This weekend, the WWE Performance Center held the first WWE Evolution Empowerment Forum. NXT Superstars and trainees, both men and women, sat in on workshops centered around brand building, collaboration, and gender equality. Hall of Famer, Alundra Blayze and Eve Torres were special guests, along with speakers from all walks of life.
The Performance Center released footage of the event earlier today on both their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Having a trailblazer like Alundra, who made her in-ring return at WWE Evolution, was a good way to bridge the gap between generations. Torres spoke about her time in WWE, and her transition into her new career as spokeswoman and head instructor for the Gracie Women Empowered self-defense program. Co-Executive Direction of Girl Up, Melissa Kilby, spoke on how up-and-coming superstars could help the organization spread their message of gender equality.
Girl Up is a leadership development initiative founded by the United Nations Foundation. For the last eight years, they’ve worked to provide girls with the resources and platform for social change. WWE announced their partnership with the last October.
Other notable guests included: Freediving World Champion, Mandy-Rae Crack, and writer/filmmaker, Marisa Chibas-Preston. The attendees also took part in exercises like meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises.
It’s refreshing to know WWE Evolution wasn’t just a one-off. There’s already news of a follow-up pay-per-view event, Queen of the Ring. Moreover, initiatives like the Evolution Empowerment Forum go a long way to prove the company plans to change the way women are viewed both inside and outside the company. It also illustrates they understand it will take more than just promoting women’s wrestlers. They also need to reach out to the men and teach them to adjust their views of female colleagues.
You can view the full video here of the Performance Center’s YouTube channel.
