Georgia Women's Assembly

Jennifer Hughes - former 9to5 Atlanta Community Intern and current member - writes about the highlights of her experience at the Georgia Women's Assembly conference in November, from hearing Lily Ledbetter speak to recording her own story of working for minimum wage at the digital storytelling booth set up by 9to5. Check out the video here!  www.youtube.com/9to5org#p/a/u/1/Onj65zwdtZ8

My experience at the Georgia Women’s Assembly this year was inspiring to say the very least. It felt so good to sit in the room with so many women activists, warriors, and trailblazers! The event was filled with many memorable experiences from the Skype message from Michelle Obama to hearing Lily Ledbetter herself tell the story of her pay discrimination case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. I felt honored to share a space with these women, seeing how they have transformed their plain anger at the injustices women face into something as extraordinary as creating change in state and national legislature, and even producing bills to be signed into law by the President! Another highlight was participating in the digital storytelling project put on by 9to5 and the GA Job/Family Collaborative. It was so rewarding to see how a little suggestion and some creativity can produce a powerful video testimony about the struggle to balance work and family. The single most exciting thing to happen to me at the conference, though, was to finally meet and chat with one of the former founders of 9to5, Ms. Ellen Bravo. She’s amazing! I enjoyed hearing her speak because it’s stories like hers that make the fight for family flexible policies and wage equality worth it. Thank you 9to5 for having me at the conference!