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Annual Meeting Announcement:
Wednesday, May 20
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Save the date for an evening of celebration, connection, and inspiration!
We'll be sharing highlights from the year, hearing from a few of our 2025 awardees, and enjoying great food and wine together. Everyone is welcome—you don't need to be a member to attend! However, if you'd like to vote in our Board elections, membership is required.
We're also supporting Maʻi Movement again by collecting period products for women and girls in need.
Stay tuned for more details and how to register. We can't wait to see you!
| | Dedicated to Education for 120 years | | |
Since 1905, AAUW Honolulu has been dedicated to advancing education and opportunity for women.
This year, we're proud to provide $65,000 in academic scholarships—$35,000 for undergraduate students and $30,000 for graduate students—continuing our legacy of breaking down barriers and empowering women to achieve their educational goals. A majority of our recipients are nontraditional students whose education was delayed or interrupted, filling a gap that few other scholarships in Hawaiʻi address.
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Should I Exercise if I am Pregnant?
Advice from Hanna Kuntemeyer
2025 Career Grant Awardee
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Like many questions in the fitness world, the answer to this question isn’t quite a simple “yes” or “no.”
While pregnancy has been a beautiful part of women’s lives since the beginning of time, the conversation surrounding exercise and pregnancy is one that remains relatively new. As women have elevated their athleticism and pursued fitness in the modern world, the intersection of pregnancy and exercise is one that can be a grey area - especially for first time mothers.
As a personal trainer, record holding powerlifter and advocate for strong women, I’m constantly in awe of what the female body is capable of. From creating life to competing in the Olympics, women are capable of endless physical stress and adaptation. As I pursue becoming a better coach and trainer, I have been fascinated by pregnancy’s impacts on the female athlete’s body, and my desire has become to better serve this specific demographic.
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The Evolving Conversation Around Pregnancy and Exercise
Many women are fearful of exercising while pregnant, due to a lack of clarity on safety and efficacy during this special time in life. Particularly, many women are afraid to lift weights as they’ve heard blanket statements, such as “You shouldn’t lift over 20 lbs.” Although an arbitrary number, the sentiment poses the deeper question of “Is it safe for me to exercise at all?”
Safety, Modifications, and Individual Considerations
To answer this question, specific considerations for pregnant populations must be examined. Due to radical changes in the pelvic floor and core system, many staple exercises that may have been performed pre-pregnancy might need to be modified or completely refrained from for a season. Nausea, pain, decreases in energy and general discomfort are also expected during this time, requiring flexible programming and an adaptable approach. Similarly, changing breathing strategies and body positioning are extremely helpful for managing pressure and tension as the pregnancy progresses. These changes and nuances to programming can create a pathway for pregnant women to continue exercising and weight training in a safe and comfortable environment.
Degrees of training and levels of intensity will depend on the individual’s prior history with exercise. An advanced lifter will likely be able to continue training through pregnancy at a higher skill and intensity level than an individual who is a beginner to strength training. However, an important caveat for all women is to refrain from introducing new modalities or stimuli during pregnancy. Continuing with similar types of exercise as pre-pregnancy is paramount. In short - if you’ve never picked up a barbell before, pregnancy is certainly not the time to experiment!
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Setting Realistic Expectations During Pregnancy
Additionally, setting realistic expectations for this season of life are crucial. While exercise can be extremely beneficial physically and mentally during this period, the desire should not be to set new personal records, increase maximal volume or push the body anywhere close to failure. Instead, pregnancy should be viewed as a “deload” or decrease in exertion from trimester one through postpartum.
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Honoring the Postpartum Healing Process
After labor and delivery, many women are eager to return to their pre-pregnancy body as quickly as possible. While understandable, it’s important to give the body time, rest and nourishment during this critical healing phase. A new mother’s body has endured unbelievable amounts of stress, physiological adaptations, hormonal changes and mental adjustments - not to mention the challenge that taking care of a newborn presents! The postpartum season should be one that celebrates the female body’s accomplishment and allows adequate time to heal before returning to exercise with the help of a qualified coach.
Women are resilient, adaptable, strong and courageous. We should recognize the strength of our mothers and encourage them to care for their bodies as lovingly as they care for their newborns. As a coach, it is my passion to advocate for women during this special season of life, and ensure they can navigate the physical challenges of this time with grace, comfort and fortitude. I am extremely thankful to AAUW Honolulu’s Career Grant for allowing me to expand my knowledge and skill with the Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Certification. I can’t wait to help more women in Hawai’i become the next generation of strong mothers.
Be Kind. Train Mean.
Hannah Kuntemeyer | Co-Founder of Mean Training
CPT| CNC | P&PA Coach | USPA Official
Work with me! www.itsmean.com | @meantraining
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Women's Circle Recap
Women, Money, and the Stories We Carry
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Our Women's Circle gathered this week for the first part of our two-part series on Money Matters, and it was a thoughtful afternoon of honest conversation and connection.
We had a wonderful mix of regulars and new faces, each bringing unique stories and experiences. The afternoon began with delicious Banh Mi sandwiches from Le's Banh Mi. As always, we support women-owned or managed restaurants, and Minh Tuan Le, who runs the shop with her husband, provided the perfect fuel for our conversation.
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Setting the Stage
Joanna Amberger, who owns her own financial services firm, opened by acknowledging that money is an emotional and sometimes difficult topic to discuss openly, especially for women. Safe spaces like our Women's Circle—where we can speak candidly without judgment—are essential for breaking through the silence and shame that often surrounds money conversations.
The Stories We Carry
We broke into three small groups to talk more in depth about our personal journeys, successes, and anxieties around money. What really struck me was how different we all are and how different our relationships are to money. Our backgrounds and family stories have played such a significant role in shaping who we are today—something we commonly discuss when it comes to personal relationships, but equally true when it comes to our relationship with money.
Women shared childhood memories and family money scripts—and many spoke about the internal battle between what we learned growing up and what we know deep down is not healthy for us. That tension between inherited beliefs and our own truth showed up again and again.
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The Power of Intergenerational Connection
One of the most valuable aspects of the afternoon was the age range in our group—from 21 to 60+. This kind of intergenerational mix is especially useful for a topic like money. At one table, the discussion of starting to save young and how money compounds over time really struck a chord with the younger women. Hearing more mature women share their real life experiences left a genuine impression.
Looking Ahead
We hope everyone comes back for Part 2, where we'll discuss values-based spending to rach your goals and build financial clarity. Additionally, everyone is welcome to Part 2, even if you couldn't come to this one. Money Matters: Part 2 will be held on Tuesday May 12, at the Kōʻula Ward Village.
Thank you to everyone who shared so openly. These conversations matter, and we're grateful to be building this community of women supporting women.
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ALL of March is Women's History Month! Celebrate it!
The first Women’s History Week, March 2-8, was officially begun through a proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter in February of 1980. Through the efforts of historians, activists, and women’s organizations across the country, it was expanded in 1987 when Congress established National Women’s History Month in March as an annual federally recognized observance. Learn more about Women’s History Month at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum website.
The National Women’s History Alliance has chosen to celebrate Women’s History month with the theme of Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future. Our sustainable future includes financial sustainability, community resilience, leadership succession, and intergenerational equity. It confirms our belief in developing systems that support people and the planet through the diverse contributions of women in sustainability efforts.
Use this toolkit to plan activities and events in your community or with your family.
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March 26 is Equal Pay Day 2026
Women must work until March 26, 2026 to earn what men had earned by December 31, 2025. Why? Because women still earn only 81 cents for every dollar men earn (for full-time, year-round workers) and just 76 cents when including part-time and seasonal workers.
Equal Pay Day symbolizes the ongoing gender pay gap—and it's a reminder that we still have work to do. The gap is even wider for women of color, disabled women, and mothers.
What can you do? ✅ Support the Paycheck Fairness Act ✅ Talk openly about salaries with colleagues ✅ Advocate for pay transparency in your workplace ✅ Vote for leaders who prioritize pay equity
Equal pay isn't just fair—it's essential for women's economic security and family stability. Let's keep fighting for the day when Equal Pay Day is no longer needed.
#EqualPayDay #PayEquity #WomenEmpowerment
| | AAUW Honolulu was founded in 1905 as the College Club. Created to promote “the higher ideals of education among women” it became an official branch of the American Association of University Women in 1922. | | | | |
