a wonderful journey of growth in all areas of my life. With no high school or tertiary education, I pursued my own path of self-development, and have always been motivated to succeed.
It’s only with the belief, love, and encouragement of the many mentors in my journey of life that I have made huge strides in pursuing my passion for giving back.
In 2018, in my field of developing independent-owned businesses in the direct selling industry, I came across the stigmatic world of menstrual health, the lack of menstrual health products, and the absence of education about what we call “period poverty” today.
Working daily in areas where basic needs were unaffordable, and through researching the challenges that women were facing, I found that hundreds of young girls across South Africa did not have access to menstrual health products.
UNESCO stats show that 4 out of 7 million school girls in South Africa go through their monthly cycle without being able to afford basic sanitary wear.
This creates a vicious cycle of early childhood pregnancies, girls not finishing school, and a host of other social issues that affect the growth and development of girls and women.
Having daughters and nieces myself, I know how important it is for every young woman to have access to sanitary products, so I wanted to educate and empower young girls by improving access to sanitary products and menstrual health education. Through our D.A.R.E initiative, girls can complete their schooling with dignity and comfort.
In 2017 we gave over 6500 washable sanitary packs of pads—worth 1 million South African Rand—and in 2018 we handed over 5000 packs.
Ever since we have consistently continued supporting fundraising and handout initiatives to young girls and women.
In November 2020, I revisited a school where the young women expressed to me how beneficial the washable sanitary towels had been, and how it had enabled them to avoid missing school days and gain better academic results for the preceding three years.
Thanks to the menstrual health products available today, that fall under the D.A.R.E. umbrella, we have opened up opportunities for developing ambitious and resilient entrepreneurs through our sewing skills programmes.
Being a successful businesswoman who proudly stands up for mentoring women and men to be empowered by being financially savvy, especially in the tough economic challenges we face every day in South Africa, has been my greatest achievement.
I believe in empowering everyone I meet to read, be educated, and look out for new opportunities. My favourite quote is:
“A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for others.”
Mohebat Rezvani
I am Mohebat Rezvani and I hail from Iran, a country steeped in rich cultural heritage, architectural marvels, and literature that's nothing short of sublime.
But it is the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement that is the defining characteristic of my country at the moment, where we are fighting for greater recognition of women’s rights and autonomy, and an end to many forms of discrimination and violence that women face every day in Iranian society.
In 2016, I co-founded a telecounselling application in Iran and later founded start-ups in the logistics and management sectors in Canada and Norway. These experiences have been invaluable in understanding the challenges and opportunities in the world of entrepreneurship, and I am committed to sharing my knowledge with others to help them succeed in their personal pursuits—especially women.
Several leaders in the tech industry have empowered and inspired me. I've had the privilege of working with many powerful and talented women worldwide, but I am acutely aware of the challenges women face in competitive industries, including unequal compensation and a lack of representation in leadership positions.
I knew that if I wanted to evoke change, I had to focus on empowering women to reach their full potential in their careers and personal lives.
My experiences have shaped me into the person I am today and have been instrumental in charting my career path. I've always been passionate about exploring new opportunities and making a positive impact on society.
I believe that women should never feel compelled to leave the table of leadership or deprive themselves of opportunities in the name of family, or other obligations. It's heart-breaking to see so many talented and capable women step back from their careers due to societal pressures, and I am committed to changing this narrative.
Today, I serve as the Director of Innovation and Virtual Advocacy at The Dandelion Philosophy. My goal is to empower people through innovative measures and break the cycle of hunger and poverty.
I firmly believe that everyone should have access to opportunities that allow them to reach their full potential, and I’m passionate about creating solutions that enable people to improve their lives and empower themselves.
The Dandelion Philosophy empowers me to empower others.
International Women's Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of women while highlighting the obstacles that still exist.
We must continue to work together to remove the barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential.
I'm proud to be a woman and grateful for the opportunities I've had, but I'm also determined to do my part to create a more equitable and just world for all women.
Kathleen Fariss
My name is Kathleen Fariss, or “Coach Kat”, as my peers call me. I’m a business strategist and ICF-trained coach who helps mission-driven leaders develop strategies to grow their businesses.
I serve as a Strategic Advisor at The Dandelion Philosophy and as a health and wellness coach for Boon Health. I’m also a Board Member at West End Family Counseling Services and a founding coach and member of Top Coach.
I grew up in Ontario, California, and faced unstable environments due to unhealed trauma from my parents. To empower myself, I sought inspiration from individuals with healthy behaviour and clarity about their goals, and eventually, gained access to education and resources to heal myself.
I knew that if I could gain access to education and services to address generational trauma and surround myself with a supportive community that celebrated me, I could change the course of my story. My focus was to elevate myself out of poverty and, in turn, pay it forward to others. I felt the responsibility at my core and in my soul to learn to see those before me as humans who needed to heal through what was keeping them stuck.
I am grateful I gained access to resources so I could learn to stop numbing the pain.
When we numb the pain, we also numb the joy, and there’s the possibility that we transmit the pain to others who didn’t hurt us.
I attribute my success to a willingness to engage with myself and do the hard inner work, as well as the support of my family, friends, and peers. Despite childhood trauma, I now have a loving family and community and have been married to the man of my dreams for 33 years.
I encourage women to own their stories, stand in their brilliance, share their voices, ask for support, believe they have a choice, understand that leading is hard, and never give up.
If I could share some of the wisdom bestowed on me with other women, it would be:
Own your story regardless of your path. Mine has been a jungle gym.
Stand in your brilliance and what makes you unique. There is only one YOU.
Share your voice. The world needs to hear it.
Ask for support. Being vulnerable is a superpower.
Believe you have a choice, and you will. I promise you.
Leading is hard. If it wasn’t, everyone would do it.
Never, never, never give up. You are worthy, valuable, and enough.
As we celebrate Women’s Day, let us continue to strive for gender equality and women’s empowerment, not just today, but every day. By supporting and uplifting women, we can create a more just, equitable, and thriving world for all. Happy Women’s Day!
