This is a long-awaited blog post. It’s been a few weeks since the first Moving Women Empowerment Conference, but the excitement is still in the air! The atmosphere was electric and the attendees left, eager to keep in touch and keep the momentum going. The conference covered topics on cultural integration, women’s health and beauty, and career advancement. About 100 women were in attendance and several brave women shared their personal stories of career perseverance, integration struggles and discussed intimate health issues.

Divine Curls discussed topics on natural hair, including: why to go natural, how to care for natural hair and achieving your natural hair goals. If you missed the conference or would like to review the presentation again, contact us at curlme@divinecurls.de

Deutsche Welle was present and captured our thoughts about the natural hair movement. Check it out here.

Sarah Bomkarpe (pictured to the left), the event co-founder and editor in chief of Sonne Magazine, carried out her vision in joining women from around Germany to empower and celebrate each other.

The event kicked-off with Norisha Campbell, an African-American singer, daring us to move out of our comfort zone and to find that confidence to overcome obstacles that we would normally fear.

Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana (pictured to the right), a politician with Germany's Green Party, was the keynote speaker and shared her challenges on being the only Black women in politics and the obstacles she faced with her own party members. Dr. Herzberger-Fofana plans to run in the upcoming September 2017 elections and positively stated, “By 2024, I want to see at least five African women in the German parliament, the Bundestag. I think it is doable.”

A very interactive and engaging podium discussion included several outstanding women. Edith Otiende-Lawani (pictured below), who is a Munich-based lawyer, challenged the crowd to only focus on their plan A – and only plan A - and to not settle for their plan B. “What I wanted to do was law. For me it was either I study law or I don't study anything at all. That's why I said I only have plan A without the option of B, because it made me fight for that A. I wanted to stay here but only on the condition that I achieved what I wanted to achieve.”

"African women see their color as a disadvantage," said Caroline Kouegoua, a nuclear engineer originally from Cameroon and now residing in Munich. "I don't think about my color, I think about my work. My work has to be good, no matter if I am black or white or if I am a woman or a man," she stated.

Stay tuned for the second annual Moving Women Empowerment Conference and other motivational events within Munich.

Photos courtesy of Deutsche Welle.