Alexis Brooks

‘My Cousin’s Life Is in Danger’: Panel Discussion on Women and Girls in Afghanistan Set for Tuesday

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Prompted by her own cousin Sodaba Wakili’s dire situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and an ongoing effort to get her out, New Canaan resident Shekaiba Bennett has organized a free panel discussion scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at New Canaan Library (register here). The panel, titled “Women & Girls in Afghanistan: Listen, Learn, Act,” wil be moderated by New Canaan’s Sheri West, founder of LiveGirl, and will include town resident and attorney Alexis Brooks, among others. 

We put some questions to Bennett ahead of the panel. Here’s our exchange. New Canaanite: What is the genesis of Tuesday night’s panel discussion “Women & Girls in Afghanistan: Listen, Learn, Act”? Shekaiba Bennett: New Canaanites are quite worldly and often express concern to me, likely the only Afghan-American living in town, about the status of women and girls in Afghanistan, especially since the 2021 Taliban take over.

Homepage Featured

Op-Ed: I Am Rising

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In their tween and teenage years, girls become dramatically less self-assured, their confidence plummets, and feelings of insecurity dictate their everyday lives. The adolescent drive for acceptance, the way we socialize women, and the double standards we hold have compounded the negative peer pressure on girls that causes many to question their body, their intelligence, and their worth. By the age of 14, the average girl is much less confident than the average boy. However, this feeling isn’t just temporary for some women. Confidence is essential for turning thoughts and feelings into action, and when the confidence gap that opens during puberty remains during adulthood, it harms women as they enter the workforce.

Around Town

Podcast: LiveGirl Founder Sheri West

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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to New Canaan’s Sheri West, founder of LiveGirl, about the nonprofit organization’s efforts to address a growing mental health crisis among young people and especially girls. An important part of LiveGirl’s plan includes a new partnership with Silver Hill Hospital to help train mentors. We plan to interview Silver Hill for next week’s podcast. Here are recent episodes of 0684-Radi0:

News

New Canaan Public Schools Enrollment Projections Call for Slight Decline Next Academic Year

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Despite a high number of move-ins in this strong local real estate market, enrollment projections for New Canaan Public Schools call for an overall slight decline next academic year, district officials say. As of June 18, the district had 4,070 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, and is projected to reach 4,095, according to data made public at last week’s Board of Education meeting. The figures compare to 4,176 students enrolled K-12 in the school year that just ended, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jill Correnty said during the June 21 Board of Ed meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. District officials said that by the time the 2021-2022 starts, the enrollment figures could end up rising, for a number of reasons. Many of the move-ins likely not have enrolled their children yet, Correnty said, and the figures do not include those who are “pre-registered” or in the process of finalizing residency and other documentation for the district.

Around Town

LiveGirl, Carriage Barn Open ‘She is Rising’ Art Exhibition

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Two nonprofit organizations in New Canaan teamed up to organize an art exhibition celebrating women that opened Thursday. “She Is Rising,” presented by LiveGirl and the Carriage Barn Arts Center, runs through June 5 at the well-known gallery in Waveny Park. Sheri West, LiveGirl’s founder and CEO, said the exhibition reflects her organization’s work to “build confident, inclusive, leaders.”

“We’re working to close the female leadership gap, and we’re working to create a world where women can rise and take on positions of power and leadership,” West said. “She Is Rising” features artists such as Ashley Longshore, TL Duryea, and Michele Voight. The art, ranging from embroidery to paintings, makes “powerful statements,” according to Hilary Wittman, the executive director of the Carriage Barn.