In collaboration with cultural and diversity offices from universities such as Monmouth College, Cornell College and Western Illinois University, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion helped moderate the 2021 In the Company of Women Retreat.
On March 20, a panel of professionals presented slides, gave seminars or shared poetry with those attending on various topics — all regarding uplifting women or talking about experiences women face on a daily basis.
“This is not going to be us talking at you, this is going to be a conversation,” Rocio Ayard Ochio said, a moderator of the seminar. “We really did this with a lot of love and keeping women empowerment in mind and coming together to embrace the strength that we have.”
Women in relationships
Stephanie Kinkaid is the director and title IX officer at WIU. Kinkaid discussed how relationships can affect oneself, either positively or negatively, and how they can change and look different than expected.
Kinkaid then explained that relationships aren’t always cisgendered, heterosexual or monogamous and can have interracial couples with different age ranges.
“We need to get away from what our ideal is and actually instead focus on the health of a relationship,” Kinkaid said.
Kinkaid also explained that a relationship, platonic or romantic, cycles through the five stages: the honeymoon phase, differences, struggle, repair and enduring love.
Also shared were signs one is in an abusive relationship, such as a partner or friend being manipulative, defective of responsibility or isolating. Kinkaid said that even if someone close to you isn’t leaving their abusive situation right away, they still might appreciate someone who listens.
“Offer support and don’t close the door to your friend,” Kinkaid said. “Eventually, that person will go to leave and if you’ve closed the door then they may not have the resources they need to get out. Offer those resources, understand the psychology of abuse and why it’s hard to get out of an abusive relationship.”
Women and self-confidence
After learning the signs of abuse, the seminar took a turn to self-confidence and how women often forget to take care of themselves.
Precious Rutlin graduated from Monmouth college studying accounting but found her passion in hair and became a trichologist who started a business, Hair Health Happiness Trichology & Wellness Clinic.
After getting her master’s at the University of Illinois in accounting, Rutlin took an internship with the state of Illinois as an auditor. There, she realized accounting wasn’t her calling.
“I just can’t just sit here, come to a job, nine-to-five, punch-in and punch-out — I just couldn’t have it cause I was used to my freedom of being [in] college,” Rutlin said.
Rutlin emphasized that how one treats their body now can affect their health later in life. She promoted improving oneself through a proper diet, exercise and more. Through her desk job, her college habits of sitting in one place and eating fast foods stayed with her, which ended up risking her health.
Rutlin had lost her hair after her second son, amongst other medical issues, which was concerning since her own mother had died from similar medical complications.
