Cultivating “Inner Strength” through Women’s Empowerment Workshops
On May 6th in San Jose, Costa Rica, thirty women shared an experience of balance, growth, and inspiration at a workshop entitled “Inner Strength.” As the first in a series of Women’s Empowerment Workshops (WEW) presented by WWD-F, this event was designed for any and every woman as a practical way to build confidence, cultivate balance, and overcome obstacles.
The Women’s Empowerment Workshop series grew out of a pressing need to help women on a very practical level. Most modern women are plagued by stress, obstacles and obligations, yet they lack the tools, a safe space, and the inspiration for personal growth. While many resources exist for the most troubled and downtrodden women, the WWD-F workshops fill in the gap by also helping the larger community of women who struggle to balance the stressful demands of professional life, family, and personal growth. The WEW model focuses on cultivating strength and happiness from the inside, which helps women become more balanced leaders and role models in their families and communities.
Our first workshop reached women from all walks of life, who ranged from high-school and college students to retirees, across all economic classes, professions, and education levels. Every woman shared a piece of her own wisdom, beauty, and creativity throughout the diverse activities. The six-hour program explored the theme of “Inner Strength” through group trust games, personalized and group affirmations, yoga, creative art, group discussion, and learning practical processes to cultivate positive thinking in daily life. Each woman left the workshop with a packet of affirmations and tools for continued growth, contained in their unique, self-decorated “Strength Notebook.”
The interest and response from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Our breezy garden meeting room at the Costa Rica WWD-F office had space for 20 people, yet the 30 participants were so inspired that the small space only contributed to the collective growth. Everyone gave wonderful feedback both in person and through their surveys. Over 90% of the women described the event as “very inspiring,” “very fun,” and “very useful.” Some even demanded we do a workshop every week!
Through the first WEW, we provided women with inspiration and practical tools to help them grow and thrive. One woman, an immigrant who works 14-hour days as a maid, expressed how much this one-day event gave her strength to positively confront her recent breast cancer diagnosis. She is now receiving complementary care at the WWD-F clinic in San Jose.
A similarly successful workshop was organized on May 27 in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and WWD-F is distributing step-by-step facilitator’s packets to easily implement workshops around the globe. Women’s Empowerment Workshops are well on their way to assisting women in discovering the confidence, balance, and love that lies within them.
