CCSF Women's Resource Center

                      One of my new favorite writers is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  " “We teach girls shame. “Close your legs. Cover yourself.” We make them feel as though being born female they’re already guilty of something. And so, girls grow up to be women who cannot say they have desire. They grow up to be women who silence themselves. They grow up to be women who cannot say what they truly think. And they grow up — and this is the worst thing we do to girls — they grow up to be women who have turned pretense into an art form.”  ―  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  We Should All Be Feminists I wanted to introduce some of her awesome quotes from her various books and put you onto this blazing woman.  “You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man. Do you hear me?” Aunty Ifeka said. “Your life belongs to you and you alone.” ―  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  Half of a Yellow Sun “If you don't understand, ask questions. If you're uncomfortable about asking questions, say you

       It's not real. Perfect doesn't exist Social media has been proven to be detrimental to mental health, especially women. As women we live in a world that is constantly telling us we aren't enough.                                     "Your boobs are too small."                                    "Your butt isn't big enough!"                                         "Your butt is tooo big."                                          "Your stomach has rolls."                          "Wear makeup it will cover up your 'flaws'"                                                         OR                           "Eww I hate girls who wear makeup."  With apps such as 'Beautyplus' where you can take away your 'flaws' or even make yourself a bit skinnier,social media is priming with retouched photos. Have you caught yourself comparing your beauty to retouched photos?  Below is a mixture of p

"You are not meant to fit the clothes, the clothes are meant to fit YOU. " my friend J said from the dressing room at Aritiza (a clothing store that runs smaller than it should).  It was in that moment I realized I was conforming myself to fit inanimate objects that have no real meaning to my life because I would throw these clothes, probably unfolded, into the back of my closet by the months end.  It's such a simple sentence, but it holds so much weight. In the world of 'influencers', butt shots galore, and 'buy your own dimples'-its kind of hard to feel good about yourself sometimes.  Whether you need to affirmation this onto your mirror or as a reminder in your phone, remember:  "You aren't meant to fit the clothes. The clothes are meant to fit you."  DO throw away your diet tea. DO Stop weighing yourself everyday.  DO create a balanced healthy lifestyle  DO stop comparing yourself  DO stop conforming to fit some unhealthy beauty standard 

Here are some resources around the Bay Area, feel free to add more in the comment section :) Oasis for Girls -Youth Organization that provides three afterschool programs: RISE, CREATE, AND ENVISION.  RISE =building life skills  CREATE =Using writing and arts for healthy self expression  ENVISION =expanding job readiness and career awareness  Oasis for Girls Website    Young Women's Freedom Center - Empowering Cis and Trans young women and men, gender expansive people who have been impacted by the juvenile and criminal justice system. Coming together to create economic and leadership opportunities through employment, internships and advocacy.  Young Women's Freedom Center La Casa De Las Madres -Crisis response, Support services, and Prevention Education on Domestic Violence.   If you are in a crisis here are the numbers below:  Adults: (877) 503-1850 Teens: (877) 923-0700 Text: (415) 200-3575 La Casa De Las Madres Rafiki Coalition -Eliminating health inequalities for San Fran

  Starting off this Fall semester at CCSF's Student Equity Support Strategies , with Emmy award nominated full feature length documentary -"PERSONAL STATEMENT", that follows the lives of three high school seniors from marginalized communities on their journey of getting into college and obstacles they encounter, as they become peer counselors to their fellow classmates and to themselves, working to close the college gap.  Our hero's are: 1. Enoch  Enoch plays high school football and lives with his sister and her child. His mother is in and out of homeless shelters, which becomes an issue when he applies for college and needs her financial documents to qualify for aid. With academics not the greatest, his only chance of a full ride is through sports.  You can read Enoch's opinion piece in the NY Times:  The Implicit Punishment of Daring to go to College When Poor  by clicking the link.  " When I heard that federal prosecutors were  charging 50 people in six s

5 Feminist movies to watch 1. Hidden Figures (2017) The movie talks about the story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. It is so inspirational and entertaining with winning performances across the board and an incredibly valuable history lesson. Also, is available on Disney plus. 2. The help (2011) An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. It's available for rent at Amazon prime.  3.Gloria: In her own words (2011) A documentary about Gloria Steinem whose career as a journalist and a pivotal member of the feminist movement has left an indelible mark. The documentary itself is not perfect but it is very important to watch it. It's available on HBO. 4. Queen of Katwe (2016) Living in the sl