Do you remember when President Gerald Ford established the National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year? A lot of the people reading this weren’t born yet or were just babies on January 9, 1975. Following the lead set by the United Nations, President Ford wanted to focus attention on the rights and responsibilities of women. He wanted more recognition and interest in the contributions of women in culture, politics, and economics. The commission set out to open new opportunities so that women could overcome their many political, legal, social and economic handicaps.
The leading women at that time in our history knew their “new” women’s movement was a continuation of the work women had been doing since they began in the century before. Inspired by Gerald Ford’s commission and other support, women advocated, engaged in debate, collaborated on civic action and created change at every level of American society! It was absolutely thrilling to see such change and feel such hope.
The work has continued steadily each decade, even if media attention has strayed. Now, 40 years after Ford’s announcement, another “new” generation is taking the reins to drive us ever closer to full equality in business and society. Many strong women lead this charge, and my Leading Women co-author Gloria Feldt is an example of the many phenomenal leaders of our time. Her Take The Lead initiative, for example, “prepares, develops, inspires and propels women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025.” It truly is today’s women’s movement and provides the specific training and tools women need to embrace power and reach leadership parity.
Hilary Clinton spoke at the fourth Women in the World conference, which I was privileged to attend in 1995. She ended with a rousing call to action: “Let’s keep fighting for opportunities and dignity. Let’s keep fighting for freedom and equality. Let’s keep fighting for full participation, and let’s keep telling the world over and over again that, yes, women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights—once and for all.”
Stirring words! And now, 20 years after Hillary’s speech, it’s not just women that need to take up the call. UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson says men need to take up the fight for gender equality, too. She has called on men to get involved in the fight for equality and commit to speaking out against violence and discrimination faced by women and girls around the world. Men need to join the movement because gender equality benefits us all. The simple act of a man’s willingness to acknowledge and understand the gender inequalities that women face is a huge step forward. As men lend their strength to the fight, we can leap forward in our march towards parity.
UN Women predicts that, 2015, forty years after President Ford’s bold initiative and 20 years after Hillary’s speech, is going to be the year in which we must prove that we are serious about transformation. As a world, we are adopting a new set of sustainable development goals for “people and planet,” with gender equality at their heart.
So the question is, what is in your heart? If it is gender equality, reach out and take the hand of your sisters and brothers. As women and men take an equal share in the work, together we will make true equality the new normal and enjoy the rewards of a better world.
Forty Years Later, Women Move Closer to Equality
