United States of America is home to diverse women with a rich linguistic, ethnic and multicultural diversity. This includes newcomers, immigrants and refugee women of color who have chosen USA as their home. The journeys to their settlement are stories of hope, resilience and promise but have recently been marred by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has impacted Black women and women of colour the most, disrupting their careers and their ability to contribute to the workforce. The pandemic has also shed a spotlight on all inequities and exacerbated the already longstanding systemic barriers through the glare of systemic racism, gender inequalities and related inequities in employment, income, healthcare, housing, family and resources. Recent research has also found that Black women and women of colour were more likely to be laid off or furloughed, while working mothers were picking up more of the childcare and household responsibilities.

Gift of Caring Ministries welcomes you to the Together Women Rise Lunchon & Expo 2021 that will be held at Warren Conference center, this year our theme is to advocate for the rights of women majorly affected the Pandemic around the world

Despite these harsh trajectories, these women have time and again triumphed with resilience. Resilience has been interwoven in their journey as they navigate their dreams and aspirations through cultures and social processes, and advocate their rights often governed by gender inequality and everyday discrimination. This is the norm for most racialized women. History is witness to their resilience and perseverance, enduring challenging times while reinforcing their faith in compassion and humanity and keeping hopes alive for a better world. The recent global movements spotlighting Black Lives Matter have renewed calls for justice, equality and diversity, but there remains a gap in women’s representation in shaping the conversation, sharing their diverse perspectives and inspiring other racialized women.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the event was held on 9 March 2021 with the objective to promote intercultural understanding of Black women and women of colour while celebrating their unique heritage and culture in respective ways, creating more awareness about USA's diverse and inclusive society. Through the event we hope to inspire more women to emerge as leaders and to mobilize support for their further integration in the USA economy, raising awareness of the unique challenges they face, and work towards enabling societal behavioral changes through an enlightened mindset and create a network of respect.