Becky G wants this world to be a better place for women. The 22-year-old singer teamed up with Global Citizen to go back to her Mexican roots and visit Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca where a group of indigenous women are making strives with the Vida Nueva weaving collective and for all women-owned businesses in the community. “Becky G is a passionate champion on women’s economic empowerment who has teamed up with Global Citizen to advocate for a world where #SheIsEqual," Leticia Pfeffer, Director of Global Policy and Government Affairs at Global Citizen told HOLA! USA. "For the ACTIVATE series, Becky G connected with her roots in Mexico and traveled with us to Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca to visit the indigenous women behind the Vida Nueva weaving collective. Becky G saw firsthand the positive impact that this women-owned business has had in the local community, and she also learned about the discrimination and barriers the women have faced as entrepreneurs."
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Becky G teamed up with Global Citizen to campaign for a world where women have more opportunities
On September 28, Becky G will continue her "campaign for a world where all women have the opportunity to become leaders, innovators and job creators" in New York City at the Global Citizen Festival. "Our partnership continues as she will be a host of the upcoming Global Citizen Festival," Leticia adds. "We are incredibly grateful for her support in engaging fans to become Global Citizens and encouraging them to take action and power the movement for gender equality.”
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The singer will also be featured in episode one of ACTIVATE, a six-part documentary series raising awareness about "extreme poverty, inequality and sustainability issues." Each episode will focus on specific issues and explain the steps each Global Citizen is taking to make lasting change. Keep reading to find out what Becky learned while meeting with the women of the Teotitlán del Valle community, how her own experiences with being homeless shaped the woman she is today and how people can join her in becoming Global Citizens...
HOLA! USA: How did you get involved with Global Citizen?Becky G: "I’ve always been drawn to Global Citizen’s mission to end extreme poverty and how they encourage change through positivity and action. As a woman of Mexican descent, I was excited by the opportunity to travel to Oaxaca with Global Citizen in support of their ACTIVATE series to learn about and advocate for women-owned entrepreneurs making a lasting impact in their local communities."
Watching the first episode was so moving, how did those women inspire you?"I joined the Global Citizen movement to fight for a world where #SheIsEqual. As such, I had the privilege to meet empowering women in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, México who create beautiful traditional pieces of art with cultural meaning. Discrimination and unjust government laws restrict them from reaching their full potential, yet they continue to fight these obstacles every day. Seeing them overcome these challenges inspires me to continue calling on world leaders to give the resources needed to empower women and commit to investing in women-owned businesses."
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What did you take away from that trip?"It’s imperative that we help and support women around the world and treat them with respect, especially those living in situations where they do not receive the same equal rights as others due to societal structures and have experienced firsthand suffering from domestic violence and poverty. When we give women the opportunity to study, decide what age to marry, what career they want to pursue and what they want to do with their lives, the world will be a better place for it."
You talk about your own experience with homelessness, how did you stay positive during that time?"I stayed positive because I was with my family and we always knew that as long as we were together, we would be OK. In fact, even though I travel all over the world, wherever I am, if I have them, I have my home. In an uncanny way, it was being homeless that led me into singing and acting because I wanted to help out my family. The world works in mysterious ways."
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The 22-year-old singer visited Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca to meet with the indigenous women of the Vida Nueva weaving collective
What can others do to be a Global Citizen?"Anyone can be a part of the Global Citizen movement by taking action and getting educated on the issues at hand – whether you use the Global Citizen website or the mobile app to send tweets, signing a petition, or sending an email to express your support for a particular issue. This could be funding for girls education or making sure people have access to clean drinking water."
What's your wish for the future?"I wish to see a world where #SheIsEqual. Where we’ve shattered the statistic that less than 1% of the 11 trillion-dollar businesses and governments spend on goods and services go to those owned by women. Where women entrepreneurs are treated as equals to their male counterparts. Together we can get there, but it starts by taking action."
Interview by Alisandra Puliti
