Jill Teehan, Summer 2000
Brown University
Working at the Feminist Majority Foundation
this summer has been an experience that has allowed me to
cultivate my leadership skills, improve my public speaking
abilities, advance my understanding of the American political
system and, in particular, women's roles in that structure,
and reaffirm my passion for equality for all people. Above
all of this, though, my experience with the Feminist Majority
has been one that has empowered me with not only the tools
to be a leader in the women's movement, but also the understanding
that I am a leader and that what I do not and in the future
does and will make a difference in women's lives.
I worked on three projects this summer:
the campaign to bring mifepristone to women in the United
States, the campaign for the ratification of CEDAW, and the
campus program of the Feminist Majority Foundation.
Of all the amazing activities and projects
I participated in and worked on this summer, nothing compared
to the amazing experience I had by meeting, working with,
and being inspired by a group of women (and one man) so committed
to social justice and equality for all people that they go
to work every day to fight for that cause. Working with the
people of the Feminist Majority Foundation has fortified my
own commitment to living a socially responsible life, and
their energy and passion have inspired me in my personal visions
of equality for women, and my plans for realizing those visions.
While to some extent it would have been possible for me to
learn a lot about the issues I worked on without having been
at FMF this summer, nothing can replace the invaluable knowledge,
guidance and motivation I gained from working with Eleanor
Smeal and the entire Feminist Majority Foundation team.
This summer represents a turning point in
my life. I realize now in a way I never have before my potential
to create change. I have always had the passion, and through
my internship with the Feminist Majority Foundation, I have
begun to foster the skills I need to accomplish my goals.
I am a leader for social justice now because, quite simply,
I will not allow myself to be anything less. My summer with
the Feminist Majority Foundation marks the beginning of a
lifelong commitment to being a leader in the social justice
movement.
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