What if we re-imagined Black History Month as Black Futures Month? Activist Alicia Garza says that she thinks about it that way in her work at the Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action Fund. In a great interview in YES! magazine, she says that "One of the most important things that I take from Black history is that Black communities have always been futurists… Because of the way that the rules have been rigged against our communities, we’ve been forced to imagine a new future with possibilities for freedom."
Read MoreWhat I'm Reading: Reckoning By V
My dear friend V (formerly Eve Ensler) has a new book out this week that I hope you will add to your reading lists. “Unflinching, intimate, introspective, courageous, Reckoning explores ways to create an unstoppable force for change, to love and survive love, to hold people and states accountable, to reckon with demons and honor the dead, to reclaim the body, and to see oneself as connected to a greater purpose.”
Read MoreA Letter from an Afghan Educator: Optimism in the Face of Agony
Shabana Basij-Rasikh is the cofounder and president of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), the country's first and only girls' boarding school. She’s presented twice at TEDWomen—in 2012 when she had so much hope for the girls of Afghanistan, and in 2021, to talk about her school’s harrowing evacuation after Kabul fell to the Taliban. I want to share with you an update on Shabana's vital work. She and her staff and students made it out of Kabul, but so many women and girls remain in Afghanistan, denied an education and all the opportunities that come with it.
Read MoreRemembering Barbara Walters, A Legend, An Inspiration and A Friend
The passing of Barbara Walters is such a loss. We both faced challenges in our careers as women in media. Along the way, we also learned the importance of showing up for other women.
Read MoreUN Commission Expels Iran For Its Treatment of Women
As I listened to the reports of this historic action, it seemed like just the right timing for a tribute to the American woman who is responsible for the fact that a global declaration of support for human rights in every country exists. I’m referring to the great Eleanor Roosevelt.
Read MoreU.S. Institute of Peace Announces María Eugenia Mosquera Riascos as the 2022 Women Building Peace Award Recipient
I am so pleased to share this announcement about this year’s winner, María Eugenia Mosquera Riascos of Colombia! I am a member of the Women Building Peace Council and I am thrilled to be involved with honoring and elevating Maru’s important work.
Read MoreInternational Women’s Voices: A Fresh Perspective on Gender Equality
This week I want to share with you a recent newsletter from SES, an organization led by my friend and Connected Women Leaders (CWL) colleague, Gülseren Onanç in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s important for all of us who are engaged in the work towards greater social justice and gender equality to know what other committed women and male allies are leading around the world.
Read MorePower Is in Our Hands. Women Can Determine This Election.
I’m counting on women and young people to show up here in Georgia and everywhere to vote in numbers that will make history and make it clear that reproductive rights must be restored everywhere and that actions must be taken to protect and preserve the planet and implement solutions for a more equitable share of the earth's resources.
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Indigenous women must be present at decision making tables
Indigenous women are the custodians of the land and holders of traditional knowledge. By listening to Indigenous voices, and Indigenous women in particular, we can move from fear to action. But we must listen and we must act.
Read MoreUN Climate Week NYC: Women Leading a New Narrative of Hope For Solutions to the Climate Crisis
I was part of a contingent of women leaders who went to NYC last week with a proposal to shift the narrative of fear to one of hope and radical optimism. Our proposal is inspired by the audacious possibility, put forward by indigenous leader Jade Begay, who challenged us during our Connected Women Leaders forum in Bellagio last April to imagine "that our best times may be ahead of us!"
Read MoreWomen DO Indeed Have Power in the Voting Booth This November
Not only are we a majority of the population. We are also the majority of voters. This November, women must speak out, support women and men running for office who are fighting for women's equality, and most importantly, vote.
Read MoreWe must look inward to find resilience, to persist and to thrive.
Nelson Mandela founded The Elders in 2007 to bring independent global leaders together to continue the work for peace, justice and human rights. Over the past year, The Elders have been exploring the "State of Hope" through a series of digital talks. I want to share some of The Elders Chair Mary Robinson’s speech with you because I found it inspiring and a helpful reminder that we must look inward to be the force for hope and change.
Read MoreWomen Leaders Who Are Redefining What Power Looks Like
This week, I’m sharing some of the inspiring stories of women around the world who are stepping up to challenge inequality at its roots by putting themselves forward as leaders in government. In many ways, these women are redefining what power can look like and I, like so many others, am excited about the differences they can and will make as leaders.
Read MoreHope In Action: The Dream of Educating Afghan Girls Lives On
This week, I want to share two success stories because I think we all could use a little good news. You may remember a few weeks ago I shared with you some details about the current dire situation for Afghani women and girls under Taliban rule. Hope is alive in the hearts of Dr. Sakena Yaccobi and Shabana Basij-Rasikh, two women activists who are working to educate girls, in spite of the enormous challenges that both face.
Read MoreNew Podcast Interview: 'Showing Up for Women Everywhere'
In this episode of the Ending Domestic Abuse podcast, I talk with Dr. Ludy Green and share my story as a producer, CEO, abuse survivor, and advocate for women's rights and gender equality. We discuss how some of the lessons I learned and shared in my book, Becoming a Dangerous Woman, can help all women not only achieve our own goals, but also serve as role models and pillars of support for other women in our communities and across the world.
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Getting arrested at #FireDrillFridays with my granddaughter on Dec. 20, 2019 inside the Hart Senate Office Building.
Righteous Anger Can Be the Jet Fuel for Activism
As difficult as it is not to let fear, disappointment, and despair overcome you, we can’t sit on the sidelines. To be dangerous means to be willing to speak up, to stand up, and to get angry when events call for it. And taking action is a form of hope.
Read More'Prayers are not enough. Silence is unacceptable. Taking action is necessary.'
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'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 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?
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