Join the Revolution

 I can feel it coming. Can you?Along with the cool air of fall and the return of the Seattle rain, lately there’s a tingling sensation that happens when I open my Facebook or Twitter feed and see:

• VIDA publishing statistics on the number of women represented by major literary publications.
• The Kilroys creating a list of most recommended plays by women and a call to change the appalling fact that only ~20% of plays produced around the country are written by women.
• The Women’s Media Center documenting sexism in the media and offering solutions to change the pattern.

And now, this week, Emma Watson, as a spokesperson for the UN, has emphasized the need for all of us to step forward and support equality for women. In own her shaky eloquence, Ms. Watson uses her voice to unpack the truth of why equality for women isn’t just a women’s issue. Equality is for everyone.Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women writers whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come.However, our vision extends beyond equality. Our mission statement is based on the premise that stories do shape our culture. From the bedtime stories read to us as a child, to the books that changed our lives, all the way back to stories of the day’s hunt told around the campfire, stories shape who we are as a people. When you understand this idea, and you know that the Storyteller plays a powerful role in every culture, then “who gets to be our storytellers” becomes a pivotal question.Women’s stories are not special interest; they are universal. At Hedgebrook, we believe it is critical to empower women’s voices and advocate for them in the cultural conversation.That tingle? It’s the feeling of change. It’s the coalescing of organizations and individuals who know that we need to hear more from women, not just for women, but for all of us.Join the movement for Equal Voice. Support Hedgebrook.    M. Louise McKay is currently the Director of External Relations at Hedgebrook, overseeing a crack team of marketing and fundraising divas in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Louise is a former educator, consultant, and coach with a practical and academic background in the performing arts and nonprofit management. In her free time, she wrangles a house full of boys (toddler, teenager, and spouse) and one very patient cat in North Seattle.   Hedgebrook supports visionary women writers whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily representative of the opinions of Hedgebrook, its staff or board members.