Monica Charleston (left) with Zulu Nation Princess Mukelile (right) at Women Now!
by Monica Charleston, PWN-USA Member, Virginia Beach
My favorite quote was: Sex Workers’ Rights Are Human Rights! The conference was more than amazing! Meeting women from around the world sharing the same passion and commitment as you dedicated to fight for women’s sex and reproductive rights. Demanding justice for criminalization laws and a seat a the big table. There was passion to make all women’s lives matter; parties to celebrate being a positive woman; protest in the street marching with our strong voices; promoting education on criminalization laws that stagger us as a whole and on prevention that includes oral PrEP and a vaginal ring; preparing for the future of HIV advocacy and what that looks like to women; powerful words spoken by a princess; presentations that educated us and allowed us to be a part of the process, promoting healthy living by allowing participants an abundance of eating choices. Wow! What a conference. Thanks to all those who put in the hard work to make this possible. Thanks to the scholarship staff for selecting me and giving me to chance to be a part of history. A special thanks to Dazon Dixon Diallo for giving me the courage to speak at Women Now2016! I hope I made you proud.