I hope this post finds the Fellows well!
I started my Fellowship at the Council of Women World Leaders in Washington, DC just over two weeks ago. On the Friday of my first week we hosted a breakfast with President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica. It was a successful event, a priceless introduction to the work of the Council, and pretty cool welcome party!
As the Council's newest member, President Chinchilla had incredible insight on everything from bilateral diplomacy to the media's portrayal of her Presidency. She was accompanied by an expert panel including Jane Holl Lute (Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security), Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services), Muni Figueres (Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States), and Jane Harman (President, Director & CEO, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars). Together, their statements and discussion spanned myriad topics such as the environment, national security, foreign trade and public health.
The liveliest part of the discussion was triggered from Liza Gross, Executive Director of the International Women’s Media Foundation. She asked about President Chinchilla’s relationship with the media. President Chinchilla’s response was echoed by nearly every public figure in the room. Each of them has had their political and policy agendas overlooked by questions about their personal lives, relationships and even wardrobes because of their gender. The Honorable Jane Harman of the Woodrow Wilson Institute told of her first time speaking in front of Congress. The first constituent response she got to her speech was a compliment on her outfit – not a word about the content of her message.
Overall, President Chinchilla's breakfast event aligned my perspective of gender issues as priority points of discussion at the highest levels of government and industry. So often I frame gender issues as grassroots, development initiatives. The Council's charge is to elevate the conversation toward actionable change in the landscape of leaders and decision makers across the globe. I'm looking forward to contributing to the Council's work and I can only hope my last week at the Council is as noteworthy as my first!
I started my Fellowship at the Council of Women World Leaders in Washington, DC just over two weeks ago. On the Friday of my first week we hosted a breakfast with President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica. It was a successful event, a priceless introduction to the work of the Council, and pretty cool welcome party!
As the Council's newest member, President Chinchilla had incredible insight on everything from bilateral diplomacy to the media's portrayal of her Presidency. She was accompanied by an expert panel including Jane Holl Lute (Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security), Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services), Muni Figueres (Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States), and Jane Harman (President, Director & CEO, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars). Together, their statements and discussion spanned myriad topics such as the environment, national security, foreign trade and public health.
The liveliest part of the discussion was triggered from Liza Gross, Executive Director of the International Women’s Media Foundation. She asked about President Chinchilla’s relationship with the media. President Chinchilla’s response was echoed by nearly every public figure in the room. Each of them has had their political and policy agendas overlooked by questions about their personal lives, relationships and even wardrobes because of their gender. The Honorable Jane Harman of the Woodrow Wilson Institute told of her first time speaking in front of Congress. The first constituent response she got to her speech was a compliment on her outfit – not a word about the content of her message.
Overall, President Chinchilla's breakfast event aligned my perspective of gender issues as priority points of discussion at the highest levels of government and industry. So often I frame gender issues as grassroots, development initiatives. The Council's charge is to elevate the conversation toward actionable change in the landscape of leaders and decision makers across the globe. I'm looking forward to contributing to the Council's work and I can only hope my last week at the Council is as noteworthy as my first!
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