4 Women Advocating for Equity and Inclusivity in Clean Eating

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Advocacy has endless means of expression—and one of our favorites is food. Think of the ideas spawned, cultures honored, and barriers broken in the kitchen and at the table. It’s incredible. We’re honored by the bold leaders in the food world who are fighting for inclusivity and equity. This week, we wanted to shed light on four women doing just this. Varied in their approach but united by their goal, these women are working to make the table longer to ensure that every person always has a seat.

 Julia Turshen contains multitudes. She is an incredible inspiration in the kitchen. Her cookbooks, including her latest, Simply Julia, thoughtfully outline recipes that are accessible and comforting, and somehow always manage to satiate everyone. She is also a fierce advocate for the BIPOC, female identifying, and queer communities. As founder of Equity at the Table, a digital resource that corrals gender nonconforming chefs, cooks, and restauranteurs, she fights to end the blatant sexism and racial injustices that have long plagued the food world.

When she was First Lady, Michelle Obama campaigned for healthier foods in schools across America, food labeling transparency, and ways to get kids to exercising more. Years after her time in the White House she’s still fighting. This month, the former First Lady unveils her latest project, Waffles + Mochi, a Netflix children’s special that explores the curious world of ingredients and food. We admire her courage to educate the younger generations to not only eat more healthily, but to make inclusivity paramount in the kitchen.

 In 1993, right in the midst of the Somalia civil war, Hawa Hassan was sent by her mother to leave her worn-torn country and move to Seattle with a group of refugees. Her mother did this so Hassan could be safe. Hassan was seven at the time, and she didn’t see anyone from her family until fifteen years later. Since she has grown to become a lauded chef who honors her Somali heritage and her mother’s courage in her cooking and line of Somali foods, Basbaas. She also tells the narratives of other African women in her recent cookbook, In Bibi’s Kitchen. In all her work, Hassan uses food to perpetuate traditions that many refugees often lose. 

Eating organic and clean should be an option for all, not just those with the means. This is the mission of food activist LaRayia Gaston. At her tiny-but-mighty plant-based bodega and lunch spot in LA’s Koreatown, Gaston serves up fresh kale salads and homemade soups all under $10 (many under $5) to ensure customers of all means can afford them. The idea spawned from Gaston’s ‘Lunch on Me’ initiative that feeds vegan meals to those facing homelessness in LA. In everything she does, Gaston seeks to break the barriers that ban too many people from getting the nourishment and empowerment they need to thrive.  

Why Women Need to Make their Voices Heard

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Several years ago, I began to notice a troubling trend in my daughter’s preschool classroom. My daughter, who had always been bright, opinionated, and decisive, began to shrink and silence herself. I watched as the boys would shout their answers while she would sit quietly with her arm raised, choosing to follow the rules rather than compete for her voice to be heard. 

This scene was a stark image of the significant imbalance we face in the world. Too many women shrink themselves, quiet their voice, and alter their visions to cater to others. Witnessing this broke my heart. It also lit a fire in my soul. I have work to do—we all have more work to do—to encourage true gender equity in the world.

We see how the cards are stacked against women everywhere. I have seen powerful, smart women stagnate or stall in their careers after taking time to have children. Certainly, we have evolved as a society, and the job of childcare is shouldered by both men and women. However, there still is a significant imbalance, which results in women either downshifting their careers, giving up on their passions, leaving the workforce entirely, or facing significant obstacles and disadvantages when they choose to re-enter the workforce. 

 In 2020 alone, a year that has been marked by significant challenges, women have been disproportionately impacted in the work world, thus facing intense barriers including the loss of jobs and stymied careers. This has an immediate effect on the individual, but also in her family, community, and society at large. When women leave the workforce, it cuts into the future of women leaders.

 It is critical that we change mindset around women’s equity and be advocates for change. We need to take the steps to shift the conversation and put an emphasis on progressing parity. Whether it be starting a business, raising caring children, or pursuing any passion, every woman’s purpose and voice is worthy of being nurtured, honored, and respected. These decisions are what grow our society. Until we have a world that supports every woman's choices rather than penalize them, we need to fight.

 One of the most influential ways to do this is to invest in ourselves. We need to own our dreams and accomplishments. We need to rally for progressive work policies, support female entrepreneurs, offer inclusive maternal leave, and buoy what we truly want each and every day. That is up to us. Quieting our voices doesn’t lead to true change. Pursuing our passions, fighting for our worth, and bolstering our personal agency does.

 By doing this we are doing two giant things: We’re giving credence to our dreams and we’re working to knock down a systemic issue that has, for too long, become central to modern life. It is scary, I know. I have left the workforce, had a child, experimented, and started businesses all facing great precarity. I have experienced ups and downs and weathered huge learning curves. It is hard but it is worth it. I know my voice is worthy. And when I face doubt, I think back to my daughter raising her little hand in class. I want to set the tone for her and all girls that our voices need to be heard.  

 So let’s all go forth, dream big, and evolve the system. We need your voice, and your power. I am here cheering you on.

x PrimaFoodie