Systemic change in media and newsrooms with Mariana Santos - Episode 80 | English

Mariana Santos is the founder and executive
director of Chicas Poderosas. She is also a
broadcast journalist, Ashoka fellow, social innovator, and a
swimmer.


Chicas Poderosas is a non-profit organization. With philanthropic
and foundation support it grows networks of women, LGBTQIA+
people, people of African descent, migrants and dissidents who
transform communities through diverse and representative
narratives.


Chicas Poderosas works with both journalists and national and
international media. They have impacted more than 10’000
journalists, increasing their leadership and awareness on
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) issues. Through the work
and training of Chicas Poderosas, innovative and pioneering media
outlets have been able to embed this new mindset into their
organizations such as inclusive leadership practices, gender and
race sensitive journalism, and diverse workforce policies.


Mariana shares a story of how a report of Chicas Poderosas
changed the law in support of women’s health. She looks back at
her experience in media newsrooms in London and Miami and how
that created the momentum for her to fully engage herself in
Chicas Poderosas. Having grown the community to a
substantial size for the last ten years, she is proud of the
impact the organisation has had so far.


Her next vision is exploring a new way of living, closer to
nature. She is regenerating a piece of land in the Algarve, in
the South of Portugal. Together with friends she is planting
trees and is living in tents and hosting meetings under the
stars. Her experience so far has been extremely healing and
rejuvenating.


Self-care for her means allowing the dance between performance
and balance to unfold naturally. Over the years she had realised
that we are not built for action only, but that calm and rest are
essential for our wellbeing in the long-run. For her, feminine
energy is the force that takes care of the softer parts of
ourselves and she feels that this healing power is very much
needed not only for individuals but also for the system and the
planet overall. 


This podcast episode is for everyone who seeks inspiration for
dreaming big and taking bold action. Mariana is a powerhouse for
conscious change and a role model for many. 


https://www.chicaspoderosas.org/