WOMEN’S WAY, in partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia’s Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center, recently announced its new cohort of Change the Narrative Fellows.

The Change the Narrative Fellowship was first launched in 2020 by the WOMEN’S WAY Gender Wealth Institute and through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Voices for Economic Opportunity Grand Challenge. The program seeks to change the predominant narratives of women and economic insecurity by using a women-led, bottom-up, intersectional approach.

The fellowship trains and empowers women with the lived experience of economic insecurity to share their personal stories through professional-level audio, visual, and print avenues.

Melissa Fogg, Director of the Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center, noted that she was “excited” to partner with WOMEN’S WAY “on this important initiative.”

“At the College, we are proud to offer our women-identified and gender non-conforming students a platform to share their knowledge and stories, and build community with each other. As advocates and changemakers, we want to empower our students to take control of their own narratives and achieve their goals,” she added. 

This year’s cohort members were recruited from the Community College of Philadelphia. 

After receiving more than 60 applications, 10 CCP students were selected for this third cohort. Each of them comes with a diverse set of lived experiences and backgrounds.

As part of the fellowship, the members will each spend the next 7 months participating in trainings, workshops, and networking opportunities with media, funders, and policymakers to share their stories.

“There is such richness and depth in the stories of our Fellows, and it’s an honor to center their wisdom as we work to spur collective action to improve economic security for women in the region,” said Kelly Sheard, director of the Gender Wealth Institute at WOMEN’S WAY.

This initiative is of utmost importance due to the fact that women in Philadelphia — especially Black and Latina women — have long faced a wide gender wealth gap. 

One of the fellows also provided remarks on what she is most excited about and looking forward to as a Change the Narrative Fellow.

“I’m really looking forward to being able to contribute to important discussions about how economic hardships specifically impact women since I don’t really get the opportunity to do so anywhere else,” said Christina Tsan.

“I am also excited about listening to other women speak and gaining more insight about different topics through their perspectives,” she added. 

The Change the Narrative Fellowship Program was enabled through a $100,000 grant from the HFGF Foundation.