Powerful Women: Sharing Stories

Objective(s) & Context

Reflect and honour the women in our lives.
Identify patterns in strong women’s stories so that others can learn.
Encourage meaningful connections across generations through sharing and honouring different generations.

Duration

1½ hours

Group Size

9 +

Age Group

12 +

Skills

Sharing, communication, reflection, listening

Format(s) & Technique(s)

Small and large group discussions

Materials

If you want to take notes (not required):

Flipchart, blackboard or eraser board

Markers or chalk

Facilitation Tips

At least a few hours (or a few days) before the workshop, identify three girls, young women or women in your program from different generations. Ask them if they would be comfortable sharing a story from their lives that describes how they overcame a challenge or a moment when they felt most powerful. If so, invite them to share their stories.
Consider recording the common themes and patterns that arise in the shared stories on a flipchart.
Participants made need a moment if stories are shared about women who are no longer with us.

Popular Education Prompts

Stories are grounded in the experiences of the participants.
Is there a way to identify patterns in the shared stories?
Do these patterns reveal factors that enable or act as barriers?
How can the group support each other to have more moments of feeling strong and empowered?
How can the group take action in their communities for more women to learn from each other’s strengths?
How can the group take action to support more women in their communities to feel strong and empowered?

Leading the Activity: Steps to Take

Preparation:

Identify and invite three women from different generations to share their story in the workshop.
If using a flipchart, have it set up with markers for writing.

Workshop:

Divide the group into small groups of three to allow for intimate sharing.
Each person tells her group about a powerful woman who has inspired her. Allow 10 minutes per group member (for a total of 30 minutes) for small groups to share their stories amongst themselves.
Bring everyone together again as a large group.
In the large group, ask if participants noticed any patterns in the stories. What kind of power did these women possess? Allow 20 minutes for large group sharing.
Ask the three women from different generations to share a story from their lives that describes how they overcame a challenge or a moment when they felt most powerful. Ensure that each speaker has 10 minutes to share her story.
Ask the whole group if they see any more patterns in these stories? Ask what the group takes away from this discussion?

Debrief

Questions

Will these stories have an impact on their work? How?
Do participants need extra support or counselling if the stories have triggered strong responses?

Success Indicators