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Shakira: "Education Is a Right"

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:39:00 -0800

As a young girl in Colombia, I promised myself that, someday, I would help change the lives of the barefoot, desperate children living in the parks around my home. I had the audacity of youth: I remember thinking that every child deserved the opportunity to learn. I also had the clarity of youth: I knew that all children deserved an equal chance.

When I was eighteen, I took the first steps toward keeping my promise. I started the Pies Descalzos ("Bare Feet") Foundation in honor of the barefoot children who inspired me. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure that all children can exercise their right to a quality education and a chance to fulfill their true potential. We provide nutritious meals, quality education and psychological support to more than five thousand students and their families across Colombia.

Education is a right, not a privilege, and we need to treat it that way. Far too often, children who are born poor die poor, trapping too many children in a cycle of despair. Education is the most powerful way to break the cycle. Education affects every aspect of development. Research has shown that access to education increases wages, lowers the risk of disease and decreases the likelihood a child will turn to a destructive violent life. A single year of primary education can increase a girl’s wages by 10 to 20 percent later in life. We cannot possibly hope to thrive as a global community if we continue to turn our backs on the potential and talents of millions of children.

It’s difficult to believe that, in today’s world, 72 million kids don’t have access to any kind of education, and 226 million adolescents don’t attend secondary school. Hundreds of millions who do attend school can’t learn because of inadequate teachers, lack of supplies or empty stomachs.

Our schools in Colombia are proving each and every day that no matter where a child is from, no matter how poor they are, they can thrive if given the chance. The best part of my work is watching students blossom and make something of their lives. Last year, a student from a Pies Descalzos school placed 14th out of the whole country in Colombia’s national exams. He came from extreme poverty and suffered from malnutrition as a child. Today, he’s in college and working to use his education to give back to his community. We have seen that every child has a contribution to share.

Now, we are bringing our model to the U.S. and the rest of the world. Education for every child is within our reach. Let’s make a commitment to the children of the world. Let us tell them -- today -- that we see their value, no matter where they happen to have been born or how difficult their circumstances. Let’s make clear that we believe in them and that through hard work they can improve their lives. Let’s commit to giving them the tools they need to build our future.

Shakira with the students of the Barefoot Foundation

Photo by Tobias Kaeufer

Internationally acclaimed recording artist Shakira is a leading advocate for universal education. Her Pies Descalzos foundation has helped over 28,000 of Colombia’s children access education. Her US-based Barefoot Foundation is expanding her work internationally. Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and honorary chair of the Global Campaign for Education. She is the 6th highest selling artist of all time and the winner of two Grammys, eight Latin Grammys and countless awards worldwide.

Direct from The Women's Conference

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:13:00 -0700

After a two day journey to the center of the new women’s movement, packaged and delivered with style by Maria Shriver, First Lady, activist, global everywoman, I have returned to my life, stimulated, motivated, changed.

I left Long Beach, California, with 25,000 women (and a few token men) feeling the need for a cup of tea, a good, long nap and time to process what I had experienced -- speakers from around the globe sharing stories so personal they felt familiar. Brand name stars shed the cloaks of their celebrity and made us feel like they had come for an intimate chat, right there, with us. Platforms shared by power women -- one with the ability to shift the world’s economic freefall; the other a survivor of a childhood sold to the sex trade of Cambodia -- both having a lot to say about the state of women in this world and leading the kind of exemplary lives that will make a difference to so many more beyond themselves.

The deep well of loss, grief, healing and resilience was another topic illuminated on the Arena stage, as Maria poignantly shared her own difficult journey through grief in the days following the death of her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Her words resonated powerfully with so many women who have experienced loss in its many forms.

I am one of those women, a daughter of a parent whose mind has been lost to Alzheimer’s disease. I am bound together with millions of other daughters around the globe. Our shared responsibility, as Architects of Change, is to advocate and motivate our national legislators to fund the research path that will lead to Alzheimer’s survivorship. We have role models: other great women standing in front of devastating diseases (breast cancer, AIDS, heart disease) and getting the job done.

Come be a part of this change we are creating in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. For those of you who live in or near Los Angeles, we invite you to join ‘Maria’s A-team’ at the LA Memory Walk on Sunday morning, November 1 in downtown Los Angeles. For additional information, please go to www.alz.org/mariasateam

Change is in each of us, every day.

As Chair of The Judy Fund, Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns works to ignite public awareness and involvement in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. To date, The Judy Fund, created in memory of Elizabeth’s mother Judy Gelfand, has raised and granted close to $4 million dollars to support Alzheimer’s research and advocacy in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association. A former Sr. Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Universal Pictures, Elizabeth Gelfand left her post in April, 2004 to manage The Judy Fund.

Join Maria’s A-Team at the LA Memory Walk in downtown Los Angeles this Sunday, November 1, 2009. Sign up or make a donation at www.alz.org/mariasateam

Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns was a speaker at A Day of Transformation.

LIVE FROM THE CONFERENCE: Blogger, Louise Tutelian

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:24:00 -0700

Coming to you live from The Women's Conference 2009 where an unprecedented 25,000 are gathering for two days of inspiration and transformation.

Change is Sweet

Sabrina Vegnone’s colleagues were in love with her cookies. For years, she had brought them to the mutual fund company where she worked, these spectacularly hand-iced and decorated treats. And for years, her colleagues told her to go into business with them. So when Vegnone was laid off in July, she saw an opportunity. Today, just three months later, she is on the exhibition floor here at The Women's Conference with a banner touting Sabrina’s Sweetery (www.SabrinasSweetery.com) hung behind her.

“It was hard when I got laid off but it gave me the chance to try this out,” said Vergone, whose business is based in North Hollywood, CA. “I’m not sure I would have quit my job to do this and I have no idea where it’s going, but it’s been really busy and great,” she said. How busy? “I rent a kitchen and bake twice a week, about 20 dozen cookies, but sometimes as many as 500 for a single occasion,” she explained. Claiming the benefits of a very steady hand, Vergone decorates every single one, down to the last sugar pearl. In her booth today are bikini cookies, surfboard cookies, bride and groom cookies, and baby onesies cookies. Sabrina’s Sweetery claims ownership of 500 cookie cutters, including basketballs, sailboats, even lobsters and seahorses. If a client can’t find the perfect shape, Vegnone will design one.

Visitors to the booth inquire about corporate catering, local delivery, cookie and icing choices. It’s clear that Vegnone is reveling in her new career. “I loved my job,” she said. “But I loved cookies more.”

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The Big Picture

Picture this: One creative woman and her two equally talented sisters team up to develop a totally new (patent-pending!) photographic product called Pic-A-Pak (www.pic-a-pak.com) and show it off at The Women’s Conference, their first visit here. Allene del Rosario Michel, Pic-A-Pak’s creative director, chattered nonstop with visitors to her exhibition booth as they handled the sample triangular 3-D packets. “Clients supply an image and we customize it, “ said Michel, of Arcadia, CA. Filled with anything from jelly beans to Jordan almonds to tiny pots of lip gloss, the packets can be used as party favors or keepsakes for any personal or corporate event. They come in two sizes, are affordable and can be studded with rhinestones and other decorative elements.

Jennifer Taylor, Pic-A-Pak’s managing principal, explained why the conference is a particularly potent venue in which to meet potential clients. “We’ve had women planning their own weddings, their daughter’s weddings, their daughter’s quinceanos parties,” she said. “Grandmoms love these.” The sisters had heard about the conference last year but couldn’t get tickets. “When we heard about the opportunity to present here this year, we jumped at it,” she added. “We knew the exposure would be great.”

The conference really has been a terrific networking opportunity for women entrepreneurs. For Taylor personally, the highlight has been seeing the range of other services, crafts and entrepreneurial businesses on the exhibition floor, including businesses in her area with whom she will keep in touch. “From H & R Block to adorable high-end baby aprons, there is so much here,” she said. But it wasn’t all about work, either, she added. “The book-signing event, with “Caroline (Kennedy), Maria (Shriver), Paula (Zahn), and Valerie (Bertinelli) was like an adult Disneyland.”

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Tea Party Angels Take Flight

Cheryl Beck stands in her booth on the vast exhibition floor here, explaining how she intends to change the world, one tea party at a time. Beck’s concept is a non-profit initiative called “Tea Party Angels” (www.teapartyangels.org) in which mothers and their 7 to 12-year-old daughters host tea parties across the country. They raise money for girls in need of education—and get a lesson in social responsibility themselves. For $40, the hostess receives a tea set for six, T-shirts to decorate, handmade beaded “Angel” bracelets, and an educational DVD. Party attendees contribute donations earned from performing chores at home and as a group choose a charity from an approved list, including Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute.

“I was inspired by ‘Three Cups of Tea’ by Greg Mortenson,” said Beck, “and the difference one person could make.” So it was no coincidence that Beck chose this year’s Women’s Conference, which Mortenson is also attending, to make her debut. She feels as if she is among friends. “There’s such a diverse crowd here. It’s a gracious group of people and they are receptive to this concept,” said Beck, who traveled from New York to be here. The theme of the conference is also particularly appropriate, she says--It’s never too early to teach young girls to be Architects of Change.

Louise Tutelian is an experienced journalist who has written for over two dozen national and regional publications and websites, including The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Parenting and Working Mother, where she wrote the "Learning Curve" column. Her work can be found at www.louisetutelian.com

LIVE FROM THE CONFERENCE: Blogger, Brenda Duran

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:16:00 -0700

Coming to you live from The Women's Conference 2009 where an unprecedented 25,000 are gathering for two days of inspiration and transformation.

Money. Jobs. The Economy. These are the words that had women buzzing throughout the conference these last two days. Whether it was networking at The Night at The Village for jobs or attending sessions on how to manage money, women are sharing similar stories.

These stories are about themselves, their husbands, boyfriends or friends who have lost their jobs and are facing financial challenges.

Many of them say they have been hit hard by the global recession and are facing the fact pointed out by USA Today earlier this year: that men are losing their jobs at a faster rate than women.

This buzz was also generated a week ago with The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything, which explored the reality that, for the first time in our history, half of all U.S. workers are women and that women are the primary or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families.

“Women are at a point where they need to step up to plate right now,” said Carol Saucillo who attended the How To Manage Your Money in Uncertain Times session this afternoon.

Saucillo said although she has not been directly affected by the recession, her best friend and sister like thousands of women in the country right now are rapidly become the sole breadwinners. Both her friend and sister’s husbands are out of a job.

Saucillo said she is planning on taking the information and tips on how to stay optimistic and manage money better during this financial turmoil back to both of them.

For Renee Janosch of San Jose, California, the conference is a great way to interact with other women and learn strategies for saving.

The goal is also to stay upbeat in order to take the optimism back home.

“I have been trying to get my husband motivated. I have a lot of friends in the same situation,” said Janosch.

The conference offers opportunities for women to think about ways to reinvent themselves, build strength during trying times and become smarter about their finances.

It also offers a place for women to share their feelings and frustrations and learn from one another. Pauline Morgan of Rowland Heights, California, who has been unemployed since 2007, says she will use the conference to touch base with numerous nonprofit organizations to find volunteer opportunities. “When I am here, I am on high. It’s definitely been an emotional boost for me,” said Morgan.

First-time attendee Diana Rodriguez, 24, a recent college graduate who has not been able to find a job, says the conference gives her the motivation to see past her present hurdle and plan for the future.

Rodriguez says it is a relief to hear about others who are facing the same struggle and know there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

“It is really refreshing to be in a place where you can escape all the negative news about the economy and hear how to overcome problems and be a success,” said Rodriguez.

It is courage many women at the conference walked away with to face their shared reality.

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When Jacqui Viale flew her mother Gayle Joseph from Philadelphia to Long Beach for The Women’s Conference 2009, she had one goal in mind: to show her first-hand the progress her own generation had made when it comes to women empowerment.

“Her generation was pushed down, there were not the same opportunities available for women back then,” said Viale, 44 of Long Beach. “I wanted her to hear all of these inspiring stories and have the same enthusiasm I have for the conference.”

The two are amongst the many faces of mothers and daughters here today sharing a special bond as they experience the conference together. Dozens of mothers and daughters are turning the extraordinary two-day event into quality time. They can be seen excitedly roaming the booths at The Night at The Village and during rousing standing ovations at many of the sessions.

Inside of the massive bookstore at the Village, Jacqui and Gayle browsed books together and were planning on their next session. The two admitted they were both blown away by playwright Eve Ensler and were embracing the energy and spirit in the Arena.

Gayle Joseph, 67, said she and her daughter have shared the same political and philosophical ideas for years. She knew the conference was the ideal place for them to reconnect and spark up new dialogue about each of their generations.

“I always tell her how my generation backed down a lot because we were intimidated, “said Gayle. “We started pushing out and now here we are. It has been great to see so many strong women gathered together.”

Today, Gayle and Jackie, two generations of Architects of Change, used the conference to link the past to the present. Like so many mothers and daughters here today, it’s an experience of a lifetime.

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Dora Medrano came to The Women’s Conference 2009 with a mission – to complete the circle that began earlier this year when she was going through what she calls one of the “most horrific ordeals” of her life – getting diagnosed with ovarian and uterine cancer.

She attended a seminar in April one month after being diagnosed led by today’s Day of Transformation speaker Dr. Martha Beck, life coach and author of “Steering by Starlight: The Science and Magic of Finding Your Destiny.”

“At the time, she helped me to plug into my own power and energy when I needed it the most,” said Medrano, a commercial producer from Malibu.

Medrano said it was the need for more connections with other women along with Beck’s name on the line-up of speakers that moved her to buy her first Women’s Conference ticket.

“There seems to be a resurgence of the female consciousness in our country right now, so I needed to be here,” Medrano said.

Today, Medrano’s cancer experience came full circle when she took in Beck’s advice during “So You Want to be an Architect of Change? What You’ll Need to Know About Your Journey Along the Way.”

Sitting in the packed Grand Ballroom, Medrano said she learned she had moved on from what Beck calls the “death and rebirth” square and was now six months later in square two of the personal transformation stage “dreaming and scheming” about the next step in life following the dramatic “meltdown” of her old self.

“Cancer can lead to social isolation and for a long time I wanted to write my own story so I did it and now I want to go on and help people get to a lot of the resources not readily available that I found out about,” said Medrano who started up a blog a few months ago.

Being in the presence of thousands of women today, helped Medrano make a number of connections with other women and gave her the ultimate reassurance she needed to carry on with her mission of taking her blog further and begin research on how to build a fundraiser for cancer.

“I found out today, I am alright. I am on the right path,” she said.

Medrano said the she believes she will get through the cancer not only because her doctor told her she has “astronomically high percentage” of no reoccurrence but because she was reminded today how to stay in tune with herself and her needs by interacting with thousands of others.

At her first Women’s Conference Medrano saw the bigger picture.

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A year ago, I set foot at The Women’s Conference as a reporter in search of a good story. In my quest, what I found was not just one, but hundreds of inspirational stories flourishing beyond the podium of riveting high-profile speakers. They were from women from all walks of life who trickled into the Long Beach Convention Center looking to make meaningful connections.

These women were both hungry for words of wisdom from the gamut of special guests ranging from visionaries and business leaders to authors, artists and pop culture icons. And these women were eager to build bridges with others by finding common ground. The conference offered them this and much, much more.

I watched the instant camaraderie; the hope and positive energy flow throughout the conference. There was laughter; there were also tears. Within every corner the opportunity to become a true “Architect of Change” was within everyone’s reach - at the book signings, at the panels and the breakout sessions and online. There were countless ways to indulge in tips for self-improvement, health, money and life balance.

At the end of every session women said they were refreshed with a clear vision that enabled them to walk a bit taller and smile with a bit more confidence. Women seemed to be more self-aware of the next big step they would be taking in their life and this time around they were going for it after being given the tools needed to get there. The best part was hearing women talk about how they were going to take what they gathered and put it into action in their communities, in their family life and within their own long-term goals.

This year, the conference will continue to be the catalyst for change and create new inspirational stories that will continue to thrive throughout the year within this online community where information, dialogue and inspiration are abundant. For the first year ever, the conference will be a full two-day event that will welcome 24,000 attendees.

The live webcast on October 27th ( 8 am – 7pm PDT) will make the highly anticipated lineup of speakers available to millions of women who cannot be present in Long Beach. It is the perfect opportunity to capture the true spirit of the conference with friends, family and colleagues at home or in your office. Today, you’ll be able to check out the latest conference highlights -- videos, photos, interviews and blogs accessible -- from Day One of the conference: A Day of Transformation, and Night at The Village.

I’ll be blogging from the conference for the next two amazing days about the women here and their transformative experiences. Expect lots of moving anecdotes.

These conversations and more will continue 365 days a year – right here online. So join us. Tell us your story. You will feel a sense of renewal in the air, just as I did a year ago.

Brenda Duran is an award-winning writer who has reported on education, immigration and health. She has written for The El Paso Times, The Denver Post, The North County Times and The Long Beach Press-Telegram. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

LIVE FROM THE CONFERENCE: Blogger, Astrid Sheil

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:30:00 -0700

Coming to you live from The Women's Conference 2009 where an unprecedented 25,000 are gathering for two days of inspiration and transformation.

Day 2: Afternoon Reflections

In the afternoon, the conference turned serious as it focused on the most universal of human feelings—grief.

If you watched the main session on streaming video, you had a chance to hear two extremely moving and powerful speeches about grief, healing and resilience. Katie Couric spoke eloquently about losing her loving husband, Jay, and then four years later, her sister. Both died from cancer. After her standing ovation, Couric quipped, “Now, if just a third of you would watch the CBS Evening News…where are you guys when I need you?”

After Couric departed from the stage, Maria Shriver walked out slowly, stood at the podium, and delivered the most personal speech of her life. She got through it okay, but many of the rest of us—thousands of women in the arena—quietly wept as Maria described her ongoing and deeply painful walk through grief from the death of her beloved mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, eight weeks ago, followed by the death of her larger-than-life uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy.

When Shriver finished, she introduced the rest of the “grief panel” to the audience. Susan St. James, actress and entrepreneur, lost her son in a plane accident. He was 14 years old. Elizabeth Edwards, senior fellow, Center for American Progress, lost her son in a car accident. He was 16. And Lisa Niemi, widow of actor Patrick Swayze, recently lost her husband and best friend of 34 years to pancreatic cancer, less than two months ago.

The conversation flowed as each woman offered simple, but profound descriptions of their journey through grief. Susan St. James said she wondered if she would always think of herself as “the mother of a dead child.” Lisa Niemi described her sadness as being on a cellular level. Elizabeth Edwards noted that it was important for people to talk about her son and to keep his memory alive. “He didn’t just disappear from the Earth.”

In the audience was another woman who knows a lot about grief. Valerie Sobel’s son Andre died of a brain tumor when he was 19. Valerie cared for her son for 470 days and witnessed helplessly as Andre slowly and painfully lost his battle with cancer. She said, “Caretaking a child that you know is going to die is a completely different experience. The grief is beyond anything you can imagine. “

Within a year, Valerie also lost her mother and her husband. To honor Andre, and to help other families experiencing the debilitating personal effects of a child with a catastrophic illness, Sobel established the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation (www.andreriveroflife.org). According to the website information, “Seventy-eight percent of families whose child is diagnosed with a critical illness will experience divorce or separation. The ordeal of a child’s grave illness tests these families far beyond their endurance, and they become bankrupt financially, emotionally and physically.”

Anne Swire, CEO of the Sobel Foundation said they had just received a substantial grant from Genetech to assist families who have children with cancer. “We often receive urgent requests from social workers at our affiliated children’s hospitals to help families in financial crisis due to the illness of the child,” she said. “Genetech’s generous donation will allow us to meet the needs of many more families.”

There was something sobering and cathartic about this afternoon’s session. Yes, it is hard to talk about grief. As Maria Shriver noted in her comments, “In the United States, we are grief illiterate.” Many of us get tongue-tied when we try to offer comfort to someone who has lost a loved one. But through conversation, compassion, and caring, we can help each other through the very darkest of passages that ultimately, each of us will experience.

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Day Two: AM Reflections

Another exceptional morning at the Women’s Conference! Not surprisingly, the energy throughout the convention center is electrifying, but apparently, the energy is pretty darn kinetic through the streaming video on the website! Text messages from friends in Portland, Denver, Houston, and Knoxville who are watching the conference online indicate they are feeling the energy, too!

It’s nearly impossible to capture the power of the conference in an itty-bitty blog. This is definitely one of those “the sum is greater than the parts” kind-of-event. Instead, here are some of the more memorable quotes of the morning.

Host and Executive Producer, Discovery ID, Paula Zahn: “The Shriver Report has clearly detailed that we’re exhausted and overwhelmed, but we don’t have to keep that secret anymore!”

Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger: “When I have really tough decisions to make, I ask the Almighty…my wife, Maria!” And, “Maria is not only a beautiful woman, she’s smart and determined—she is the female terminator.”

Sheila C. Bair, Chairman of the FDIC: “The key to success is to be yourself and focus on the job at hand.”

Sir Richard Branson, Founder and President of Virgin Group: “We have to get into the mindset of providing more flexible work arrangements for people.”

Robin Roberts, Co-anchor, ABC News’ Good Morning America: “My mama always said, ‘Make your mess your message!’”

Katie Couric, Anchor & Managing Editor, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric "I love the smell of estrogen in the afternoon."

Cheryl Saban, Author and Founder of the Women’s Self Worth Foundation: “None of us can afford to be muzzled—use the internal compass you were born with.”

Courtney from Oakland, CA: “This conference is teaching me that the only obstacle to success is in here” (she points to her head).

Nick Vujicic, President and Founder, Life Without Limbs: “The greatest disability is fear,” and “If you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness will be temporary.”

Gayle Haggard, Author, “Why I Stayed”: “Never write a person off. Whenever possible, choose forgiveness.”

Elizabeth Smart: “We’re never truly left alone.”

Here at the conference, thousands of women are learning that we’re never truly alone because we have each other.

Stay tuned! More to come.

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Day 1: Transformation with Dr. Martha Beck

With tears streaming down their faces, the two women walked arm-in-arm out of this afternoon’s keynote address by Dr. Martha Beck. They didn’t even know each other’s names, but intuitively they knew they had just shared a profound experience.

Beck, a monthly columnist for O and the author of several international bestsellers, began her session by talking about transformation. Square 1 of transformation is the stage where our identity has been taken from us, but we have yet to figure out whom we are and where we’re going. She compared it to the incredible metamorphosis that a caterpillar goes through in order to become a butterfly. In her description, Beck said that once a caterpillar goes into its cocoon, it literally liquifies—completely changing itself all the way to the molecular level before it can recreate itself into a butterfly.

In a very real sense, when we begin a cycle of transformation, we have to experience the disintegration of our old self before real change can take place. The meltdown can take many forms, but often it has to be cataclysmic—break up of a marriage, loss of a job, or a deep physical crisis like a diagnosis of cancer or a very sick child. For many of us personal shock sends us into the cocoon.

At this “Day of Transformation” Beck’s words resonated universally through the audience. She said, “Here in square one, we have a tendency to want to become bigger caterpillars.” In other words, we try to hold onto the status quo as long as possible. Maybe if we just work 80 hours a week instead of 75, we won’t get fired. Maybe if we subsume our needs, we can keep a failing marriage from coming apart at the seams. But of course, we are just fooling ourselves. When it is time to begin the transformation process, there is no capitulation or compromise that can divert the process. However, transformation can be delayed if we are unwilling to accept ourselves the way we are. The key to beginning the process is to “totally” accept ourselves and the reality of our situation. We must surrender to the truth—the old way doesn’t work anymore, we can’t go back, and the future is unclear and unknown.

We have all experienced these dreaded feelings. Limbo is scary. Not knowing is exhausting. Loss of identity can lead to depression. Why would anyone choose to go through the process of transformation? According to Beck, we have no choice. This is a cyclical process and we all go through it at different times and for different reasons. But like the caterpillar, when we get through the four stages of (1) crash and burn, (2) expansive imagining, (3) this is harder than I thought, and (4) the promise land—we are forever changed and expanded.

Back to the women walking out of the auditorium…why were they crying? Recognition and Acceptance. At the end of the standing ovation, one woman turned around and with arms raised over her head she powerfully announced, “I am liquid!!” It was a rallying cry—a recognition that it’s not only okay to be lost—it’s absolutely mandatory if we are going to transform into empowered women. The other woman burst into tears as she felt a huge sigh of relief and acceptance. All the pain, fear, loss of identity and meaning she had been going through for more than a year was actually normal, which meant that she was normal. Hallelujah!

The two women hugged each other, introduced themselves and furiously began discussing their parallel journeys of transformation. Rita and Marlene exchanged cards and walked out of the session clearly stunned and enlightened by the experience.

Astrid Sheil, Ph.D. is the Associate Chair of the Communication Studies Dept. at Cal State University San Bernardino. Originally from Washington, DC, she graduated from Georgetown University.

A Transformational Moment in Our History

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:18:00 -0700

When last year’s Women’s Conference sold out in just a couple of hours, it hit me that something profound was going on with women. We’d program a workshop on caring for aging parents, and it was standing-room-only. We’d bring in speakers to talk about how to start up a business, and the rooms were packed. We couldn’t book enough sessions on empowerment, activism, and spirituality. All of them were filled, and people were asking for more. I wondered what was going on.

We decided we needed to learn some new, hard facts about today’s American woman. Who is she? How does she live? What does she think? What does she earn? What are her politics? How does she define power? How does she define success? What does she think of marriage? What does she really think of men? How does she want to live her life moving forward?

The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything breaks new ground by taking a hard look at how women’s changing roles are also affecting our major societal institutions: our government, businesses, religious and faith institutions, educational system, the media, and even men and marriage. And we examine how all these parts of the culture have responded to one of the greatest social transformations of our time. We look at where we are and where we should go from here.

For the first time in our nation’s history, fully half of the American work force is female—and mothers have become the primary breadwinners in nearly half of American families. That’s a sea change from 40 years ago. With more and more men forced to stay home due to unemployment, more and more women are bringing home the bacon. Women are more likely than ever to head their own families. They’re doing it all—and many of them have to do it all. As you’ll read in this report, women have now taken their place as a powerhouse driving the economy.

As we move into this phase we’re calling A Woman’s Nation, women can turn their pivotal role as wage-earners, as consumers, as bosses, as opinion-shapers, as co-equal partners in whatever we do into a potent force for change. Emergent economic power gives women a new seat at the table—at the head of the table.

It’s a transformational moment in our history—much as the opening of the West, industrialization, the great 1960s civil rights campaigns, and the flowering of the Internet age have all irrevocably altered the fabric of American life. With working women now the New Normal, striving and succeeding in areas where they never have before, so many assumptions and underpinnings of our society are cracking open. The rumbling is shaking the ground in every corner of the culture, and many women and men are struggling to get their footing. The effect on every sector of our society will be deep, wide, and profound.

In 2009, women have more choices than they did 40 years ago. We’ve learned that while there’s much to cheer about, we still have a long way to go. Women’s expanding role in families, industry, the arts, government, politics, and other institutions is altering the American landscape. Women are learning they no longer have to shoehorn themselves into one stereotype or another, but they can do so if they choose—or they can make it up as they go along.

It’s in this new world that I’m raising four children. I’m trying to teach my boys to understand that the women in their lives will work and will have independent minds. I’m trying to teach them not just how to hold the door open, but how to do their own laundry and make their own mac and cheese. I’m also trying to teach my girls how to advocate for themselves, be smart about their finances—and to look not for a savior, but a loving, supportive, open-minded partner.

We hope this report will help inform us all about this transformational time and ignite a national conversation about how our institutions need to adapt to the unfolding of A Woman’s Nation.

Here at The Women’s Conference website, we’ve invited influential writers, journalists, opinion leaders, educators and business leaders – men and women – to be part of that conversation. Pull up a chair at Our Kitchen Table to check out what they have to say. Visit The XX Effect: Generation to Generation to learn how women across the generations answer the question, "What Do Women Want?" Then join the conversation on our Community Forum.

The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything is a study by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress.

When (Almost) Everything Changed

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:30:00 -0700

When I was in college, people talked a lot about the "revolution," although I'm not entirely sure we would have recognized one if it happened in the front yard. This was back in the late 60s and early 70s, when everybody wanted to be a revolutionary, including the kids who were majoring in investment banking.

When we failed to actually create a political and social utopia, it didn't truly come as a big surprise. And some things worked out just the way we hoped -- maybe even better. I don't know if we would have dared imagine an African-American president who won his nomination after a hard primary battle against a woman.

And we would have been pleased to know that the United States of the 21st century would be a place where women worked as routinely as men did, and where young couples automatically assumed they would share the role of family breadwinner.

It really was a revolution. And we would never have imagined that that the country was going to charge right into it without ever asking who was going to take care of the kids.

Back in the day, we were totally confident -- so confident that we hardly even bothered to discuss it -- that our futures would involve flexible jobs that allowed both husbands and wives to take time off or reduce their workweek without ruining their career opportunities. And that early childhood education would be available to everybody just the way elementary school education is.

But it didn't happen. And the tension between work and childcare is the one thing that restricts all the amazing progress that American women have made over the last 50 years.

It crops up all over. Girls outstrip boys all the way through college, yet they don't have the same earning power once they've been out in the world of work for a while. We still only have 17 women in a 100-member U.S. Senate, and one of the big reasons is that women who go into politics tend to wait until their children are older. They get a later start than men, and it's harder to make it to the top of the ladder.

I named my new book about what happened to American women since 1960 "When Everything Changed." But this, alas, is one thing that didn't.

Gail Collins, a New York Times op ed columnist, is the author of When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present. She was previously the Times editorial page editor, the first woman ever to hold that position.

What Do Women Want?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

What do women want? I’m asking as a husband, as a father, as a professional who works closely with women. I ask it in the context of all that we are learning about the changing role of women in America. I ask because I still don’t think I have the answer.

I’m blessed to be married to a wonderful woman who is successfully negotiating a path as mother, prominent trial lawyer and former business executive. Our life reflects many of the struggles of modern couples: We both have careers, requiring a great deal of negotiation about who does what, set against the backdrop of shared, 50-50 parenting.

And yet, our life is more marriage than merger. It needs to be if we are going to stay connected to each other as a couple. That gets to the point of asking my question. As the role of women changes, some of their basic desires do not. Yet, I think many men are having a hard time keeping up. We get that the days of “Mad Men” are over (my wife reminds me of this when we are watching the show), but we sometimes lose the complete picture of what the women in our lives need.

In my experience, women expect flexibility from their partners as they negotiate their lives. They expect an openness to reexamine traditional roles. But women, and particularly working mothers, also are seeking reassurance about their path. Many professional women want to know that they are striking a good balance between work and home.

The other crucial factor to a good relationship is staying connected. In the Bible, God asks of Adam, “Where are you?” So, too, as men we need to pause to ask where our wives are: How are they, what do they need and want? Are we making the space for each other as a couple – time spent separate from the business of our busy lives?

The key is making the time to ask. I don’t think I have all the answers, but if I’m trying to be the best husband, or colleague or boss I can be, I’m asking, “What do women want?”

Good shoes. Right, that part I get.

David Gregory is the moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” He is also a regular contributor for “Today” and serves as a back-up anchor for the broadcast. He is a regular contributor and analyst on MSNBC, and lends his voice and reporting to all NBC News broadcasts including coverage of special events.

David Gregory will be speaking at The Women’s Conference 2009.

Random Thoughts on Progress, Women, The Media and Skinny Cigarettes

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

In 1968, Philip Morris introduced a cigarette for women. Virginia Slims were skinny (everybody knows women like skinny, right?) and the copy line was “You’ve come a long way, baby.” Because I’ve worked as a television journalist since God was a lad, I’m sometimes asked about women in the news media and the progress we’ve made. When this happens, I always think of that slogan. And, just for a moment, I want to throw up.

When I started working in TV news in 1973 (five years after being told I’d come a long way), there were precious few women TV journalists. The only reason there were any was that the federal government — pressured by the women’s movement — had told the stations and networks they had to hire some of us. Of course, we had to be young, willing to work for less money, have faces that wouldn’t stop clocks, and, oh, I almost forgot — we sorta had to be single and childless. Girl journalist? Or Playboy Bunny with a notebook? Isn’t she cute trying to do a man’s job in those high heels? Also, we were expected to be obedient. Many of us were (are) not good at that part. It’s hard to be told to get aggressive about getting the story, then come back to the newsroom and say, “Yes sir” all the time — and keep smiling.

And so we fought back. Things got better. But better is not equal.

Remember all the silliness that surrounded Katie Couric’s promotion to Uncle Walter’s Chair? You could drown in such deep doo-doo. Recently, when Diane Sawyer was named anchor for ABC World News Tonight, the president of ABC News, on making the announcement, said that Diane had "more than paid her dues and waited her turn appropriately.”

Uh-huh. Haven’t we all?

Ah well. If young women starting out in the media today stand a better chance of being treated equally (including pay), it’s because they stand on the shoulders of the women who came before them, just as we stood on the shoulders of the women who marched and lobbied to get us in the door. Tomorrow someone will stand on the shoulders of today’s women, and not just those in the media. I believe we all stand on someone’s shoulders. So we must make sure our shoulders are strong enough for the next woman. It is our responsibility. It is the debt we owe. To the past, and to the future. All of us.

And it is still damned hard work. Progress almost always is. I keep a letter written to me by an 11-year-old girl. “Dear Ms. Ellerbee, when I grow up, I want to do what you do. Please do it better.”

The good news: In the end, we may not have come a long way, and we’re certainly not babies, but we are getting more equal all the time and, well, there is this. Few of us smoke these days. That must count for something.

Linda Ellerbee is an outspoken journalist, award-winning television producer, best-selling author, breast cancer survivor, mother, grandmother and one of the most sought-after speakers in America. She is the co-founder of Lucky Duck Productions, which produces programming for Nickelodeon, ABC, CBS, HBO, PBS, Lifetime, MTV, Logo, A&E, MSNBC, SOAPnet, Trio, Animal Planet and TV Land, among others.

Linda Ellerbee will be speaking at The Women's Conference 2009.

WE Act To End Violence Against Women

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:08:00 -0700

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. You can help end violence against women.

DONATE YOUR USED CELL PHONES at Verizon's HopeLine and help victims of domestic violence become survivors.

MAKE A DONATION to the National Domestic Violence Hotline or the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
You can make a difference.

Escaping Domestic Violence: One Woman's Journey

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we're bringing you the personal story of one women who escaped her abuser. With the help of a crisis shelter -- Interval House -- Janine got her life back and is now working to empower other women who have been affected by domestic violence. Here, she tells the story of how she went from victim to Architect of Change.

Janine’s Story

I grew up in a loving home where I was not exposed to abuse. Unlike so many stories where battered women have themselves grown up in abusive situations, I had not. I believed in every part of my being that I would marry my true love and live happily ever after.  

As a young and loving individual filled with dreams, I had no idea of the nightmare that I was about to enter when I married my abuser. Coming from a strong faith background and believing in the institution of marriage, I did everything in my power to make my marriage work. The abuse was devastating, physically and emotionally.    

During my horrendous marriage, I lived in constant terror, and the nightmare became progressively worse as time went on. When I tried to go to work, my husband appeared and bashed in my car. I lived as a prisoner, and finally it became so terrible that I made the decision that I was going to leave.  

I was depressed all the time and completely miserable, but most of all I didn't want my kids growing up in a violent home. So I made the call to Interval House. I remember clearly like it was yesterday. The minute I walked through the door of the shelter I knew that everything was going to be okay. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that whatever road I ended up on, I was going to be safe and that my decisions were my decisions and not his.    
             
That was the beginning of a life that I had never dreamed possible for me and my two children (who were 21/2 and 31/2 at the time). With the counseling and support that I received I realized that no matter what, his actions were not my responsibility and that I could never change him. I dealt with my issues and those of my children. I learned to like myself again.  
             
After leaving Interval House’s emergency and transitional shelters I worked very hard to make a living for my children and me.   When I became strong enough, I began to volunteer regularly at Interval House’s emergency shelter to help others. My children and I became fixtures at the crisis shelters where I gave my time and shared the lessons I had learned with other women in crisis.  

I’ve now been on Interval House’s full time staff for the past 15 years doing a lot in the community as far as education and prevention, and sharing my story as well as speaking about the programs and services that Interval House has to offer.    

I'm so grateful for the chance to work at an organization that truly has more heart, passion, and dedication than anything I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. When I look back at my life, I’m almost thankful for the experiences I’ve endured, because it was those tragic moments in my life that have made me the strong person that I am today, and that have given me a new focus in life. If it had not been for Interval House, I truly believe that I would not be here today. They gave me my life back and also made it a whole lot better and I could never thank them enough for just being there!

Interval House is an award-winning domestic violence agency providing comprehensive services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 60 different languages. Over 99% of Interval House staff and advocates are multilingual, ethnically diverse, and have been personally affected by domestic violence. Interval House’s innovative programs have been recognized with over 400 awards, including three Presidential Awards, two California Governor’s Awards, and the U.S. Department of Justice Award citing Interval House as a “model” domestic violence program to the nation.

"Expect the Unexpected:" A Mother's Story of Breast Cancer

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:38:00 -0700

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, I could not have begun to predict how my three children would respond. I was barely able to digest all I would have to endure, and had I been forced to make a prediction about the personality of each child and how they would behave in the coming months, I would have failed that test.

Betsy had just turned 13, Mary was only weeks from turning 12, and Eddy had just celebrated his 10th birthday. I promised them I would always be honest and told them we would “kick breast cancer’s ass” together. I allowed -- encouraged -- them to use this irreverent little phrase at any and all times. The first time that one of the elderly women at our church cornered my kids when she thought I was out of earshot and whispered gloomily, “How’s your mother?” my son responded (way too enthusiastically), “Oh, our Mom is kicking breast cancer’s ass!” I remember thinking to myself, “Swell. Well at least he was smiling when he said it, and if it makes him feel good....”

Expect the unexpected.

When I “invited” my children to assist me with the post-surgical drain popping out of my chest in the days following my initial surgery to determine lymph node involvement, they reacted exactly the way I expected them to: Betsy smiled sweetly with her big wet blue eyes and said, “Of course, Mommy, I’ll help you.” Mary looked at me, horrified, then put up her two fingers to make a cross as if warding off a vampire, screwed up her face and screeched, “Oh, gross, don’t show me that, no way, not me!” Eddy stared blankly at me with his green eyes from under his freshly shorn crew cut and simply said, “Huh?”

Betsy was the do-gooder eldest, Mary, the outspoken second daughter, and Eddy, my checked out son. But guess what? Their initial reactions – and my expectation of each -- did not reflect how things played out.

I would never have predicted it, but Mary eagerly became my nursemaid – reminding me at the appointed hour to follow her to the bathroom where she measured the fluid, documented it in the chart the doctor had given me, and cleaned and flushed the drain. I didn’t even want to look at this paraphernalia, and here was this twelve year old who had told me in no uncertain terms that she would NOT be helping me in this department, taking care of me as well as, if not better than, an adult – and willingly. Lovingly.

Expect the unexpected.

My kids came with me to pick out my wigs. I purchased two, one just like my hair pre-chemo, another long and straight, similar to my daughters’ hair. They giggled and the girls loved the thought of us looking alike. But by late afternoon, Betsy’s bravado and enthusiasm had abruptly worn off, and suddenly her face seemed to crack into ten different pieces as she fell into deep sobs. All the fun from wig shopping vanished in an instant. It had been too much for her.

Expect the unexpected.

I didn’t fight my own feelings, and I encouraged them to explore their own, as well. I told them repeatedly there were no rules when it came to how they felt and what they needed – whatever they were, the feelings and the needs, they were real, and no matter what, I supported and loved them.

There is no fighting the emotional riptide that comes with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The minute you surrender yourself to it, it actually becomes, dare I say, easier. Having no expectations – or expecting the unexpected -- allows you to live in the moment. Like a riptide, in order to survive it, you must swim with it, not against it.

My children and I were never ready for my diagnosis. What they were ready for was the evolution of themselves – into stronger, more resilient and ready-for-the-unexpected individuals. I never expected that.

Did I give them this gift? I would like to say, “Oh, yes, of course, it’s all about the incredible mothering I’ve done…,” but that would be quite a stretch. It’s actually all about letting them transform when they need to into the people they need to be.

Incredible mothering means encouraging, supporting and loving your children during this transformation.

Expect the unexpected, you incredible mother, you!

Mary Ann Wasil Nilan is a mother to three teens, a breast cancer kickin’ survivor & health activist, and the executive director & founder of The Get In Touch Foundation.

You Can Change the World: How to Get Started

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:16:00 -0700

In the 13 years I spent starting and leading the Gates Foundation, I saw hundreds of enormous problems – some right here at home in Seattle and Los Angeles, and some far away in Bangalore, in Botswana, and in countless communities around the world.

The pain and devastation left by AIDS, poverty, poor education, unequal rights, tyrannical or unrepresentative government and other maladies was easy to identify. But harder to put a finger on was…”Why?” Why did these big problems still exist? Why wasn’t more being done to solve them?

In thousands of hours of listening and learning I came to believe that the biggest problem wasn’t severe poverty or disease. No, the biggest problem was our failure, individually—you, me, our neighbors—to take seriously our shared responsibility to act, today, to change the problems we see.

You can’t change everything. I can’t change everything. Even Bill Gates can’t change everything. But that is no reason to allow ourselves the luxury of inaction.

We do care. So why don’t we act? I think the answer is simple: We either don’t know where to start, or we don’t believe that what we can do – as one person or even as a small group – can really make a difference.

The truth is, each of us can make a huge difference. Probably one of the best parts of working in philanthropy was the opportunity to see how one person could make a lasting impact on the world from the ground up.

Paul Farmer, an American doctor and anthropologist, co-founded Partners in Health, an organization that delivers life saving medicines to the poor in Haiti. Paul combined his heart for the poor with his medical training to create a new avenue of hope. His work has now grown to include programs in Peru, Russia, and parts of Africa.

Paul’s work has translated into millions of lives saved. But no less heroic is the commitment of the individual grandmother who walks miles in India with her grandchildren to make sure they are vaccinated to help stop the cycle of disease in her family.

Here’s another example from the Northwest: Back in the mid-90s Trish Millines Dziko and Jill Hull Dziko were walking their dogs around Lake Washington when they realized they both shared an interest in helping kids of color in their neighborhood. Jill focused her energy on education, and Trish was passionate about introducing more kids to technology. Their shared interests eventually led them to create Technology Access Foundation, which today provides a mix of afterschool and middle through high school programs for thousands of minority students around Seattle.

These individuals have little in common except one important shared trait: Each understood that they had to start – somewhere – with what they had to make a difference.

So I want to share some of the things I learned from them with you. Because when I first wanted to make my own contribution, I didn’t know where to start, either. But they and thousands like them showed me the way. I often encourage my friends with the words of one of the greatest teachers of all, Mahatma Gandhi: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

If we want to change the world, we have to start with ourselves.

Starting with ourselves means doing some self inventory. Here’s a way to begin – analyze and answer three questions:

What do I value most? (Whether education, universal health care, or something else.)
What is the gap between today’s reality and the value I hold most dear – and why?
What issue can I work on that could be the “bridge” between the world we have and the world I want?

Next, think carefully about how you can use your money, time and voice to make an impact on this issue.

How can I use my money on this issue? Consider a range of options – personal giving is certainly part of it, but so are our spending habits, the companies we choose to support, or harnessing our entrepreneurial skills for others.
How can I use my time on this issue? Is there an hour or two in your week that could benefit others? What about how we spend our time learning or reading? Is there a way to design a vacation that has both pleasure and purpose?
How can I use my voice on this issue? This is perhaps our most valuable asset, and yet we often neglect its power. How can our voice impact our family, our friends, groups, how our media covers an issue? What about our vote?

The biggest problem in the world is that we – you, me, our neighbors, our coworkers – don’t make full use of what we have to help others. We have what we need to build the world we want. But we’re wasting it. That's the biggest problem in the world. How do we solve it?

We solve it by beginning.

Now start doing it.

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy
I woke and saw that life was duty
I acted – and behold – duty was joy.”

Rabindranath Tagore

Patty Stonesifer is the former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She now serves as a senior advisor to the foundation and is the chair of the Board of Regents for the Smithsonian Institution.

Why Do Women Volunteer?

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:11:00 -0700

As of this year, September 11th will be recognized as National Day of Service and Remembrance. In this post, Astrid Sheil examines what motivates her -- and women in general -- to volunteer and "pass it on."

“You’re doing what? Are you crazy?” That was the response I got last week when I mentioned to a colleague of mine at Cal State University that I had volunteered for The Women’s Conference in October. She looked at me incredulously and said with a less than subtle hint of sarcasm in her voice, “You?? You -- who are writing a textbook and complaining about how far behind you are in producing chapters?? You -- who have consulting projects stacked to the ceiling? You -- a single mother of two kids?”

The truth is, I could not not volunteer. This got me thinking -- why do women volunteer? (I was going to say why do busy women volunteer, but then I realized, that’s redundant -- all women are busy!)

I had a few unformed ideas, but I decided to use a lifeline first and call my psychologist friend, Dr. Val Hannemann, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

“Val!” I caught her out of breath, as usual. She was hauling hay to feed her four horses. “Hey, I have a serious question for you -- why do women volunteer?” She took a few gulps of air, leaned against her fence, and replied, “Oh, there are as many reasons as there are horse flies on a salt lick.” There’s a charming analogy, I thought.

Val continued. “Women volunteer to make social contacts and expand their sense of community.” I liked that concept -- expanding their sense of community.

Val rambled on. “Women like to hang with other women who have similar interests. So for example, if you have a passion for scrapbooking and you can volunteer at a scrapbooking convention, you’re going to feel like a pig in --” “Mud?” I replied quickly and then asked, “What are some other reasons?”

I could hear Val reaching into the recesses of her Jungian-trained brain. She said, “Women are hard-wired to be engaged in their communities. Volunteering connects women. They share, they compare, and they adopt new strategies to make a difference in the world -- their world.” This certainly explains why The Women’s Conference is growing exponentially. Women from all strata and walks of life are coming to this year’s conference to share, compare, and adopt new strategies on how to be -- as First Lady, Maria Shriver describes it -- “Architects of Change” in their own lives and in the lives of others.

Thanking her profusely and wishing her the best with her hay bales and salt licks, I then called my 80-year-old Puerto Rican mother in Miami. “Mom!” I said, “I’m writing a blog for The Women’s Conference and I want your perspective of why women volunteer.” There was a long pause and then she said, “Hija, why are you riding a frog?”

“No, mom, not a frog—a blog…and I’m not riding it, I’m writing it!!” I shouted into the cell phone. Carrumba!

Once I got mom past the blog part (which took way longer than I care to disclose), her answer to why women volunteer was simple and sweet: “We volunteer because we get back more than we give.” And then she added the kicker: “You feel better about everything because you are part of something bigger than yourself.”

Last year, I watched the streaming video online from my office in San Bernardino. (The Women’s Conference provides a webcast of the events for women who aren’t able to be there in-person.) I saw thousands of women listening to Governor Schwarzenegger and Chris Matthews wax rhapsodic about their wives. Even through my 13-inch monitor, I could feel the energy of the crowd, and I was mesmerized. There was no doubt that I would attend this year, but then something came over me when I visited the website -- and without hesitation, I signed up to be a volunteer. I have never felt better about any decision I have ever made.

The momentum is already starting to build and I can’t wait for the conference to begin. Look for me down on the floor of the main hall. I’ll be the 6 foot tall blonde Puerto Rican helping to turn up the wattage of possibilities for all women, who like my mother and myself, want to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

If you want to volunteer in your community, visit www.serve.gov to find out about opportunities.

For those of you who can’t attend The Women's Conference this year, join us online by visiting our homepage on October 26th and 27th.

Astrid Sheil, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of communications studies at Cal State University San Bernardino. Originally from Washington, DC, she graduated from Georgetown University. She will be covering the The Women's Conference in October.

Women Entrepreneurs: The Key to Global Economic Development

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:39:00 -0700

When I began writing about women entrepreneurs in post-conflict countries with a trip to Rwanda in 2005, no one thought there was a story. I tried to mine government workers and international agency officials on the ground for interview ideas, only to be told that there were not enough small businesswomen in the country to make my trip worthwhile.

They were wrong.

What I found in Rwanda, and later in Bosnia and Afghanistan, was a small but growing group of female entrepreneurs building the kinds of businesses that stimulate economies and put people to work. I met a group of women weavers in Rwanda selling their baskets to Macy’s, and I visited a textile company near the former front lines of Sarajevo employing more than two dozen women. With little fanfare and even less support, these women were marshaling resources to run the enterprises so critical to supporting families and to lifting their countries out of poverty.

In speaking with these businesswomen about the opportunities and the challenges presented by their work, I realized the importance of supporting women entrepreneurs in post-conflict countries.

Why is it so important to support them?

Conflict leaves many women at the helm of their households for the first time. As breadwinners, they must find a way to support themselves and their children on their own. Entrepreneurship is one way to accomplish this.
Reaching women means reaching children. With more income, women are likely to ensure that girls, as well as boys, receive an education. Education is the surest way to lift a country out of poverty over the long-term. By educating both sexes, the positive impact of education is that much greater.

There are many reasons to support women’s economic empowerment, but it is easier to envision than to implement. And while many organizations try to support women’s initiatives, few succeed. This comes in part from an aid system focused on short-term results rather than long-term investment.

What women entrepreneurs need most is

Access to information. Women are often not connected to the business networks through which information flows and contacts and connections are shared. When women find a way to share their know-how and their skills, their businesses benefit.
Access to markets. Finding markets for the goods women produce is a challenge, particularly in landlocked and remote countries such as Rwanda and Afghanistan, where shipping costs can far outweigh potential profits. Connecting women entrepreneurs with interested customers provides a long-term boost to the women’s businesses, with the possibility of creating long-term sustainability.
Access to capital. Finding the dollars needed to grow their businesses is difficult for many women entrepreneurs, most of whom have little in terms of collateral or a prior track record of business achievement, both of which are critical parts of securing a bank loan. Tools such as loan guarantees and women-focused financial products can help women get around the barriers presented by a lack of available investment capital. Microfinance is another excellent first step for many, with microloans providing the funds to get a small venture started. The challenge, however, comes when the business succeeds and the necessary investment amounts grow larger; here in this “missing middle” there are few tools to help women make the transition from micro-enterprise to full-fledged small business.

What is certain is that women entrepreneurs are playing a vital role in rebuilding their countries and are poised to contribute even more. Already, with little assistance and often limited resources, women entrepreneurs from Rwanda to Bosnia to Afghanistan are doing their part for their nation’s economic reconstruction. Their work creates jobs and spurs growth, and it is part of helping their nations reap the benefits of the talent and potential of all -- not just half -- of their citizens.

Aziza, Afgani entrepreneur & founder of Muska Ball and Leather Making Company

Recent news coverage of women entrepreneurs in underdeveloped countries:

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon for The New York Times: “Extending the Horizon for Woman's Aid Projects in Afghanistan”
Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for The New York Times Magazine: “The Women’s Crusade”
Scott Kraft for the Los Angeles Times: “In Sierra Leone, A 'Women's Project, for Women'”

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a former ABC News producer who began writing about women's entrepreneurship during her second year of MBA study at Harvard. She currently is working on a book to be published by HarperCollins in 2010 about a young entrepreneur who supported her family and her community during the Taliban years.

Sen. Edward Kennedy 1932-2009

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:30:00 -0700

Statement from The Kennedy Family:

"Edward M. Kennedy – the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply – died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port. We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him."

Statement from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:

"Maria and I are immensely saddened by the passing of Uncle Teddy. He was known to the world as the Lion of the Senate, a champion of social justice, and a political icon. Most importantly, he was the rock of our family: a loving husband, father, brother and uncle. He was a man of great faith and character. Teddy inspired our country through his dedication to health care reform, his commitment to social justice, and his devotion to a life of public service.I have personally benefitted and grown from his experience and advice, and I know countless others have as well. Teddy taught us all that public service isn't a hobby or even an occupation, but a way of life and his legacy will live on."

To read more about the life and work of Senator Edward Kennedy, a true Architect of Change, visit www.tedkennedy.org

Mixing Love & Money – Without Losing Either

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:43:00 -0700

Jean Chatzky will be speaking at The Women's Conference 2009.

When it comes to life, knowing how to differentiate between the things you can control and the things that you can’t control can make everything a whole lot easier. Take, for example, your finances. For the most part, you have the ability to be in control of them. But when you’re married or in a committed relationship, the line between yours and theirs tends to get a bit blurry.

Although it might seem right to share everything, a bit of financial independence is imperative in any healthy relationship. When it comes to my marriage, I need to be able to buy a cup of coffee without checking with him. He needs to be able to do the same. If you don’t have this sort of financial independence, one spouse starts feeling like a parent and the other like a child.

But how can couples manage finances together and still achieve the right balance of control? For me, what’s key is remembering that just because you tie the knot, you don’t all of a sudden become the same person. What you have to do, therefore, is understand HOW you are different and how those differences are going to worry or stress your partner. Then you need to keep lines of communications open so that you both understand what is happening with the family pie.

Talk About Your Finances Once a Week

To make discussing your finances an ongoing dialogue, set aside time to talk about money once a week. It should be a time when neither of you is overly tired nor overly cranky -- perhaps after a television show you always watch together. During the week, keep a list of items you want to make sure not to forget to discuss. This meeting is like a doctor’s visit -- you want to be sure to put the time to good use.

How much should you put in the FSA? Should you switch healthcare plans? Are you paying too much for cable? Should you re-allocate your 401(k), or should you start budgeting for a new flat-screen? All of these items are fair game. If you are feeling nervous, worried or angry over money, try to understand what is behind your own feelings before you air them with your spouse. If you can understand why you feel a certain way, your spouse will have a greater chance of understanding too.

Create a Household Budget

While it’s more than necessary to talk about finances with your significant other, you’re going to have to take some action. There is a school of thought that says the more you merge your money, the more you trust each other and the marriage. I am not completely of that school — quite possibly because I’ve been divorced. I am a big fan of joint AND separate accounts. The way this works best is if you come up with a household budget that the joint account will cover. It must include the amount you want to save for your joint goals – like vacation, a house and retirement. Then figure out what equal percentage of both salaries will cover it, transfer that much in from the separate accounts, and leave the rest. NOTE: The bills covered by the joint accounts shouldn’t ALWAYS be paid by the same person. One will gravitate toward these tasks, but make sure you switch it up at least once a year.

I know that for most couples, money isn’t the most enjoyable thing to think about or discuss. However, if you start looking to the future and what it might hold for the both of you, it can be. One of the best parts about being a couple is dreaming together. Setting financial goals is a form of dreaming. Ask each other what do you want this year, next year, in 5 years, in 10. Then attach numbers to those dreams so you can figure out how you’ll get there.

Jean Chatzky is the financial editor for NBC’s Today, a contributing editor for Money, a columnist for The New York Daily News, a contributor to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and a featured money coach on Oprah's "Debt Diet" series. She is the author of four books, including best sellers such as Pay It Down: From Debt to Wealth on $10 A Day and her latest book, The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper In Even the Toughest Times. Her website is JeanChatzky.com.

Generation Islam: Winning Their Hearts and Minds

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Generation Islam originally aired on August 13th. It is now available to watch on CNN.com.

I was inspired to investigate the possibility of a post 9/11 mend between the U.S. and the Muslim world when President Barack Obama addressed the issue at his inauguration in January. He called for a new beginning and warned that the U.S. cannot afford to have another generation of Muslims who see it as the enemy.

I decided to explore the possibility of a mend by meeting with young Muslims in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza and the West Bank. These were conflict areas Obama has targeted with special envoys.

What I found was surprising: There was an overwhelmingly large population of youth that wanted to be on good terms with the United States and that was invested in creating progress, prosperity and a representative political structure in their own countries. In each place I visited, I found dedicated, unsung Americans who were doing their best to win the hearts and minds of the next generation.

Who were some of these Americans?

There was Marne Gustavson, who had grown up in Afghanistan in the 1970s and had then returned to launch her own organization, PARSA, which gives children education and shelter. She works with one poverty-stricken family at a time. It is hard and grueling work, and yet her dedication pays off. She has gotten children like Nassim, whom we profile in “Generation Islam,” into school, off the streets and out of the hands of militants who seek to recruit the poor and the desperate.

We also profile the incredible work of Greg Mortenson, the former American mountaineer and the author of the bestselling book, Three Cups of Tea. He showed us just how possible it is to build schools and to enroll and empower the next generation of Muslim kids, the future leaders of their countries.

Mr. Mortenson ventures to places most Westerners dare not, and over the past decade or so he has built dozens of schools for boys and girls. He does it by getting each community invested in the project, getting villagers to provide the land and the labor, while he raises the money for the buildings. It is not expensive by our standards, but it is an invaluable investment in the future of these kids, their countries, AND our security. Education offers opportunity and reduces the chances that these kids will fall into the hands of extremists.

Mr. Mortenson is helping U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan fight the battle his way: with books not bombs. Incredibly, this summer, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, opened one of Mr. Mortenson’s schools in Afghanistan.

The great news is that extremism is decreasing: In Afghanistan less than 9% support the Taliban (which is where the U.S. military is fighting now). In Pakistan the population is turning away from extremism as well.

The challenge for the U.S. now is to keep its promises to the people of the area, to take these people’s goodwill and repay them with sensible, smart and strategic nation-building. For some reason, Americans and their political leaders are allergic to that term, but without it there will be no real and secure progress. Think of nation-building not as creating a model America-on-the-Khyber, but as a cheaper, quicker, more effective investment in their and your future than the current policy of spending good money after bad.

In Gaza, where the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict drains the bulk of the goodwill for America across the Muslim world, I found much the same: Its overwhelmingly youthful population wants a good education, a good job when they graduate, hope and ambition for their future. The problem is the political situation has turned Gaza into a big prison, and these people have little hope now of achieving any of their dreams. With no way to entertain themselves -- without access to even a movie theater, many are online and chatting with “friends” in America. They know the opportunity that exists in the world, and they want to be part of it.

This summer there are competing “summer camps” in Gaza. But there’s room for only a quarter of Gaza’s 700,000 kids to take part. Most parents want their kids to attend the UN’s sports camps, but those who cannot go to Hamas-run martial arts and self-defense sessions or to Koran camp run by the mosques.

I hope that “Generation Islam” will give Americans a glimpse of what it’s like to be a child growing up in these places. I hope the program will inspire Americans to better understand what I discovered: Children and young adults are pretty much the same everywhere. They want a better future than their parents had, and they want to be part of the world community. But they desperately need help getting there. If they do get that help, it will ensure a win-win investment in a positive and peaceful future for all.

Christiane Amanpour is CNN's chief international correspondent and the host of “Amanpour,” which will begin airing in September.

Greg Mortenson, whom Ms. Amanpour references in this post, will speak at The 2009 Women's Conference Night at The Village.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver: An Extraordinary Architect of Change

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:54:00 -0700

Eunice Kennedy Shriver with her grandchildren at The 2007 Minerva Awards

Please visit www.eunicekennedyshriver.org for a look back at Eunice Kennedy Shriver's lifelong dedication to the Special Olympics.

Statement from The Shriver Family:

It's hard for us to believe: the amazing Eunice Kennedy Shriver went home to God this morning at 2 a.m.

She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others. For each of us, she often seemed to stop time itself -- to run another Special Olympics games, to visit us in our homes, to attend to her own mother, her sisters and brothers, and to sail, tell stories, and laugh and serve her friends. How did she do it all?

Inspired by her love of God, her devotion to her family, and her relentless belief in the dignity and worth of every human life, she worked without ceasing -- searching, pushing, demanding, hoping for change. She was a living prayer, a living advocate, a living center of power. She set out to change the world and to change us, and she did that and more. She founded the movement that became Special Olympics, the largest movement for acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the history of the world. Her work transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe, and they in turn are her living legacy.

We have always been honored to share our mother with people of good will the world over who believe, as she did, that there is no limit to the human spirit. At this time of loss, we feel overwhelmed by the gifts of prayer and support poured out to us from so many who loved her. We are together in our belief that she is now in heaven, rejoicing with her family, enjoying the fruits of her faith, and still urging us onward to the challenges ahead. Her love will inspire us to faith and service always.

She was forever devoted to the Blessed Mother. May she be welcomed now by Mary to the joy and love of life everlasting, in the certain truth that her love and spirit will live forever.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

The 2007 Women’s Conference Minerva Awards

Part 1

Part 2

Learn more about why we honored Eunice Kennedy Shriver with a Minerva Award in 2007.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver demonstrated passionate commitment and dedication as the honorary chairperson of Special Olympics International, which she founded in 1968. Through her vision, courage and tireless work, today more than three million athletes are training for the Special Olympics in all 50 states and 181 countries. Learn more about Mrs. Shriver's commitment to the Special Olympics at EuniceKennedyShriver.org.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder of Special Olympics:

Domestic Violence is Global: What You Can Do to Help

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:24:00 -0700

On July 15, 2009, the Obama administration took an important step to aid victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse and laid out its position in an immigration appeals court filing. With the new position in place, a woman will be granted permanent residency in the United States if she is able to prove a “well-founded fear of persecution” because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or “membership in a particular social group.”

While this news is promising, applicants will still face hurdles. Victims must prove that their abusers treat them as subordinates and property, and that domestic abuse is widely tolerated in their country – with no institutions offering protection. The Department of Homeland Security will judge each case based on its unique facts and the specific threat each applicant faces.

The administration adopted this policy in response to an immigration court filing earlier this year by a Mexican woman, identified in the court papers only by her initials as L.R., who feared her common-law husband would murder her. According to court documents, he held her captive, raped her continuously at gunpoint, stole from her, and tried to burn her alive when she became pregnant. After bearing three children, she fled to California in 2004 and eventually sought asylum. With our government’s new position, women like L.R. will be able to find safety in the United States.

Efforts by our government come at a time when the urgent need to help victims of domestic violence is being launched globally. Last year, the U.N. Secretary-General launched UNiTE to End Violence against Women by appealing to all countries to join forces to eliminate this scourge and recognize the power of the law. One of its five key goals is for all countries to adopt and enforce, by 2015, national laws that address and punish all forms of violence against women.

In addition, two days after the Obama administration laid out its new position, the U.N. issued the Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women designed to assist countries trying to enhance existing or develop new laws to protect women, provide resources for victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

While governmental programs are essential to helping victims of domestic violence, we, as citizens, can do much to help domestic violence victims locally.

What are some ways you can help?

1.) Become a volunteer at or donate to a domestic violence shelter. Learn about shelters in your area.

2.) Raise community awareness, media attention and funds to help victims of domestic violence within your school, church, and neighborhood. There are many ways you can do this -- whether through a walk, a bake sale, a dinner, a blog post or otherwise.

3.) Write to Congress about reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act next year.

4.) Get involved with Maria Shriver’s WE Act program, which educates women about the warning signs of domestic violence.

5.) Help the children of domestic violence victims -- who may otherwise grow up thinking that violence is a normal way of life -- by becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate).

6.) Find other volunteer opportunities in your community.

Collectively, and individually, we can help put an end to domestic violence, here and abroad.

Basia Christ is the owner of Marketive, Director of Marketing for Competent Care Home Health Nursing in Costa Mesa, author of The Heroine’s Journey, and Chair of Communications for Sophia 2010.

My Grandmother's Lesson: Courage

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:26:00 -0700

I remember the first time I went to New York to pitch my book to a prospective publisher. I stood on the busy sidewalk two blocks from the office, tears streaming down my face, a scrap of paper clutched in my right hand. It was a chilly spring day and I’d slipped on the stylish 70’s black overcoat that was a keepsake from my maternal grandmother who had passed away eight years earlier. When I put my hands in its deep pockets to ward off the icy air, I discovered they weren’t empty. I pulled out a handkerchief, a small piece of the candy she always used to stash away, a note she had scribbled to herself. In her familiar quivering hand she’d written two words: Mint. Apricots. It was a grocery list. That’s when the tears came.

It took me back to the day, soon after her passing at the age of 84, when we’d gone to clean out her apartment. I’d asked my mother if I could keep two pieces of her clothing: the tailored black overcoat, and the green and burgundy checkered dress that she often wore to Friday night Shabbat dinners. She had been known as an impeccable dresser. She was petite like me and very spiritual. But the similarities stopped there -- or that’s what I thought at the time.

My grandmother was raised in a deeply patriarchal Iranian culture, where women were expected to be supportive wives and devoted mothers only. Having influence beyond the sphere of family life was uncommon and looked down upon. My grandmother rarely spoke up in front of people, and sat in what I jokingly called, “the Siberia,” or most peripheral corner of our family gatherings. Even so, she was regarded as a wise woman. If she were asked for her opinion in front of others, she would deflect the attention, giving elusive answers. “Only God knows,” she often replied.

Her behavior felt too passive to me, as if she could not break out of the feeling of being invisible. I had had a vastly different experience than she did. I immigrated to the U.S. at the age of eleven, right at the start of the Iranian Revolution. During my first five and a half years here, my parents were stuck in Iran, so I lived with my older siblings. This early experience encouraged me to be self-sufficient, determined, and independent, while being raised in the U.S. afforded me opportunities the women of past generations simply didn’t have.

I am the first woman in my family who not only graduated college, but who also went on to graduate school. In our traditional culture, it is not expected that women will work outside of the home, especially if there is no financial need. I worked because I wanted to, and much to my family’s surprise, continued teaching part-time at the university until four years ago, when I left to work on a memoir. It was when I started writing about our family experience of escape, exile, and our eventual adjustment in the U.S. that the old notions of self-censorship and self-repression surfaced in my life. Who would care about what I have to say? I wondered, finding it hard to believe that others would even be interested in my experiences. That’s when I realized that my grandmother and I had more in common than I originally thought.

But the similarity didn’t stop there. When she was forty years old and her children were grown, my grandmother, unhappy about her minimal education, asked my grandfather to get her a tutor. He did, and she worked diligently for years on her reading and writing, until she felt confident enough to write correspondence and reach out to others. She had a real zest for learning that seemed to grow and flourish. In her 80s, she hired a tutor who visited her twice a week to work on her Hebrew.

On that day in New York, wearing my grandmother’s overcoat, I felt fully embraced by her presence. As I walked toward my meeting, I somehow knew I was carrying her essence -- all her dreams, joys, loyalties, denials, doubts, and disappointments -- within me. It was astonishing to think that my grandmother began to fully read and write at the same age as I was hoping to publish a book. Mint, apricots, it meant so much to her to be able to write those words, just as it means so much to me to write about her. I knew then that others would be interested in her story, our story, and that maybe she wasn’t so invisible after all. That’s when I realized that writing our family memoir not only impacts future generations, it also has the power to bring honor and heal the unfulfilled dreams of women of generations past.

Angella M. Nazarian teaches psychology in local universities and facilitates adult personal development seminars for women. Her writing and poetry have appeared in the Hufffington Post, MO+TH and Milllenium Literary Journal. Her new book, Life as a Visitor, is due to be released in Oct. of 2009 by Assouline Publishers.

Getting a Grip

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Who knew that so many people cared about my weight? When I decided to go on the TV show, “Dancing with the Stars” last year, it was the first time I was in the public eye after playing my last tennis match in 2003. So many people started asking, “OH MY GOD, how did you lose all this weight?” Book publishers started calling my agent. They wanted me to tell my story about winning the weight battle.

Weight is such a big component in so many women’s lives – for stay-at-home moms, athletes, businesswomen. It doesn’t matter who you are. Meanwhile, since leaving tennis, I’d given a lot of talks to women’s organizations about eating disorders and how to keep food from controlling your life. So with all of this media attention, and my own interest in sharing this story, I decided to write a book, Getting a Grip on My Body, My Mind, My Self.

Writing the book was almost like therapy. I’d gone through so much. Looking back at myself in 1999 and 2000 – my stabbing in Hamburg, my father’s illness and then his death, and my subsequent weight issues - I wish I had some women to talk to. I was surrounded by men, who didn’t understand my issues with food. They thought, “What’s the big deal? It’s such a little thing to let have so much control over you.” I felt ashamed. I retreated into myself.

In tennis, you have to be so strong. You can’t let your opponents see your weakness. And in tennis, eating disorders are rampant. My friends & I would go out for dinner. They’d eat nothing. Then they’d go home and binge on potato chips, brownies -- anything. I know, because I did it too.

My eating issues were wrapped up with an identity struggle, with that question – “What do you want to do in life?” All of us want to make some impact. There are so many choices, but my entire identity was wrapped up in tennis. I’d ask myself, “Will anyone even like me if I don’t play tennis?”

At 30, I realized, I’m tired of lying to myself. I had to make this change with food and my weight; I had to do this for me.

How did I do it? I started to take care of myself first. I was the typical caretaker – worrying about my mother, my father, my coach. I had to be honest with myself, and

I had to do this – lose the weight -- for myself -- not for my job, my ex-boyfriend, my coach. I had to do it for Monica. When I talk to women, I say – “If you are happy being heavy, that is great.” I wasn’t. I wanted to be healthier.

Finding balance with food – and with myself – came with experience. As I got older, I thought, “Gosh, I travel so much – these European women, these Asian women – they eat all this stuff.” I realized I could do it too and still be in good shape. Since that realization, I’ve never restricted myself. I eat everything. I don’t have to stuff myself with pasta because I know this is not my last chance. I can eat it tomorrow, too.

Back when my trainers would tell me I couldn’t touch pasta and I could eat egg whites only, I would think, “Wouldn’t that pasta be so great?” Pasta became the forbidden food – and I wanted it so badly. In the end – I don’t believe in restrictions. To me, life without a piece of bread or pasta – it’s not worth it.

The lesson – for me – is to really be comfortable with who you are. In my profession I was surrounded by women sized 0. I’m 5’9” and I don’t have to be a size 0. I truly believe that in my 20s I would have understood that, had I had more strong, powerful role models.

One woman who did play that role for me was Billie Jean King. I talked to her for the first time when I played in the Federation Cup in 1996. She was remarkable for her sport, but even more for what she did off the court. She stood up for her beliefs. I was a two-handed forehand and backhand; I was a strong, grunting female. Talking to Billie about it, she would say, “Monica, be who you are.”

Billie, like others, has done so much for this generation. Hopefully I can give back in my own little way, and keep that giving going.

How I Became an Architect of Change

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Women’s Conference changed my life.

When I first attended in 2007, I already thought of myself as an Architect of Change, but The Women’s Conference deepened my understanding of the role. It showed me that you don't have to know all the answers; you just have to have the patience to listen, and the desire to help.

In 2008, as a senior at UCLA, I was chosen by my classmates to be Student Body President. I saw it as a way to be of service to my fellow students. Little did I realize that some of them needed help in ways I did not anticipate. But I found out. And I was shocked.

In the second quarter of my senior year, I was approached by several students asking for help. These were not the usual requests for event funding or guest speakers.
This was different. The students were homeless. They were sleeping in offices and classrooms. They went to the gym to take showers, and they ate food from student groups’ events. Many students asked if I could hire them to the student government because they had nothing to eat.

One student, Sabrina Tinsey, was profiled in the Daily Bruin for her struggles with homelessness. She spent much of her junior year going from friend’s house to friend’s house – but it was a never-ending process of looking for shelter. She explained to the Daily Bruin at the time, “Right now I’m in the process of packing all my stuff again and going. I don’t know where I will go. I don’t know where I will stay.”

Why were these students homeless? Many were homeless because their parents had lost their jobs in the recession. Some students were undocumented immigrants, who weren’t eligible for state loans or scholarships (as was the case for Tinsey). For those students who did receive financial aid, they often had to spend all of the aid just to cover school fees. There was nothing left over to pay for housing or food.

The disturbing fact that some of my fellow students were homeless inspired me to do something. I decided to host an event, inviting university students to camp out for one night on the UCLA campus. We charged each of the 350 students who attended $6, and we called the event BruINTENT. Essentially, we were Bruins in a TENT with the INTENT of helping our community. We signed up attendees to volunteer at soup kitchens; we made bag lunches to distribute on Skid Row; and we invited two homeless students to speak -- to educate the group about the issue of homelessness at UCLA.

We donated the $4000 we raised from the April 16th event to Chrysalis, a homeless shelter off campus, as well as to a private grant set up to help the homeless students. What else came of the event? The school administration vowed to help the homeless students find housing.

With BruINTENT, I wanted to demonstrate to the student body that homelessness is not only a national or urban problem, it is our problem, here on our campus.

Now that I’m leaving UCLA, I look ahead to my next challenges, my next opportunities to effect change, and to pass it on. I’m going to spend next year as a CORO leadership fellow, learning about the public affairs arena and how to translate my ideals into action for improving my community and beyond. And then? A joint degree program in law and public policy. My commitment to architecting change is for life.

Join Us at The Village!

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The response to this year’s conference has been overwhelming, to say the least.

For those of you who experienced technical difficulties this morning with ticket registration, we are truly sorry. We doubled our server capacity this year in anticipation of very high demand. We received hundreds of thousands of simultaneous requests at 9:00 a.m. and it overwhelmed our servers. Thousands of people did make it into the ticket queue before the servers crashed and were able to fulfill their ticket requests over the span of the next two hours. Tickets to the main conference event on Tuesday, October 27 sold out shortly thereafter, as did tickets to A Day of Transformation on October 26.

Tickets are still available for Night at The Village on Monday evening, October 26 and the special presentation of The Minerva Awards during the Afternoon Session of The Women’s Conference main event on October 27. Night at The Village – The Place to Be, will once again transform the Long Beach Convention Center’s exhibit hall into a 160,000 square foot women’s village of inspiring interactive experiences, offering attendees the chance to “Meet, Mix and Mingle with Architects of Change.” Night at The Village will include a main stage program featuring Martha Beck, chef Paula Deen, and fitness expert and best-selling author Jillian Michaels; three “stagette” programs featuring Seane Corn, Kathy Ireland, Victoria Jackson, Mario Lopez and many others on topics relating to mind, body and spirit empowerment; book signings by best-selling authors including Candace Bushnell, Kate Gosselin, Caroline Kennedy, Sue Monk Kidd, Mario Lopez, Greg Mortenson, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and others; live music; and hundreds of vendors with products and services geared to women.

We are so pleased that so many women want to be a part of the conference community, and we expand our conference every year to reach more and more women.

So, join us at The Village! And if you are not able to join us in person this year, we will be bringing you the best moments with live and exclusive online features and interviews throughout the day on our website.

We hope WomensConference.org becomes your daily visited “Home for Architects of Change” 365 days a year.

Be Who You Are…An Architect of Change. Pass it On

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Women’s Conference 2009, like all of us, is embracing change – evolving and moving forward in new directions. This year’s conference is set to be our most exciting event yet with a terrific lineup of leaders, innovators and thinkers. The main day of the Conference, on Tuesday, October 27th, will continue to be a time when we gather to unite around a common purpose, explore issues that affect our lives, share our inspirational stories, and empower one another to be Architects of Change in our lives, in our communities and in the world.

In response to your enthusiasm, this year we’ve expanded the Conference to last two full days. Join us on the morning of Monday, October 26th for a brand new event -- A Day of Transformation, special sessions full of Tips & Tools for How to Become an Architect of Change. Following the sessions, we’ll host an expanded Night at The Village – with even more speakers, authors, shopping and entertainment. The Village is The Place to Be…Mix, Meet & Mingle with Architects of Change.

The impact of The Women’s Conference has extended far beyond our annual event in California. For millions of women, and men, who want the opportunity to engage and connect, we have created a new gathering place here online, where -- every day -- we can empower and inspire one another to be Architects of Change as advocates, mothers, artists, caretakers, teachers, friends or entrepreneurs.

We invite you to explore our new website – a Home for Architects of Change -- and let us know what you’re thinking about, talking about and doing in your own lives. We want you to join our conversation at “Our Kitchen Table” where we talk about the most relevant issues in our lives – family, work, life balance, health and public service. Tell us what you're talking about around your kitchen table. This is where we are all free to be who we are -- to feel it, see it, use it and to pass it on.

We hope you’ll bookmark the site so you won’t miss the timely blog posts, articles, features and videos authored by some of the luminaries who speak at the Conference, as well as other experts, writers and journalists. And, if you can’t join us in person at the 2009 Conference, you can experience the energy and inspiration of the two-day event here online with amazing speakers and exclusive online interviews and content. You can even gather and watch with your family, friends or colleagues – at home or in the office.

Whether at the conference itself, or here on our website, the message remains the same: Be Who You Are…An Architect of Change. Pass It On. Who you are is here.

Become a Microlender. Change a Life.

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

No two days are alike when you work at Kiva. We come into the office every day, ready to put our heads down and do the work necessary to help facilitate microloans around the globe, never knowing what the day will bring. However, nothing prepared us for the day in March 2008 when we received an unexpected visitor - California First Lady Maria Shriver! Once it had a chance to sink in that the First Lady of California was getting a tour of our office, everyone sat down around the conference table while Maria told us about how she believed that Kiva could play an important role in empowering entrepreneurs right in our own backyard.

She was right. Poverty exists everywhere – even in the richest countries in the world. There was no reason that we couldn’t apply the model that we had built, helping entrepreneurs in need in the developing world, to entrepreneurs here in the United States.

Since its beginning, Kiva has been about making unlikely connections to help alleviate poverty, and Kiva is really proud that the unlikely connection that we made that day with Maria has blossomed into a great partnership with both the First Lady and the Women’s Conference.

Since that day, we’ve been working together, along with microfinance institutions across the United States to make this idea a reality. As Maria reminded us, we can each have a huge impact in the world for as little as a $25 loan, and we’re happy to work together to add the United States to the long list of countries where Kiva lenders can make that difference. We invite you to help us celebrate the June 10th launch of our domestic microlending program by joining Maria Shriver's Lending Team. Become a microlender. Change a life.

This Memorial Day, Remember Our Military Families

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Suzanne Hogan is a military wife and daughter. In this piece, she honors the families that have sacrificed their sons and daughters -- reminding us that it is because of their sacrifices that we can honor Memorial Day this Monday.

I saw a mom today, with her boy. There she stood letting go of his hand as he walked towards uncertainty. There he stood looking back at his life and all things familiar. I saw a mom today with her boy.

I saw a boy today with his mom. He moved forward, one small step at a time, turning every few seconds, to look at her. He offered her a smile that she most certainly has seen a thousand times before, yet this time…. that smile will be imprinted in her memory… forever.

I saw a mom today, with her boy. She waved to him as if to signal…see you later. Yet… there was a hesitation in the motion…a tremble in her hand. There is no confidence or exuberance within her grasp today. Her boy is leaving her behind, in the middle of an airport, at the rope line, with security and thousand of travelers; travelers who gripe and snarl and snipe at the added layers of questions and metal detectors and sentinels and interrogators and strangers that enter into their lives, requesting odd things like… remove your coat, take off your shoes, empty your pockets…. I saw a mom today with her boy.

I saw a boy today, with his mom. He is flying away to take care of the things that irritate us at airports. He is flying away to a life he most likely never dreamed of when he was a little boy, just five years younger ago; a boy who played Wii and Guitar Hero, and shot paintballs…a boy who listened to Kanye, Coldplay, and Green Day on his Ipod…and who dreamed of Britney and Beyonce and Giselle.

I saw a mom today, with her boy. She solemnly watched him fly away from his “souped-up” car and his PDA and his room with all of the posters, and that worn-out cozy comforter that she stitched for him three years ago…

I saw a mom today, with her boy. There she stood letting go of his hand and holding on to the last glimpse of him as he passed out of her sight, and out of her arms. There she stood, almost silent, trying to speak his name but the tears and pain would not release her words. Her boy is gone…to do a man’s job; yet, he will always be her boy.

* * *

…I saw a mom today, with her boy. She was leaving for work with a cup of coffee and a backward glance towards her boy asleep on the couch…home from his college books and last night’s party. My boy is home…and her boy is not. I do not know her name, but I will never forget her face.

Yes, I saw a mom today with her boy; there she stood, letting go of his hand...

Give her strength and keep him smart, give her hope and keep him safe, give her peace and keep him strong.

I saw a Mom today with her boy’s picture. Bring him safely home.

* * *

During this Memorial Day weekend, Moms will continue to take their sons and daughters to the airport to leave for distant and hostile sands. As we celebrate our freedoms and embrace a respite from our work week, let us never forget our troops and the families who helped to make this weekend possible.

Taking Back the Power of Self-Worth

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Does someone else need to acknowledge our worth to make it real? Do we crave outside affirmation of our value because we are insecure by nature?

If women are insecure as a gender, we’ve been given reason to be.

A woman’s culture – our upbringing, our environment, social cues, and our own strongly held beliefs that nuance our experience – defines female status. And though it’s quite obvious that women have made enormous gains in terms of rights and participation, the global picture of the status of women and girls is not so rosy. When a governing power holds stubbornly to rigid stereotypes, cultural mores, and antiquated mindsets, there may not be much wiggle room for women to discover and express their worth.

Imagine that you’re a woman living in a country and society which denies you freedom of travel, forbids you to possess your own passport, complicates or denies your access to education and female-centric healthcare, restricts your participation in government, your ownership of property, your ability to obtain loans, to work outside the home, drive a car, or have custody of your children. Wow. Seems to me that this lack of freedom and autonomy could easily impact a woman’s feelings of worth, could it not?

And then there’s the prickly issue of how crime investigations – particularly in rape cases – have been handled in the U.S. The recent outrage at the backlog of unprocessed rape kits is well deserved. Rape kits can provide investigators with the evidence they need to find and prosecute rapists, but yet, for some inexplicable reason, many kits are languishing, unprocessed. How could this be allowed to happen? Does this say something about how we are valued and respected?

Yet, perhaps it’s not that simple.

Tough as it may seem, we need to realize our worth in order to actualize it. And step-by-step, we are making changes. Women are being called upon to take on even more challenges in the current economic environment, and we are clearly up to the task. Now we need to build our community and support each other. Those of us who have rediscovered our voices, who can expose and express our self-worth, need to help clear the road for those among us who still struggle.

The Dalai Lama said, “According to Buddhism, individuals are masters of their own destiny. And all living beings are believed to possess the nature of the Primordial Buddha, Samantabhadra -- the potential or seed of enlightenment, within them. So. Our future is in our own hands. What greater free will do we need?”

Indeed. Perhaps as young girls and women, we will be able to express that free will once more of us are able to model that behavior.

What do you think about self-worth? We are all part of this important narrative. Share your thoughts with me.

Project to Paint the Modern Portrait of the American Woman

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

On Tuesday, April 15, 2009, Maria Shriver announced a new project called, "A Woman’s Nation", which will take a new, empirical look at American women, who for the first time in our nation’s history, make up half of all workers and are becoming the primary breadwinners in more families than ever before.

This is a multifaceted project in partnership with the Center for American Progress and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy. TIME magazine will also be involved in research and reporting, as well as co-presenting discussions and roundtables around the country.

“We will take a hard look at how women are doing in the United States today and consider the central question of the role government, business, and faith organizations, as well as individual women and men should play in supporting women’s role now in the workforce and the U.S. economy,“ said John Podesta, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. “We look forward to teaming up with Maria Shriver on this important work.”

A Woman’s Nation will include roundtables, a national poll, and interviews with icons of the women’s movement and other prominent leaders. The preliminary report will be released in the fall, to be followed by a book.

“Examining ways to improve the lives of women in this country is a noble cause, and I congratulate Maria Shriver and CAP on launching this new venture,” said White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. “As a true leader in this area, Maria brings the perspective of a professional journalist, a working mother, and a caretaking daughter. Maria’s contributions to better understanding American women today are invaluable, and we look forward to the results of this work.”

Read Maria Shriver's blog on The Huffington Post.

View press release.

What does your Woman's Nation look like? Discuss now.