Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

BENTONVILLE -- More than a dozen law enforcement officers spent the last week in April learning how to teach children self-defense and to avoid dangerous situations through the radKids curriculum.

Lt. Shannon Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the Benton County Sheriff's Office, said the office and its Police Athletic League are partnering with radKids. The program is a nationwide, personal empowerment and safety educational course that teaches children what to do in bad situations, such as bullying prevention, realistic defense against abduction, personal space and touch safety. It also focuses on safety issues at home, school and in cars.

Eleven Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies, two employees of the Children's Advocacy Center of Benton County, a Pea Ridge police officer and two other officers -- one from Utah and one from Ohio -- participated in the training.

Chris Sparks, Police Athletic League president, said the Sheriff's Office trained 15 deputies in 2010 to be radKids instructors. There is only one full-time instructor left with the Sheriff's Office, he said. Sparks, a part-time deputy, is also an instructor.

Sparks said the league has trained over 1,500 children since 2010. The program is taught each summer when the league holds its youth academy, he said.

Jenkins said the league reaches dozens of children each year with the academy but wants to be able to reach hundreds each year with more instructors. The goal is to be able to offer the program to schools, after-school programs, churches and other organizations dealing with children, she said.

Steve Daley, founder and creator of nonprofit radKids, was the instructor at the training.

Daley said he started the program in 1999. Daley, who was a police officer in Florida, said he was motivated after responding to a call concerning an injured young girl. He said he was talking to the girl and she wanted to know where Daley was when her mother's boyfriend hurt her and it was his job to protect her.

"That was the night my whole career changed, because we need to do more for our children than show up," he said.

Daley said he was assisting a women's safety program and implemented the same program to reach children.

He said over 9,000 instructors have been trained, and they have taught over 450,000 children. Daley said there's been feedback radKids aided in 200 escapes from abductions and helped stop thousands of sexual assaults.

"So it's been a wonderful blessing to do it, and the journey's been long, but we still have to do so much for our kids by giving them their personal boundaries, critical thinking skills, and we use safety to do it," Daley said.

Children have had to use physical force only 11 times in the 200 escapes, "so these kids are recognizing, avoiding and resisting before being hurt, which was the goal," he said.

Jenkins said radKids is about more than self-defense. She said the instructors are learning techniques to teach children about empowering themselves to resist certain situations and avoid dangerous ones.

"The hope is we can get in there, teach these kids everything that they need to know so that they can make informed decisions on how to look at a situation and what is best in that situation," Jenkins said.

One goal of radKids is to get children to own their voices and be able to speak out if someone is making them uncomfortable, she said, adding children need to be able to feel comfortable saying "no."

"The instructors will leave here with a curriculum to teach, to go into schools and go into different programs and actually teach these kids and educate these kids on what they can do," Jenkins said.

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Benton County Sheriff's deputies train to help kids avoid bad situations - Westside Eagle Observer

May 10, 2023 EEW BUZZ EDITORS

By Tabitha Courtland // Biblical Womanhood // EEW Magazine Online

Culture teaches us that womens self-objectification is self-empowerment. This pervasive school of thought encourages us to use our sensuality, seductiveness, and sexiness as tools of advancement, control, and influence. After all, it seems like the sexiest girls get the most attention and the biggest rewards.

The art of seductionthe skill of making ourselves more alluring, tempting, charming, or attractiveis highlighted and celebrated in entertainment, art and media now more than ever. Our biggest (and supposedly most empowered) female influencers and stars tout the virtues of owning and flaunting your sexuality to infiltrate, navigate, and dominate spaces historically ruled by men.

As certain feminist ideologies, distorted ideas, and misguided perceptions become more mainstream, how can we as women of God resist the compulsion to glorify sex, lust, and lewdness for gain and applause?

EEW Magazine Online is offering 5 ways to help you avoid the seductiveness trap and be the God-honoring woman you are meant to be.

#1 Tame your need for attention. When you receive positive attention, dopamine, a neurotransmitter or chemical messenger in the brain that plays a role in how we feel pleasure, is released. If you perceive male recognition and praise as positive and necessary for validation, you will crave and pursue it and get a dopamine hit when you obtain it. Therefore, it is necessary to tame or train yourself to seek validation from healthier sources. Cultivate your relationship with God. Develop new skillsets. Reinforce truths which confirm that you are more than your most superficial qualities.

#2 Address your low self-esteem. Not many women are comfortable admitting they have a low opinion of themselves, numerous insecurities, and a constant need for outside validation. Though it isnt necessary to shout your issues from the rooftop, you must get honest with yourself about your feelings of unworthiness, inferiority, and invisibility. Otherwise, your thirst for affirmation and recognition will compel you to fall in line with unhealthy cultural norms that alter your behaviors in unproductive ways.

#3 Lean into your faith values. A large majority of professing Christians reside on the shallow end of the pool. They believe in God, quote some Scriptures, and cherry-pick the biblical principles that best suit them and are least disruptive to their personal philosophies. Believers with depth, however, lean into their faith values. They walk out Bible-based principles that are inconvenient, counter-cultural, and out of step with the sexual revolution that knows no bounds. If you dont lean in to your faith values, you will inevitably fall out of Gods will.

#4 Deny yourself. Jesus told His disciples that whoever is serious about following Him must deny themselves (Matthew 16:24). This kind of self-denial requires sacrificing ones own interests and submitting to the will of God. It is no surprise that this is a hard to concept to adopt and adapt to in a society where we are constantly told to do what pleases and appeases our worldly desires. Today, everything is relative. The Bible is called antiquated. And traditional values are labeled old-fashioned and out of date. Therefore, you have a choice to make: will you follow the world or the Word?

#5 Refuse to conform. It takes strength to refuse to conform. It requires discipline not to try to look like a surgically altered Instagram model who serves up her body parts like free hors d'oeuvres on a party tray. Millions, unfortunately, are succumbing to conformity. Aesthetic procedures are at an all-time high. Plastic surgeons performed 12.8 million surgeries in 2021 and 17.5 nonsurgical procedures (Source: International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) The demand for breast augmentations, butt enhancements, liposuction and other injections have skyrocketed. Why? Because women are scurrying to meet unrealistic body standards in order to rank higher on the sexy meter. Refuse to be among them.

Becoming a temptress who is consumed with outward appearance for selfish gain is not Gods desire for you. Never mind how many are giving in, make a decision to stay firm, stay pure, and do everything for the glory of God.

Link:

Too Much Seduction: How to stay pure in a culture that glorifies sex, lust, lewdness - EEW Magazine

Book of the day

Somerset Maugham appears as a flawed actor in a colonial morality play inspired by his classic short story

On the night of 23 April 1911, Ethel Proudlock took her husbands revolver and shot a man dead at her house in Malaysia. She claimed the victim, William Steward, had arrived unannounced and attempted to kiss her. But her trial pointed to a deeper story, one that lifted the lid on the culture that spawned it. Proudlock was a member of Kuala Lumpurs expat community, a conservative outpost nicknamed Cheltenham-on-the-Equator. Her rumoured infidelity, combined with her concealed mixed-race background, made her a pariah. The killing was seen as almost the least of her crimes.

The Proudlock scandal would later be refitted to form the basis for The Letter, an acclaimed short story by W Somerset Maugham, that pitiless chronicler of so much human frailty. It now provides the prompt for Tan Twan Engs The House of Doors, an ambitious, elaborate fiction about fictions that beats back to the humid heyday of empire and instals the bestselling author as a flawed player in the drama. We will be remembered through our stories, Maugham declares at one point. He speaks with the bland self-assurance of a man who invariably writes the final draft.

In print, on the page, Maugham presented himself as anonymous and dispassionate; a confidante in the shadows recording the confessions of others. The truth was more knotty. At the time of his travels through the Federated Malay States, he was borderline bankrupt, in flight from a sham marriage and accompanied by his rackety lover, Gerald Haxton. Tan takes the famous writer Willie to his friends and folds him amid the transplanted high society of Penang, a guest at the home of well-to-do Robert and Lesley Hamlyn. Lesley disapproves of Maughams lifestyle but sympathises with his plight. It is she who will tell him what befell Ethel Proudlock.

The House of Doors is Tans first novel since 2012s Booker-shortlisted The Garden of Evening Mists and shares many of its themes. Its a book about memory, loss and cultural dissonance; a high-flown tragedy that sideslips through the decades and passes the narrative baton between Lesley and Maugham. While Tan born in Penang of Straits Chinese descent is deliberately writing in the voice of the oppressor, he generally does so with care, conscious of the limits of his characters language and worldview. If colonial Malaysia is a pastiche of middle-class England, his drama is its costumed morality play.

Like Maugham, though, Tans tale carries a good deal of luggage. The sheer weight of its interests sometimes slows it down. The House of Doors is by turns a portrait of the artist in crisis, a meditation on how and why we tell stories and a heated courtroom drama, spotlighting the Proudlock affair. Its also a political saga of sorts, charting Lesleys journey towards self-empowerment and embrace of social activism. Tan tinkers with the timeframe to align the Proudlock trial with the arrival in Penang of Sun Yat-sen, another true-life figure, who dreams of overthrowing the emperor and establishing a republic in China. Sun, in his way, is as much a storyteller as Maugham. But his revolutionary adventure feels undercooked and imported. We view it via Lesley, the white colonial wife, and her vision of events is partial and obscured.

Revitalised by his travels through the far east, in 1926 Maugham published a collection of stories, The Casuarina Tree, which outraged his hosts and restored his bank balance. His straight-backed formal prose framed the emotional tumult of the English expats, exposing a colonial society that was provisional and precarious; stitched on to the tropics and at risk of collapse. The secret of finding good stories, Tan has the author explain to a local reporter, comes from travelling widely and gaining peoples trust: A man is more willing to open up to you once youve revealed something personal, something shameful about yourself. But his careful exchange was really a bait-and-switch scam. In practice, Maugham exploited the secrets of his subjects while keeping his own forever out of print.

No doubt hed have bridled at how Tan paints him here. Hes as compromised and contorted as anyone in his fiction: struggling with a stammer and presenting a public front to the world; lugging his monogrammed cases from one rest stop to the next. In all other respects, though, hed probably approve of the story and hear his own voice in its pages. Tan writes as Maugham did, almost self-consciously so, in a descriptive high style that focuses on the tales people tell and how they look when they tell them. Smiles variously wither and blot. Residues of sadness stain faces. Casual expressions are draped. If Tans antiquated constructions call attention to themselves, I think thats partly the point. Everyone in this drama is wearing an ill-fitting mask. Sooner or later they are liable to unhook and slip loose.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng is published by Canongate (20). To support the Guardian and the Observer buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng review tragedy in the tropics - The Guardian

Dungeons and Dragons has enjoyed a significant revival in recent years, due in part to popular streaming shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role. Once seen as the pinnacle of geek culture, the role-playing game (RPG) is now a hit with a new generation of players. But while many people may view it as just a form of escapism, the game has also tapped into the imaginations of therapists and psychologists who see it as a potential tool to improve emotional and social wellbeing.

Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, was first invented in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson who took inspiration from other miniature wargames. The game quickly grew in popularity to become the genesis of modern RPGs, inspiring a vast proliferation of similar game systems. Since the 1970s, D&D has been enjoyed by millions of people across the world, who have used it to create and play a multitude of races with different occupations and in various fantastical scenarios.

Veterans of the game will often laud it for its social dimensions, its creativity, personal empowerment, and the fact that it is almost completely based in the imagination. At the time, there was even interest from researchers who saw the games potential in therapy. However, research into the games use in treatment quickly evaporated when D&D became associated with the Satanic Panic that swept across America in the 1980s.

The Satanic Panic was a hysterical movement inspired and sustained by TV pundits, politicians, and religious leaders who believed that a network of shadowy cultists in influential positions were conducting occult rituals, holding orgies, and sacrificing or abusing children. Much like QAnon these days, supporters of the movement were convinced that dark forces were working to destroy American culture, undermine the political system, and destroy traditional Christian values. Unfortunately, D&D became a focus of this hysterical movement after it was incorrectly linked to a series of murder-suicides in the US.

We may trivialize the idea today, but the conspiracy ruined many lives in North America, with a veritable witch hunt leading to hundreds of accusations and court trials across the country. D&D and its supporters were a key target of evangelists who carried out a high-profile media assault and decried it as an occult tool designed to lead children towards demonic possession. Of course, all these accusations and spurious connections were ultimately unfounded and no causal links between the game and suicides or violence were ever established. Nevertheless, the influence was so strong that it even crossed the Atlantic and impacted the perception of the game in the UK.

This negative association had a lingering effect on D&D, but as time went on, and the horrors concerning demonically possessed geeks murdering and rampaging failed to manifest, the game simply became uncool and the stuff of fringe culture. But over the last decade, many things that were once deemed geeky have enjoyed a popular resurgence, and D&D is very much among them. This is mostly due to celebrity endorsement, frequent pop culture references, cultural nostalgia and pseudo-nostalgia for all things 1980s, and above all, its support from its massive community of players. The game has even been turned into a successful Hollywood movie in recent months.

Now a new generation of psychologists and therapists are joining this growing enthusiasm for the game by usingD&D in their clinical work.

When treating a client that plays D&D in their spare time, I ask them what theyve learnt from their characters, and how they engage with other players at the table, Francesco Causo, a clinical psychologist in Australia, told IFLScience.

I find it is a great gateway for rapport building, but primarily to gauge a clients emotional awareness and ability to take on different perspectives.

For Causo, who has been playing the RPG since he was a teenager, a players character choice is a wellspring of information that is useful for treatment.

I often find that players choose their characters with an intention behind it, and as a therapist I am curious of what that intention is. Sometimes, our characters address needs and experiences that we crave and lack in our life, and it is a great starting point to address these in therapy.

For psychologists like Causo, RPGs like D&D offer a range of positive benefits. For one thing, players have the chance to create characters that reflect aspects of themselves, such as behaviors, interests, and identities, that they may want to explore in a safe environment. Moreover, it is collaborative in nature, so rather than relying on competition or antagonism, players are encouraged to work together to problem solve and find solutions that benefit the party. This can serve as excellent practice for setting boundaries or having difficult conversations.

Also, being able to play a character with drastically different ideas, interests, motivations, likes and dislikes, is valuable for not only testing alternative approaches to your own thinking, but to gain perspective on other ways of being seeing the world through anothers eyes which can foster greater empathy.

In many ways, the game as a tool in the therapeutic encounter is not necessarily new. Play as an activity in itself has various mental health benefits, and has been used to help children in therapy ever since psychology emerged as a field. But while we might think that playing is only suitable for kids, it has proven benefits for adults too, such as fostering adaptive behavior, creativity, role rehearsal, mind/body integration, increasing self-esteem, and decreasing stress. Play also helps us process new information and to test behaviors in a safe environment.

The largest restriction here is less about the activity itself but rather the social perceptions of play for adults who think they should just "act their age".

D&D is such a powerful tool for therapy because it offers a subtle way to bypass this awkwardness. Its fun and engaging above all. This is a crucial component of what makes these environments therapeutic, Causo added, because they reduce the clinical judgment and consistent mindful observation from a therapist, which allows players to let their guards down and choose when to engage with introspection, or just act as their characters.

It would be a mistake to suggest that such roleplay activities are unique to the use of D&D in therapy. In fact, so many therapeutic approaches rely on roleplay that it would be impractical to list them all here, but two good examples include psychodrama and Schema therapy.

So the use ofD&Ds roleplay mechanics fits well in this therapeutic landscape, but psychologists are interested in more than just what our characters say about us. The decisions we make in-game are just as significant.

If you're working with somebody, and you say, you seem to have a hard time with eye contact, they might immediately be like, No, I don't like what you're talking about, Dr Megan A Connell, a licensed psychologist and Therapeutic Dungeon Master (DM) explained in an interview with IFLScience.

But if we're role-playing, it's more like Ive noticed it socially, and I can ask your character doesn't want to make eye contact with the NPCs [non-player characters], whys that? They can then be like oh, well its because of this, and then they can feel much more able to express what's going on than if you're talking about them as a person.

By addressing the actions and decisions made by a character, rather than the patient themselves, there is a distance between them and the content being discussed. We have that separation, when it's a character, which seems to make it much more approachable for us to deal with, because we can say well, it's not really me. It's my character struggling with this, and this might be why they're struggling with this thing.

Connell first encountered the game as a child but reconnected with it years later after following other pursuits. Now she has incorporated D&D as a formal aspect of her treatment. I started with some pilot groups where I would just run a one-off session and see if there was any interest, she explained. And then I started a couple of groups, which went really well.

Soon, after figuring out the population she wanted to work with, she ended up with three therapeutic D&D groups running each week. The idea was extremely successful, but then the pandemic hit and things slowed down.

It was at this point, in the downtime imposed by the global crisis, that Connell started working on a book, Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master, which recently came out. Now Connell is looking to return to DMing for new groups of players, and with the growing enthusiasm for D&D, it is likely she will get plenty of interest.

D&D, and other RPGs, could well offer a range of treatment options for therapists, but as with all burgeoning methods in clinical settings, there are dangers. Any new therapeutic intervention that is in its infancy is at risk of someone doing something that gives it a bad name. Connell stressed, If we get even one big profile case of, you know, somebody inappropriately running a therapeutic game, mistreating people, doing appropriate things in games, and it gets a big amount of attention, it could kill the whole profession.

Thats why we need more research on the benefits of D&D in practice in this context. Although more researchers are starting to take notice of the game, alongside other RPGs and tabletop games, there simply is not enough data to know what the valuable areas for therapy are and how to apply them for different needs.

But above all, as Causo stressed, the main thing to remember is that D&D is an RPG and not therapy on its own, but like many adaptive activities (sport, theatre, music), they can enrich ones life and provide opportunities for reflection, and can foster mental health wellbeing. Differently from other activities, I believe that RPGs provide a unique opportunity to work on oneself at a pace that is comfortable.

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More Than Just A Game How Dungeons And Dragons Is Making ... - IFLScience

Leneka Rhoden has worn many hats, but chief among them is giving back to her community and her country. Her achievements in community service far outweighs many of her peers, and at just 25 years old she continues to blaze a trail of success that can be emulated for generations to come.

Her journey started in Bull Bay, St Andrew, where she grew up and had a genuine desire to be involved in and contribute to every project around her basic school at that time. Destined for greatness, the young Rhoden was named valedictorian and awarded by the Police Youth Club for her involvement in community building, an award she did not know the meaning of at such a young age.

While she was a secondary school student, Rhoden learnt the significance and value of working as a team, and being accountable. She served as the president of the Anglican Youth Fellowship where she was able to revamp the club and increase its membership.

I tapped into my network and introduced disruptive programmes which pulled students of different faith and made an impact. I moved on to serve as the president of the Environment Club, and I took a multi-sectoral approach and raised $500,000 to execute a project which sought to amplify environmental awareness. I was also elected as the Student Council president and I represented the students interest at the board level and was able to gain the cooperation of the students to facilitate the hosting of huge fundraisers which were immensely successful, Rhoden said.

After graduating from secondary school, she taught biology and chemistry at Kingston College, where she extended her service beyond the classroom to serving as faculty head of the Science Club, and project manager of the lab renovation project, a project that the school had been trying to kickstart for years.

With my assistance, the school was able to get the support from the alumni association and other interested parties. Within three months, the project was able to surpass targets and set outcomes, and actualise a major project goal, 90 per cent completion of the Melbourne campus lab, Rhoden said.

At this point I now understood what the award I received 20 years ago meant. My participation contributed to something bigger than myself and it made a difference in the life of the school and community, she added.

Today, Rhoden is a natural scientist and project management professional with over seven years of experience in the fields of science, energy, and education/training. She has worked with the Government of Jamaica and is equipped with functionalities in energy efficiency and conservation, climate strategic management, and policy development.

She has worked on multinational project teams during her time with organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the BroadHaven Management Consulting Firm, and the Scientific Research Council and was able to master skills in resource mobilisation and team management.

During this time, Rhoden started a non-profit, iAspire International, that is geared towards building youth capacity, while catering to their personal and professional development.

In an effort to empower youth to participate in global action, I launched the iAspire Internationals Self-Empowerment Programme in 2017. The programme has been connecting youth in inner-city communities in Jamaica with global industry leaders from Portugal, Germany, UK, and the USA. Youth were able to interact with each presenter and gain insightful tips to apply to their own journey via the platforms Skype and Zoom. I started out by reaching out to my connections on LinkedIn and was able to attract the participation of over 80 leaders and 400 youths to date, she said.

We have workshops for youths in project management, proposal writing, and resume writing. We also have an internship programme that places students with organisations that are able to provide them with work experience that they use to propel the trajectory of their career aspirations, Rhoden added.

Rhoden also conceptualised the e-Biome, a scientific research consultancy, that provides graduates with opportunities to participate in science-related projects.

e-Biome has been awarded the Energy Globe Award for 2019 and has been recognised as a finalist of the Vincent HoSang Business Competition and the JN Climate Innovation Competition. Today, e-Biome is the first in the Caribbean to open a medical centre focused on PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) treatment and offering spa services to alleviate the symptoms of excessive hair growth and acne for women, she said.

As the former vice chairperson of the governor generals I Believe Initiative and an active ambassador, Rhoden has also assisted other ambassadors with the execution of their community projects. I match projects with sponsors and implementing partners who share the same mission. This enables not only the sharing of ideas but often leads to an increase in the number of beneficiaries, she said.

She has also been integral in the staging of the National Youth Consultative Conference. The conference gives youths a platform to voice their concerns on national issues. Similarly, in serving as a coordinating volunteer organising the RuJohn Foundations Christmas Treat and Summer Camp since 2017, she was able to increase attendance of the summer camps from 40 students per session to 260 students by connecting with schools within different regions and fostering meaningful collaborations through school tours, motivation talks and a breakfast programme, and donated a washing machine to the Maxfield Park Childrens Home.

The 2018 Miss Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen has used various partnerships with Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica, the Municipal Corporation of Kingston and St Andrew, and the Caribbean Maritime University, to execute some of her projects including iAspire Project Blue.

This project sought to encourage the recreational use of the Kingston Harbour, promote safeguarding the harbour through providing residents and small business owners of the Rae Town Community with biodegradable cups and plates, and increase the number of bins in downtown Kingston, Rhoden said.

Rhoden encourages other persons desirous of giving back to their country and community to identify their purpose and passion, as this will fuel their drive to be consistent in their endeavours.

I would also encourage them to identify the resources needed, and plan their execution carefully as one cannot give from an empty cup, or a cup that is running low. It may dry out quicker than you are able to count to three, she said.

For her significant contribution to leadership and community development, Rhoden has been awarded the Governor-Generals Achievement Award in 2017 and the Prime Minister Youth Award in 2018.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com

Excerpt from:

GoodHeart | 25-y-o Leneka Rhoden is a beacon of service and ... - Jamaica Gleaner

As a female lawyer working in the Life Sciences and Technology sectors and the owner of a wearable, Im fascinated by FemTech (a term describing technology designed specifically to address women's health needs). Its an industry predicted to be worth more than USD103 billion by 2030, and so Im definitely not the only one!

FemTech is rapidly gaining momentum in Scotland, which was the first UK country with a Womens Health Plan specifically designed to improve access to healthcare and reduce womens health inequalities. This health pay gap - the less well-known sister of the gender pay gap - has recently received attention thanks to books such as Invisible Woman or Unwell Women. In recent years, FemTech has gained significant traction, driving innovation, empowerment and improving outcomes for womens health. From menstrual health to fertility, pregnancy to menopause and sexual wellness to breast health, it has revolutionised the way women approach their health and well-being.

Lately, Scotland has emerged as a hub of FemTech innovation, with several start-ups and organisations leading the charge in developing cutting-edge solutions for women's health. These advancements arent only empowering women to take control of their own health but also challenge traditional gender biases in healthcare and promoting gender equality.

As a thirty-somethings woman seeking to better her health, Im incredibly excited about FemTech. However, as a lawyer, its difficult not to consider the legal landscape surrounding these innovative technologies.

Regulation is one significant legal aspect of FemTech worth considering. As products and services often involve sensitive health information and impact women's well-being, they are subject to various regulatory requirements. In the UK for instance, menstrual tracking apps, fertility tracking apps and smart medical devices must comply with data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs the collection, use, and protection of personal data. Companies operating in the FemTech space must ensure that they collect and process user data in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including obtaining valid consent and maintaining strict data security measures.

Clearly menstrual and fertility trackers collect sensitive personal health data, such as the timing and duration of menstrual cycles, symptoms, and other related information. The data this collects can be valuable information for women trying to conceive or avoid pregnancy. As such, its crucial to obtain valid and informed consent before collecting, using, or sharing user data. Failure to do so could result in privacy breaches and litigation risks, including claims related to lack of informed consent or improper handling of user data.

There have been concerns raised about how the data contained within FemTech apps may be used after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, resulting in many states criminalising abortions.

FemTech products and services may also be subject to regulations from health authorities. For example, medical devices, such as smart Kegel trainers or breast self-examination devices, may need to undergo regulatory approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Scotland to ensure safety and efficacy. Companies operating in the FemTech space must navigate the complex regulatory landscape and ensure that their products and services comply with relevant laws to avoid litigation risks, such as fines, penalties, or product recalls.

Product liability is another significant legal aspect of FemTech in Scotland. FemTech products and services, particularly medical devices, may pose risks to users if they are defective or fail to perform correctly. In such cases, users may suffer physical harm or adverse side effects, leading to potential product liability claims. Companies must ensure that their products and services comply with relevant regulations and standards.

Litigation may also arise through marketing FemTech products and services. Companies must ensure that their advertising and marketing practices comply with relevant laws, including consumer protection laws and advertising standards. For instance, companies must avoid making false or misleading claims about the benefits or effectiveness of their products or services. Failure to comply with advertising and marketing regulations may result in litigation risks, including claims of false advertising or unfair business practices.

While the cost of some FemTech products mean they arent presently available to all, as the accessibility, affordability and visibility of these products increase, more women will be able to benefit from these technologies.

As long as companies working in the FemTech space carefully consider compliance, privacy, accuracy and inclusivity, FemTech has the potential to empower women, improve access to reproductive health care and promote positive health outcomes.

This article was previously published in The Scotsman newspaper.

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FemTech: technology empowering women's health and well-being - Lexology

Memphis Music Initiative emphasizes the importance of music in the development of Black and Brown youth.

Memphis is synonymous with music.

These are the words from Kathy Lindenmayer, Director of Development of the nonprofit group Memphis Music Initiative (MMI). You dont hear [Memphis] without thinking about music, without thinking about the powerful soundtrack that has accompanied American history.

Due to the rich musical history of the city and how it pertains to Black and Brown people MMI was created in order to boost opportunities for minority youth through music and help re-center the story of music back to its roots.

The NBA Foundation, which is devoted to driving economic opportunity and empowerment in the Black community, selected the nonprofit group in Memphis as one of their grant recipients.

Since its launch in 2016, MMI has provided a plethora of different experiences and assistance to give students the foundation to be successful, and also hone in on their creativity.

The program includes mentorship by professional musicians, where they work with more than 45 different schools and over 4,000 students. They also provide paid internships, employing over 40 youth to 18 different organizations.

We have an MMI Works Support Program here that supports the professional and personal development of young people as they are getting to know the world of the arts economy here and what their future could hold inside of that, said executive director Amber Hamilton. But its a high-school-age program. So, once they finished our traditional program, they were out in the world with [little] guidance, mentoring, or things that help them stay along that path as they thought about their creative endeavors.

The NBA Foundations grant substantially aided in the development, launch and execution of the MMI Works Alumni Program, which started with 12 African-American youth. Participants were provided funding, professional networking, career and arts-related opportunities, and communication and goal planning tools to bring their dream project to life.

The Alumni program came to fruition in December 2022 during a Pitch Fest event, where the 12 participants presented their dream projects to a panel of judges. Projects featured music, books, podcasts, scripts, community activist-themed apparel and more, all of which would not have been possible without the support of the NBA Foundation.

The grant allowed MMI to expand programming for youth, and enabled the organization to hire an MMI alumni as a staff member to provide students with an additional mentor who can offer personalized, specific advice. Lindenmayer said that the grant was an incredible investment, right at the moment we needed it.

Hamilton echoes this sentiment:[Black people] are at the cornerstone of country music, of blues, of rap, of rhythm & blues, of gospel. It is of particular importance of Black America [to] keep that tradition alive by continuing to invest in young people who have a story to tell, and are looking for ways to tell it. They have a lot of joy. They have a lot to offer, but they need a means to tell that story.

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NBA Foundation: Uplifting Memphis youth through music - NBA.com

The 70th Sydney Film Festival on June 7-18 will partner with the European Film Promotion (EFP), to bring viewers, Europe! Voices of Women in Film, a program of 10 new films from vital European women filmmakers.

One of these filmmakers is Greek director Asimina Proedrou, whose most recent film, Piso apo tis thimonies (Behind The Haystacks) will be featured at the festival.

The synopsis of the film reads that a tragic incident on Greeces northern border strikes a local family of three, pushing them to face their own personal impasses, while having to deeply consider the price for their actions.

The movie, which stars a predominately Greek cast, including Stathis Stamoulakatos, Lena Ouzounidou and Evgenia Lavda, looks at the 2015 refugee crisis on the Greece-North Macedonia border through the three family members.

Proedrou has previously written and directed two other films, Facets of Loneliness and Red Hulk, the latter which won her a Golden Dionysus at the Drama International Short Film Festival and the Best Short Film Award at Athens International Film Festival.

The full list of 10 EFP films includes:

BAND | 2022 | Iceland | Director, Screenwriter: lfrn rnlfsdttir

BEHIND THE HAYSTACKS | 2022 | Greece, Germany, North Macedonia | Director, Screenwriter: Asimina Proedrou

ELAHA | 2023 | Germany | Director: Milena Aboyan

FAMILY TIME | 2023 | Finland, Sweden | Director, Screenwriter: Tia Kouvo

THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW | 2022 | Italy, France | Director, Screenwriter: Marta Savina

THE QUIET MIGRATION | 2023 | Denmark | Director: Malene Choi

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD | 2023 | Estonia, France, Iceland | Director, Screenwriter: Anna Hints

SUNLIGHT | 2023 | Ireland | Director: Claire Dix

THAT AFTERNOON | 2023 | Netherlands | Director, Screenwriter: Nafiss Nia

THUNDER | 2022 | Switzerland | Director, Screenwriter: Carmen Jaquier

Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley says the program will help the female directors shine in an industry filled with gender disparity, while also spotlighting the diverse experiences of European women.

EFPs Managing Director Sonja Heinen said, This years selection of films of our longstanding common initiative provides an intense and varied glimpse of the diverse realities in Europe. Partly inspired by their own biographies the women directors show their views of the world and raise their voices to explore themes of migration, belonging, self-empowerment and friendship.

We are confident that the selected films will excite and inspire the Australian audience and encourage important cross-border discussions about moving issues of our time. Our thanks go to the Sydney Film Festival for sharing this platform for ten films by the most promising of European women filmmakers.

Also at the festival will be a movie directed by German filmmaker Angela Schanelec, which has its own Greek connection.

Titled Music, the film is a contemporary retelling of the tragedy of Oedipus, the story of a king who accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.

The film starts in the mountains of Greece, where a baby boy is rescued by a local paramedic who, together with his wife, adopts him and names him Jon. The couple raise him as their own, until an incident at age 20 again changes the course of Jons life. Jon is incarcerated after committing manslaughter in response to a perceived attack by a stranger. In prison, he finds himself inextricably drawn to prison officer Iro, who shows him great affection and with whom he shares many moments of tenderness.

Music also features many Greek actors and is spoken in Greek throughout.

Watch the trailer here:

Read more here:

Greek film 'Behind The Haystacks' to be featured at Sydney Film ... - Neos Kosmos

KENILWORTH Letters have been sent out to 32 community groups and public organizations that are receiving money through Wellington Norths grants and donations program.

On April 17, council approved $50,534 to come from the townships Grants and Donations Community Development Program budget.

Though the amount exceeds the townships $50,000 budget by $534, economic development officer Dale Small stated in a report to council that staff believe the overage can be managed within the current budget.

According to the report, there were 41 total applications received this year amounting to $79,820 in rental fee waivers and general donation requests.

Small recommended against a $1,000 request from Holstein Expo Agro and Rodeo because the event and organization are located outside the township.

Small also recommended the Arthur Optimist Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters receive less than their asks.

The Optimist Clubs $5,000 request to support Canada Day events was lowered to $2,500 in line with historic funding and to match the amount given to the Mount Forest Fireworks Festival.

Big Brothers Big Sisters will receive $1,000, down from the $2,000 requested, in line with historic funding.

In total, $14,626 in fees are being waived and $35,907 in grants and donations are being given.

Council also voted to support six additional applications valued at $24,786, though its unknown where the additional funding will be sourced from.

Discussion on the first-time applications largely focused on requests to fund new playground equipment from Kenilworth Public School ($12,500) and Arthur Public School ($5,000).

The equipment at the Kenilworth school is over 20 years old, and play equipment at the Arthur school was removed last summer after it was deemed unsafe and in need of significant repairs.

Upper Grand District School Board communications manager Heather Loney stated in an email, the school board dedicates its use of capital funds on learning spaces and looks to school fundraising to support playground equipment.

The remaining four requests are from:

the Arthur and Area Historical Society, $2,500 for installation of a display at the Arthur and Area Community Centre;

Big Brothers Big Sisters, $836 in waived fees for use of Mount Forest and District Sports Complex;

Hospice Wellington, $1,950 in waived fees; and

the Personal Empowerment Studio, $2,000 to fund programming for young girls.

Councillor Sherry Burke said she is supportive of the projects, but not necessarily the amounts being requested.

I do think its important that the students at both schools have an opportunity to play and be active during their break times, Burke said.

She suggested a staff report back on alternative funding sources for playground equipment at Kenilworth Public School, and said she would have a hard time exceeding the townships budget by nearly $25,000.

Im going to sort of stand by the fact that Id like to see a staff report on the schools and leave it at that, she said.

Councillors Steve McCabe and Lisa Hern voiced support for all six requests.

For that amount of money, this is probably one of the areas that we can get the most bang for our buck out of, is putting back into our community groups, so I think I could support that, Hern said.

Council voted 2-1, with Burke opposed, to approve funding for the six additional applications. Mayor Andy Lennox was not present at the meeting.

Small said letters would be sent out immediately to the 32 groups approved for funding mostly within the townships budget, but the additional six would have to wait.

Staff are looking into potential funding sources, and will bring a report to council.

The full list of organizations and groups supported includes:

Arthur Agricultural Society, $500;

Arthur and Area Historical Society, $500;

Arthur Chamber of Commerce, $2,500;

Arthur Grace Anglican Church, $435 fee waiver;

Arthur Horticultural Society, $600;

Arthur Junior Horticultural Society, $200;

Arthur Lions Club, $1,049 fee waiver;

Arthur Optimist Club, $275 fee waiver;

Arthur Optimist Club, $2,292 fee waiver;

Arthur Optimist Club, $207 donation;

Arthur Opti-Mrs. Club, $500;

Arthur SU Sports Camp, $749 fee waiver;

Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Wellington, $1,000;

Friends of Bill Walker Git Yer Hillbilly On Ribfest, $435 fee waiver;

Haydens Hope Foundation $1,908 fee waiver;

Hope Committee, $1,500;

Little Black Dress, $735 fee waiver;

Lynes Blacksmith Shop, $1,000;

Mount Forest Agricultural Society, $500;

Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce, $2,500;

Mount Forest Community Garden, $1,500;

Mount Forest and District Arts Council, $350;

Mount Forest Fireworks Festival, $2,500;

Mount Forest Horticultural Society, $1,500;

Mount Forest Lions Club, $500;

Mount Forest Lions Club, $1,155 fee waiver;

Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Auxiliary, $500;

Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation gala, $2,907 fee waiver;

Mount Forest Museum and Archives, $500;

Mount Forest Royal Canadian Legion, $130 fee waiver;

North Wellington Health Care Recruitment, $15,000;

Saugeen Community Radio, $ 2,426 fee waiver;

The Raw Carrot Gourmet Soup Enterprise, $500;

Wellington Heights Secondary School Warm Winter Wishes Program, $650;

Wellington Heights Secondary School scholarships, $900; and

West Luther 4-H Club, $125 fee waiver.

Read this article:

Grants approved for groups in Wellington North exceed budget - Wellington Advertiser

If youre thinking about going back to school, applying for a promotion, or making another life change, the first step is to nurture and embrace the confidence youll need to put yourself forward. Confidence not only helps you understand where your starting line is; it helps you lay out the path youll need to reach the finish. This is where self-empowerment comes in.

Self-empowered people take control of their lives by setting goals and taking actionable steps to achieve them. They not only understand how to get things done but also are confident, focused, and comfortable making decisions that guide them toward their future. If your self-confidence is shaky or youre insecure about your ability to achieve your ambitions, you can take several steps to live a more empowered life.

Self-empowerment means making a conscious decision to take charge of your destiny. It involves making positive choices, taking action to advance, and being confident in your ability to make and execute decisions. Self-empowered people understand their strengths and weaknesses and are motivated to learn and achieve.

For example, if someone is laid off, they can be passive in their job search and wait for a recruiter to find them on LinkedIn or they can take proactive steps toward finding a new and better job: contacting former colleagues, researching opportunities, updating their marketable skills, and revamping their resume. Self-empowerment allows individuals to recognize that they have the power to make choices that can help them achieve their goals.

If youre striving to attain personal empowerment, focus on your drive, identify what you can control, and keep an objective, goal-oriented mindset. The following seven tips can help you achieve self-empowerment.

People who believe they control their own destiny rather than giving in to external concepts such as fate, luck, or circumstance are more likely to take charge of their future. Cultivate a positive attitude and outlook by evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, pursuing your passions, and trusting in your ability.

Measurable, achievable goals are an important component of self-empowerment, and understanding how to set them can help you feel good about your achievements. If you want to run a marathon, start with smaller, increasing distances rather than trying to run 26.2 miles on day one.

Laughter is contagious and so are pessimism and negativity. Surrounding yourself with like-minded, motivated people can help you feel empowered to achieve your goals. If your self-esteem takes a blow, schedule time with positive friends, peers, and family members. Experiencing their positivity can improve your mental well-being, minimize your negativity, and empower you to follow your dreams.

Self-care includes any activity that you do for yourself to feel happy and healthy. It can include everything from eating right and exercising to treating yourself to a spa treatment. Scheduling time to relax and rejuvenate will make you more productive. Additionally, being kind to yourself can help you be confident in your ability to address and overcome hardship.

To live a self-empowered life, focus on what you can do as opposed to what you cant. For example, if you want to apply for a promotion that requires fluency in Spanish, instead of saying I dont speak Spanish, try I dont speak Spanish yet. I can learn. Practicing self-affirmations and displaying confidence in your ability to achieve your goals can help you take steps to achieve them.

People who strive toward personal empowerment must be comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas, and needs. If youre invited to a party but have an important presentation the following day, let the host know youll be leaving early to prepare. Or if you and a co-worker are collaborating on a project, but youre doing most of the work, dont feel guilty about addressing the situation head-on and asking them to do their share.

Empowered people take action, exhibit a growth mindset, and are comfortable learning and developing their abilities. They also understand that success does not come overnight but is a culmination of decisions and actions. If your goal is to finish your college degree within four years, list the actions youll need to take to achieve that goal, such as researching financial aid options, enrolling in an online program, and establishing a study schedule.

People who consciously decide to take control of their lives are often happier, more fulfilled, and more satisfied in their careers. Taking steps to live a life that you design offers numerous benefits. If your goals include starting, completing, or advancing your education, take the first brave step toward earning your bachelors, masters, or doctorate by exploring Maryville Universitys online degree programs.

Recommended Reading

The Power of Self-Reflection

What to Do if You Dont Get That Promotion

How to Stand Out as a Career Nomad

What Is Work-Life Balance vs. Work-Life Harmony?

Sources

Believe & Empower Blog, Self-Empowerment Tips for An Empowered Life

The Daily Guru, 4 Clever Self-Empowerment Strategies

The Lash Lounge, 10 Ways to Empower Yourself

Mind Tools, What Is Personal Empowerment?

Operation Meditation, 5 Empowerment Strategies That Will Help You in Your Personal Growth

Link:

Self-Empowerment: 7 Ways to Empower Yourself | Maryville Online