When Women Succeed, Everyone Succeeds

We know that when women and girls are empowered, societies are stronger and more prosperous. 

So why do 1 in 4 women experience sexual assault in their lifetimes? Why are women paid .79 cents for every dollar that a man earns for the same work? Why do hundreds of thousands of women still die in childbirth each year? What gives, 2017?

Battery Powered members packed the Parlor on Expert Night to learn how we can make a better future for women and girls around the world.

Three strong, fierce women (and one strong, fierce man) told us about their efforts to break the cycle of systemic gender discrimination and violence. They dropped some knowledge on maternal health, explained what #NoManel is all about, and showed us how Battery Powered can be the change.

In other words, this wasn’t your grandpa’s panel.

Women’s Health & Dignity is Personal

Christy Turlington Burns started off the evening with a personal story about her journey from international supermodel to maternal health activist. After suffering from complications following the birth of her own child in 2003, she learned that over 500,000 women around the world were dying each year from childbirth.

"I couldn't unlearn those statistics," Burns said. She went on to study at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and founded Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit at the forefront of tackling the dangers women face in childbirth. 

Women's Health & Dignity is also personal for Emily Kirsch, CEO at solar incubator Powerhouse, who pushes for more women-founded businesses. She knows from personal experience how important it is for women to have role models in leadership positions – only 25% of the solar industry is female. 

"Women may not take on the risk unless they see other women CEOs," she explained. "If you can see it, you can be it."

We Need Male Allies

Jackson Katz, gender equality activist and scholar, is living proof that men can and should be leaders in combatting gender violence and promoting equality.

"I get paid to travel the world and state the obvious," he said to laughter from the crowd. “Men need to work as partners with women. [‘The Battle of the Sexes’] is an idea we need to put on the ash heap of history. When women succeed, everyone succeeds."

Katz received a large round of applause for pointing out that we need to reframe our language around gender-based violence.

“Gender is everywhere,” he said. “Shifting the language is a political act. Why do we say ‘how many women are raped’ rather than ‘how many men raped women?’ It’s victim-blaming.”

The same point, he said, could be applied to any number of “women’s issues,” such as teen pregnancies. Why do we talk about how many teenage women get pregnant each year, rather than how many men impregnate them?

Mind. Blown. Thank you, Jackson Katz.

Philanthropists Are Key

Moderator Kate Roberts, CEO of the Maverick Collective, posed a question to the panel: How can we engage private philanthropists like Battery Powered in the fight for women’s equality?

Christy Turlington Burns pointed out that philanthropists are key to advancing the rights of women and girls. Individuals have the most potential to create lasting change because of their ability to push promising solutions, she explained.

“We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Most of the solutions we’re focused on are super simple; they need to be scaled. There's too much to be done with what we know works.”

Start Now

Caitlin Heising, a Battery Powered member, echoed Burns’ and encouraged other young people like herself to become philanthropists.

"There's no reason not to get involved, and there’s so much to do. Don't wait!” Heising told the crowd. “We can do so much good together.”

Here's some good you can do right now:

• Join the #NoManel Challenge (a movement to support diversity on all-male panels. While you're at it, check out this delightfully cheeky Tumblr devoted to this subject)
• Run with an Every Mother Counts team at the February 5th Half Marathon in San Francisco to support maternal health
• Encourage your company to support Paradigm for Parity to increase women in leadership positions
  
  

Our winter theme on Women's Health & Dignity continues on February 15th with a workshop on becoming Champions for Change – the Power of Deep Advocacy. Learn how to speak powerfully, take action and influence decision makers. RSVP here and be the change!

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