As a college aged, conservative woman, I frequently hear people remark that the Democratic Party is the only group that supports females. Every time I hear this dismissive comment, I am reminded of why I first joined NeW: to have the opportunity to interact with smart, independent, and civically engaged conservative women. At the National Conference on June 20 and 21, I am excited that I will have the opportunity to hear a variety of female speakers who will give both intelligent speeches focused on current events and offer valuable career and professional development advice.
We need to end the surprise young women face when they introduce themselves as conservatives; we need to end the harmful stereotype that only liberals support women’s rights. The NeW National Conference combats this stigmatization by directly showcasing prominent conservative leaders; females who have truly made a difference in our government, the media, and the private sector. The conference also provides the necessary information to engage in fact-based political discourse and arguments, rather than debates that rely on the use of ad hominems or emotion.
I am also looking forward to the conference because I am confident that the event will introduce me to a network of like-minded women who will quickly become my close friends and act as a support group. As women, we have to help each other out and the NeW National Conference provides the perfect opportunity to do so.
One of the speakers I am most interested in hearing from is Lisa Thompson who will be talking about the dangerous practice of Internet-based sex trafficking and the pernicious effects of easily accessible pornography. I think these topics are extremely important to discuss because they are often overlooked by women’s rights groups, despite being crucial to enabling female empowerment.
By the end, I know that the NeW National Conference will have left me better informed, more socially connected, and more adequately prepared for a future job in a sector like public policy; that’s why I’m thrilled to be attending.
This piece is written by Katerina Dorian from the University of Virginia for the Network of enlightened Women.
