The Impact of Corona on Women in Tech

The impact of Corona is effecting everyone differently.  For many of the women in tech, working from home is something we are very familiar with.  However, pile on top of that those who now have their children home 24/7 who are also homeschooling, upgraded to honorary "lunch lady" making multiple meals and snacks a day, and cleaning- what feels endlessly, I was intrigued to survey other women in the channel to see if I was alone?  The results were surprising, check it out...

Perspective on the “Provocative” Super Bowl Halftime Show

Here’s my take:

I am a women, a mother to girls, daughter and granddaughter to two of the strongest independent women I know. I am ethnically mixed. I am a lifelong dancer, and lover of performing arts. I am a feminist. I am a world traveler and citizen of the earth - embracing our differences: cultures, languages, food, music, garbs, opinions.

I understand our world view is merely a reflection of our own personal lenses -our upbringing, our nature and nurture, our religion, what we are taught who we surround ourselves with, our political preferences, our religious preferences, our cultural preferences.  I respect that each and everyone of us can have an opinion on something and respectfully disagree based upon those same preferences.

I am proud to live in a country where women cannot only dress a certain way, speak a certain way but make millions of dollars for owning their talent, their sexuality without fear of repression, repercussion or violence.

I am proud to watch two beautiful, empowered, successful, mature, strong, minority Latina women like Jennifer Lopez and Shakira with incredible athleticism and talent, get on stage and dance like nobody has ever seen before (whether you liked it or not).  To dance so freely without fear of repercussion death, stoning, acid wash, hangings,  or any of the other things that occur in many parts of the world. That is what makes America so great.  We can be uniquely ourselves, have our own beliefs, wear what we like, dress how we like and *respect* (hopefully) each other’s differences.

I am shocked to see people not physically harm but socially shame these women - proclaiming that they are the problem with the objectifying of women and allows men to want to rape women. That is never OK that is never justified.. Regardless of how a women dresses or dances, men and boys are never allowed to think a rape culture is okay. Women owning their own sexuality is not your excuse to take and make it your own, or shame them.

You see the problem with saying their performance did not hold up to “family values” is the sad and very wrong assumption that all family values look the same, or more incorrectly- look like yours, and that just couldn’t be further from the truth in a multi cultural melting pot.

I can assure you this is an argument which runs with a spectrum of opinions and no one is “right” or “wrong” because it’s all based upon your opinion, your lens.

I have had the great fortune to travel around the world and visit 92 countries in various cultures. I can affirm that everywhere in the world people are very similar and yet very different. Beauty is defined differently, their weight, their skin, their garb, the way they move, the way they look, the way they feel comfort or shame in their bodies or how others make them feel is really very different.

In some parts of the world women are topless, nudity is common, and the human body- specifically the women’s body is beautiful and not shamed.   In other parts of the world, women are expected to dress and act conservatively, some only show their eyes to anyone other than their husbands. Some people  judge both, or find themselves “conservative” while those more conservative would perceive them as not even close and dare I say hypocritical?

The answer in my opinion is there is no right or wrong - how can there be with so many beautiful differences? To say someone else is wrong, is assuming you are right- and demeaning their culture and assuming yours is better... I would never dare say such a thing.  Especially in America, a land founded by immigrants from around the world who brought various cultures and traditions from all around the world 🌎 .

So where you are a demure geisha in Japan 🇯🇵 , a Carnival dancer in Rio Brazil 🇧🇷 , a traditional Mexican dancer 🇲🇽 , a proud Muslim in Hijab 🧕 in Iran 🇮🇷 , A tattood face female New Zealander 🇳🇿 , an indigenous Amazonian Rain Forrest mother in Peru 🇵🇪 , a beautiful curvy belly dancer in Turkey 🇹🇷 etc. Or two beautiful Latinas firing up the SuperBowl stage in record breaking history- there is no shame, you are beautiful!  Whether you Pierced, or not, tattood or not, skinny or not, whatever your religion, whatever your race, color, or beliefs- to me, you are beautiful, I respect you, no matter what you do or believe.

There is no shame women are beautiful -always beautiful- regardless of their culture or their beliefs.  If a woman wants to publicly express her sexuality (as so many men do and we never debate in a continuing senseless double standard), that is fine with me if a woman wants to remain fully covered, that is fine with me too.  I can live with accept that beauty comes in many forms and my world lens is not necessarily the only world lens or the right world lens to depict what others should or should not do.  We are all entitled to our opinions, and for me, that means I celebrate women- all of you! Always.