A woman we dudes can learn from

I met Sara a month a few months ago via email. She has done some pretty awesome things so far, has a wonderful grasp of what her part is in changing the world… and is doing it in a big way. She founded the ‘Run for Women’, which will be in BC, Alberta, and Ontario. You know that saying “you eat an elephant one bit at a time”? Well Sara eats elephants for breakfast… and washes it down with a nice warm cup of ‘change the frickin world’.

I wanted to know her female perspective on what us guys can do to help support amazing women like her, and take part in the eventual merging of feminine and masculine approaches toward bettering the world for all of us. So I asked her 3 questions…

1) If you could say one thing to every man in the world all at once (and they would all listen), what would it be?

Watch how we accomplish things. We know that harnessing our abilities, ideas and talents towards a common goal is the best way to achieve anything. Working together and relationships are everything.

2) It is evident that things need to switch from a masculine approach to a more feminine or integrated approach… what are 3 actions that us guys could take to open the way for a balanced future?

o Spend less time fighting for power and more timing using the power you have wisely.

o Educate yourselves & other men on the importance of education for girls in both developed and developing nations. Help us get these girls the education they need to bring themselves and their communities out of poverty.

o Don’t dismiss a woman because she’s “too busy with the kids” – we are all committed to our children, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be just as committed to an important cause, job or project. It’s important for our kids (especially daughters) to watch their mothers contribute and achieve all they can.

3) Rwanda is one of the fastest growing countries in Africa… and they have the highest representation of women in parliament on the continent (no surprise there). When do you think the tipping point will occur where the majority of nations realize that having equal representation leads to more sustainable and balanced decision making? (feel free to just throw out a number… I am guessing 2037)

Many nations promote and encourage the idea of having more women in government however take very few actions to make it happen. Parliament has to be an attractive place for women to be – meaning somewhere they feel like their contribution will have a positive impact, and help achieve significant changes where needed. In general, women aren’t interested in the typical power struggles that take place.

I think many governments are realizing this slowly and are starting to change things, but it might be a good 20 years before we see a noticeable shift – I’m saying 2032.

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Solid solid solid answers. Thank you Sara!

Sara is a passionate ‘Because I am a Girl’ supporter through PLAN Canada, the ‘Run for Women’ Race Director, and a mom. She lives in Markham Ontario. Her dream is to inspire women and empower girls around the world… and it looks to me like she is living it.

Here she is on Twitter.