Sahara Lyon is one of the co-presidents of Empowering Women Globally, a club that takes place right here on campus! This is her third year participating in the club and her second year as a member of the executive board. Empowering Women Globally is an organization that promotes intersectional feminism through education and community outreach. We sat down with Sahara to learn a little bit more about this girl-powered group and what they’re all about.
Her Campus (HC): What made you want to be so involved with EWG?
Sahara Lyon (SL): I knew that I wanted to be active on campus in various service and political clubs, specifically in regard to women and feminist ideology. At the involvement fair freshman year, I stopped at the EWG table and really resonated with the message, goals, and philosophy of the club! Freshman year I consistently attended meetings and events and knew that I wanted to be involved in the club for the rest of my time in college. We have such a great group of women working on our exec board every year and wonderful members who attend our meetings and events!
HC: What is the overall goal of your organization?
SL: As a political organization with a focus on intersectional feminism, we aim to uplift and empower women both in the Tallahassee community and globally. We do so by volunteering in the community with organizations such as Refuge House, hosting meetings and events on campus with the goal of educating our fellow peers and donating to charities whose missions we support. This year we donated to PACE Center for Girls in Tallahassee and Woven Futures, a student-run nonprofit, as our international organization. Our meetings are primarily topical and education-based, so we aim to educate others and ourselves on necessary political and social topics such as eco-feminism, human trafficking, LGBTQ+ representation in media, and women in business to name a few!
HC: What have you learned from being a part of this organization?
SL: This organization has taught me so much. Specifically, how to function efficiently as a part of a team in order to accomplish our goals. At EWG we are a team and a group working towards change more than we are one person working alone. This collaborative environment has taught me the importance of supporting other women and the support you will receive in return! This organization has also helped me to learn more about feminism as an ideology and expand my previous views.
Courtesy: @ewgfsu on Instagram
HC: Why do you feel like this is an important organization to be involved with especially for college-aged women and students?
SL: Being in college, lots of people and especially young women are just starting to get their footing in terms of self-identity, interests and future goals. EWG provides an often-necessary outlet to share your thoughts and feelings with like-minded individuals. Also, at a large-scale university like FSU, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd or feel unrepresented, especially as a woman, POC, or other minority. At EWG, we aim to provide representation and a platform to uplift the voices of those who feel unheard. Coming to our meetings can provide a sense of community and can provide useful education on subjects you may not have known about previously. Being in the capital of Florida, we have a unique opportunity when it comes to political involvement. We believe it is necessary for college students and young people to get involved in politics and our futures. By participating in marches, strikes, and various other protests such as the Women’s March and March For Our Lives, we are able to impact political decisions and our futures as young people.
HC: Even though this organization can be seen as only for women, how do you guys try to include everyone and promote intersectionality?
SL: We always like to make clear that our meetings and events and the club, in general, are open to all people no matter their gender and identity expressions. By making our club an inviting, tolerant, and uplifting community we aim to promote intersectionality and make everyone feel welcome!
HC: What are your future plans for EWG and where do you hope to see this organization go even after you have left?
SL: We are always looking to keep expanding in club size and influence. Through opportunities like this interview and other partnerships, we are able to get the word out even further and uplift more voices in the Tallahassee community! I am hopeful that we will continue to donate to organizations such as PACE and Woven Futures and hope that we can donate to even more organizations and provide our time and service to various charities as well.
It was such a great opportunity to be able to learn more about Sahara and one of the most empowering organizations on campus!
Make sure to check out more from Sahara and the rest of Empowering Women Globally on their social media:
Instagram: @ewgfsu
Twitter: @EwgFsu
Facebook: Empowering Women Globally
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