Be Bold Stands in Solidarity with the Black Community

Be Bold stands against the legacy of systemic bias, racism and unequal treatment that continues to plague Black communities. The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop.

Our organization celebrates women and their stories. We highlight bold women and their fight for gender parity. We share ways to take action in the areas of health and safety, education, and economic and political representation of women. We acknowledge that even within our specific focus on the varied experiences of women, we can and we must do more to broaden the stories and experiences we share. We acknowledge, that as we celebrate women’s rights, there has been historic and systemic racism within feminism and the women’s movement.

Be Bold commits to elevating the voices and stories of Black women. We commit to providing a platform for Black women to be seen and heard in the fight for equality and gender parity. We will work to shed a light on and uncover the stories of Black women that have been omitted from history or hidden from sight because of systemic bias and racism.

Be Bold can and will do better to authentically engage, support and recognize Black women equitably and transparently. We affirm that Black Lives Matter.

Be Inspired

During this time of uncertainty and the global pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 has been significant on women. Follow our series as we share stories from women on the frontlines of this crisis, and acknowledge and celebrate them over the next weeks and months.

“She’s a true American hero, [who] actually broke this epidemic identified in Washington State when no one else wanted her to test for the virus. Without her, this epidemic could have been 10 times worse.” Epidemiologist, Dr. Eric Ding – Harvard Chan School of Public Health

Women on the Frontlines:
Bold Action & Important Leadership Despite Rampant Gender Bias in Life Science and Medical Research – Dr. Helen Chu

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Did you know…

According to a 2016 British Medical Journal study, female first authors on papers in major medical journals rose from 27 percent to 37 percent between 1994 and 2014. But, the bulk of those gains occurred before 2009. After that point the trend plateaued, and even dropped in some publications.
In February 2019, The Lancet produced an entire volume on the gender gap in life science and medical research, and found, “the evidence is clear: women are disadvantaged within science, medicine and global health. The source of that disadvantage is gender bias, which is a core feature of the very systems that organize these three fields.” – Dr. Jocalyn Dr. Clark, project co-leader
For more than two decades, studies have shown that women in academia must perform to a higher standard than men to receive equivalent recognition, especially women of color. (The Lancet – Vol 393, issue 10171. Feb 9, 2019) P531-540)

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At the Heart of Be Bold Now is stories, your stories.

When women and their allies share their stories, it is empowering. Shared stories are a catalyst to build community and realizing that others share your feelings and experiences. You are not the only one.

Be Bold Now was founded to celebrate International Women’s Day in Seattle. International Women’s Days has been recognized for 109 years and is a day that acknowledges women’s contributions and accomplishments. The day is also a call to action to accelerate gender parity.

Since our first event in 2015, the Be Bold Now mission has expanded beyond a single night to celebrating and inspiring women every day. Our mission is to encourage women to recognize their BOLD achievements and motivate them to take concrete action to accelerate gender parity by exposing relatable stories of ordinary women and their allies doing extraordinary things.

Our effort is underpinned by the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report. The 2018 WEF, Gender Gap Report, estimates that gender parity is still over two centuries away, and the USA has fallen from a ranking of 22nd to 51st among the 149 countries measured. There has never been a more critical time to get inspired and motivated to be bold and act for change.

WE ARE NOT THERE, YET.

Be Bold Seattle will host our fifth annual flagship celebratory event the evening of March 5, 2020, at Benaroya Hall.

International Women’s Day (IWD) now in its 109th year, and is an annual celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The IWD also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. While IWD was first recognized in 1911 in New York at the International Woman’s Conference, it was not until 1975 deemed the year of the Woman that the United Nations began an official celebration. In 1977 the UN General Assembly invited member nations to proclaim March 8th as the UN Day of Women’s Rights and recognized IWD.