On the Well Woman Show this week in celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, I interview Raquel Benavidez

Let’s talk a bit about International Women’s Day recognized each year on March 8. UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting women’s needs worldwide. UN Women recently called on investing in women as the best solution to face growing crises – really centering women in the solutions. In a news release from the United Nations, UN Women stated that in a year where almost half of the population lives in a country undergoing an election, this International Women’s Day is a crucial opportunity to define the future we want. As conflict, climate change and polarizing societies are eroding decades of progress in gender equality, UN Women is calling on “Invest in women: Accelerate Progress” to realize the gender equality dividend for all.

Ensuring pay equity is important to businesses not just from a legal compliance perspective, but also because research shows that employees have a high level of awareness around pay equity issues (and legislation), and are more likely to want to work for employers who are transparent about pay equity. As employees become more willing to talk about their pay with their coworkers, transparency from employers about pay, and pay equity, will become a critical differentiator for employers seeking to hire top talent in the future. Learn more at Family Friendly New Mexico.

Now, in celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Raquel Benavidez is on the show today. She’s an advocate and leader for Latina Equal Pay and CEO of Bien Loca Industries, a medical and recreational cultivation and processing company with delivery/distribution and retail licenses in New Mexico. On the show we discuss:

1. The importance of self-awareness and discernment in embracing one’s unique identity while letting go of negative traits.
2. Reevaluating competition, while advocating for women and addressing challenges women face in male-dominated fields.
3. Fully embracing one’s unique perspectives and abilities without worrying what others think in order to effectively express oneself and one’s leadership.

For the full interview, including a deep dive into the Four Agreements work Raquel has been leading, listen to Episode 329 available on NPR podcasts tomorrow, 3/13.

Raquel recommended The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. ,and

The Well Woman Show is thankful for support from Collective Action Strategies – a consulting firm that supports systemic change so that women and families thrive, and by the Well Woman Life Movement Challenge Quiz at wellwomanlife.com/quiz

As always, all the links and information are at wellwomanlife.com/radio