I call on the global community of women, and especially now American women—mothers, wives, sisters, colleagues—to lead whatever actions are necessary to put reasonable, compassionate leaders into the positions where the decisions about gun safety are made. This means campaigning against the political leaders who kowtow to the companies and vocal minority, and putting forward reasonable, compassionate leaders in their place. Prayers will not make this happen.
Read More'Please do not forget us" - the women of Afghanistan
Dr. Sakena Yacoobi is one of Afghanistan’s most honored and deeply committed women leaders. She founded and leads the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), an organization that provides education, health, social and economic programming to Afghan women. In August, when the Taliban retook power in her country, she made an urgent plea to me and all other women around the world: "Please do not forget us."
Read More'What If Our Best Times Are Ahead of Us?'
Even asking such a question in these troubling times may seem preposterous, but we must to imagine the future we want to see. This week, I'm writing about Indigenous voices and climate justice.
Read MoreListen to My Conversation with Tracy Holland on the 'Potential to Powerhouse' Podcast
I had the pleasure of talking this past week with Tracy Holland on her podcast “Potential to Powerhouse.” The mission of the PtoP podcast is to spur the next generation of female entrepreneurs and women trailblazers. We talked about my upbringing, my career and some of the pressures I faced as a woman in media. I hope you’ll listen!
Read More'We will not be quiet, and we will not go back'
I am preparing, sadly but with sustained passion, for the frontline struggles we face to reclaim these rights as essential to the full equality for women which I believe is also essential for a healthy, sustainable family, community, country and world.
Read MoreUrgent Action Needed this week for the ERA
The century long fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is on the precipice of full success, but your voice is needed.
Read MoreConnecting Women Leaders to Build Bridges For Change
There has never been a greater need for a commitment to serve others, to use our power and privilege as leaders to connect, collaborate, and lead for change. Are we doing enough to confront the global challenges that sometimes feel insurmountable?
Read MoreCelebrating the Joy of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's Confirmation
I started off this year in this blog reflecting on the importance of spreading joy during these dark times. That's why this week, I want to share some thoughts and amplify the joy that so many of us are feeling about our new Supreme Court Justice.
Read More'Our resistance, like our future victory… has a particularly feminine face'
Shortly after Russia began its attack on Ukraine, First Lady Olena Zalenska sent out an urgent appeal to other first ladies of the world asking them to support the women and children refugees who were fleeing her country. They heeded her call.
Read MoreMadeleine Albright: "On Being a Woman and a Diplomat"
I am so saddened by the loss of Madeleine Albright. In 1993, she was appointed by President Clinton to represent the United States at the United Nations and in 1997, she became the first woman to serve as US Secretary of State, making her the highest-ranking woman in the history of American government at the time. Secretary Albright was a brilliant, funny woman who once told me that “far from being a ‘soft’ issue,” women's issues are often the very hardest ones, dealing directly with life and death.
Read More'If African women rise, wildlife will thrive'
Zimbabwe-born Deborah Calmeyer has made this belief a guiding principle for the experiences she curates through ROAR AFRICA, the travel company she founded 16 years ago. I’ve had the privilege of working with Deborah to curate some of these experiences that we call “learning journeys” to extend ROAR AFRICA’s mission to uplift African women and further engage the global women’s community with their challenges and their accomplishments. This year, we chose Rwanda as one of the best models for women’s leadership and economic empowerment on the continent.
Read MoreGeorgia Groundbreakers: An interview with UGA Alumna Pat Mitchell
I am so very honored to be featured in the University of Georgia’s alumni magazine as part of their Georgia Groundbreakers series. Thank you for the opportunity to share my story with UGA students and alumni! You can read the profile at the UGA Today website.
Read MoreBook Launch Event: "Partnering" by Jean Oelwang
This evening, I'll be joining Jean Oelwang, author of the new book, Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen, along with Jacqueline Novogratz, Chris Anderson, Simon Sinek, Sarah Kay, Phil Kaye, and Morley – for a live-streamed event on YouTube at 7:20 pm (EST): https://youtu.be/Dk4UlZqahQk. Join us!
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Tuesday March 8 Is International Women's Day
I must confess that I am tempted from time to time to give up on achieving gender equality in my lifetime. But then I reflect on all the reasons that a more gender equal world is essential for a future worth working towards. On this International Women’s Day, along with UN Women, I’m amplifying this year's theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” that highlights the women leaders who are working to solve one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century, advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis.
Read MoreLessons From the Cold War
For those of us who grew up during the 40-year conflict known as the Cold War, the resonances of ‘duck and cover’ routines at school catapult us between the fear of another world war and the hope that out of this conflict will emerge not only a free Ukraine, but also a globally unified and urgent response to two existential threats the world faces today. The first, stockpiles of nuclear weapons, a legacy of the Cold War, and the second, the world's dependence on fossil fuels, one that might be curbed using lessons from the Cold War.
Read MoreFinding Joy in the Ibu Movement and Women's Stories in Textiles
In 2015, Susan Hull Walker founded the Ibu Movement which works with women artisans around the world to preserve and uplift the cultural arts, the heritage skills and the community stories that are carried in their crafts.
Read MoreRise For The Bodies Of All Women, Girls And The Earth
The theme of this year's One Billion Rising campaign, which begins today, is is Rise for Women’s Bodies and the Earth. This visionary global movement created by V (formerly Eve Ensler) of V-Day, is survivor-led and survivor-focused, and demonstrates the power of art and activism to change culture and systems.
Read MorePast Due — Connecting the Dots from Past to Present to Repair the Harm
Past Due is important new book written by Angie Allen and Courtney Carmichael that is a useful, resource-filled manual for white Americans who want to learn more and pursue their own 're-redistribution' of white privilege."
Read MoreThe Sundance Film Festival: My Sofa Perspective
Resistance and accountability were the themes of this year's Sundance Film Festival. I want to point out two films, one narrative and one documentary, about a group of women who came together in the late 1960s in Chicago to help nearly 11,000 desperate women get safe abortions in the years before legal abortions were possible.
Read MoreHow Mothers Shape the World
I thought about all the ways I wanted to pay tribute to the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as this is the week we designate to remember and celebrate his leadership. But instead of adding to the much-deserved praise and many appreciations, I decided to write about his mother, Alberta Christine Williams King.
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