10 Defining Moments for Women in 2016
Shed a tear for our favorite First Lady ever.
2016 was full of ups and downs, peaks and valleys, but no matter where you're standing now, it was a monumental year for women. We are counting down ten of our favorite defining moments.
FEMALE-LED POLITICAL TEAMS & KATY TUR
Reporter Katy Tur lived out of suitcases for over a year and a half. Received endless threats (to the point where she needed Secret Service protection), and bullying at Trump rallies, but the reporter never stopped doing her job. Of the campaign trail she wrote, "For one thing, the boys on the bus are now the girls on the plane. Fellow NBC reporters Andrea Mitchell, Kasie Hunt, Hallie Jackson, Kristen Welker, and I are the first women-led politics team in the history of network news—just one remarkable shift in a campaign season where the only rule seems to be that there are no rules."
SIMONE BILES MAKES HISTORY
The reigning floor champion in gymnastics, American gymnast Simone Biles became the first female gymnast of this generation to take home four Olympic gold medals. At 19 she is considered the greatest gymnast in the world.
She's also a powerful advocate for radical self-acceptance. Biles who was just named the AP female athlete of the year has taken so much criticism about her body that she felt the need to address the bullying on Twitter recently: "you all can judge my body all you want, but at the end of the day it's MY body," she wrote. "I love it & I'm comfortable in my skin."
Call it a gold medal mic drop.
SAMANTHA BEE CHANGES THE LATE NIGHT GAME
With one of the best and most diverse writing staffs and its boss front woman, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee easily became one of the best shows in 2016. Bee might not have changed the outcome of the election, nor should a late-night comedy show have the ability to, but her satirical overtones are the best in the game. And she does it standing up, as if to remind people that she wears the pants. Beyond that, her writer's room diversity efforts have paid off and she's leading the charge, challenging other shows to do the same.
HRC
She won the popular vote, didn't win the race, but Hillary Rodham Clinton made history. For women everyone. For little girls who saw a woman command the national stage. For women who never thought they would cast their vote for a female nominee. At the DNC Clinton accepted her nomination saying, “When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit. So let's keep going, until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves. Because even more important than the history we make tonight is the history we will write together in the years ahead.”
SARAH MCBRIDE MAKES STRIDES FOR THE TRANS COMMUNITY
Sarah McBride became the first transgender speaker at a major political convention when she spoke during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. She's interned at the White House, helped her home state of Delaware pass protections for the LGBTQ community and is now the National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. Though she one worried that her dreams and her identity were incompatible, she has become a brilliant example of the power of inclusively. "Will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally?" she asked the convention. "A nation that's stronger together?" Will will if she has anything to do with it.
THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES: SENATE SILVING LININGS
We may not have realized our first female president, but there are now a record number of women in the Senate. On Tuesday, three women of color were newly elected to the Senate, quadrupling the number of sitting members. Prior to Tuesday's election, Hawaii's Sen. Mazie Hirono was the only woman of color in the Senate. She became the first and only Asian-American woman elected to the Senate in 2006, along with the first woman elected senator in Hawaii. Amongst the newly elected members of the Senate is California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is both African- and Indian-American. Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina senator in U.S. history and the first woman elected senator in Nevada. Tammy Duckworth became the first Thai-American senator in history after she beat out her Republican opponent for an empty seat in Illinois.
COMPANIES ARE MAKING MAKING MATERNITY LEAVE STRIDES
This past April Etsy employees became eligible for 26 weeks of fully paid leave over the first two years after a child's birth, with at least eight of those weeks taken continuously during the first six months following the birth.
American Express will offer twenty weeks of paid leave will be offered to men and women bringing a new child into their families through surrogacy, adoption, or birth, with an additional six to eight weeks for birth mothers.
Coca-Cola, EY, IKEA, and Basf are all expanding benefits as well. Though policies in the U.S. regarding paid parental leave are up in the air, the steps taken by these companies are important for the county overall. There is still a long way to go, but when big companies set the standard, others follow suit.
TAKING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TO THE BANK
In America we believe in money, and in a move that’s long overdue, women will gain representation on U.S. paper currency for the first time in over a century. In August, the U.S. Treasury announced that women suffragists will appear on the back of the $5 and $10 bill, and Underground Railroad abolitionist and escaped slave Harriet Tubmanwill become the new face of the $20 bill.
BEYONCE GOT EVERYONE IN FORMATION
With her all female, all women of color drum line Queen B performed "Formation" at the Super Bowl to the tune of unapologetic black feminist overtones. She paid homage to the Black Lives Matter movement, Malcolm X, and the Black Panthers. A few months later, she dropped "Lemonade," a revolutionary visual album that Rolling Stone named the best album of the year.
MICHELLE OBAMA DELIVERS ONE OF THE BEST SPEECHES OF THE CENTURY
She may have been on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton, but when First Lady Michelle Obama took the microphone in Manchester, New Hampshire, she delivered one of the best political speeches many of us hear in our lifetime. She was raw, emotional, and brutally honest about the sexually abusive comments made by now President elect Trump. It was a rebuke that will reverberate for years to come. "It has shaken me to my core," she told the crowd. "If all of this is painful to us as grown women, what do you think this is doing to our children?" she asked. "What message are our little girls hearing about who they should look like, how they should act? What lessons are they learning about their value as professionals, as human beings, about their dreams and aspirations? And how is this affecting men and boys in this country? Because I can tell you that the men in my life do not talk about women like this."
Move over Jackie, we can expect alllll of the Michelle Obama biopics.
Have more favorites? There are plenty more to choose from. Share in the comments below!
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Links We Love: The Election Is Finally Over
How women still made a change in politics this week, and more.
It's Friday. Take a seat and take a breather. This week has been whirlwind, but the election is finally over, we have a new President-elect, and we still have a lot of work left to do.
But first, read up. Can't create change without being in the know of what's going on now.
Here's an open letter to Secretary Clinton.
Instagram Stories 2.0 is here.
Sexism is echoing in all places, especially this week. Here's how to fight it at work.
"Trying to be a man is a waste of a woman." Damn right.
Here is one of the things women are rushing to do before Trump takes office.
Do you hate hearing these things at work as well?
We're not ready to say bye to Michelle Obama. Michelle 2020, please.
Facebook, how are some of us dead if we're still writing this?
You know how you're inspired by bloggers to travel around the world and take amazing photos? This takes it to another level, and it's downright scary.
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Links We Love: Are You Prepared for Election Night?
Sign us up right now for Election Meditation.
You've either been hard at work this week, or you're overcome with anxiety leading up to Election Night on Tuesday. We're there with you, 100%.
To catch you up on some of the highlights from this week, along with some election news, we've rounded them all up for you on this week's Links We Love.
Why are C.E.O's getting fired now more than ever?
Did you hate Classpass' price hike last year? Then you're gonna hate this.
Snapchat is looking to take over the media world.
Say hello to Nura Afia, CoverGirl's first beauty ambassador to wear a hijab.
Not sure what you need to get ready for Tuesday? Here's the 411.
If you don't like Hillary, but you empathize with her, this one's for you.
Election Meditation? SIGN US UP.
If you're in these states, you're going to define this election.
As if we didn't have enough to deal with, we're being terrorized by turkeys. THIS IS REAL.
Links We Love: Why You Should Ask for a Raise, Mansplaining & Weight Discrimination
This week was a doozy so now we're getting boozy.
It's almost October, which means it's almost Halloween, which means WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR NYE?!!
In the meantime, catch up on these links we love from this week's rager news week.
Want a raise? Ask. Research shows you need as many as possible before you hit 40.
Going up in the air? Here's how to get work DONE while you travel.
This is so meta Portandia.
"Women get promoted. Just not women like you.” Weight discrimination in the workplace is real and this woman is over it.
Everyone laughed when Amazon wanted to be the go-to fashion retailer. But Amazon Fashion is laughing now. All the way to the bank. Chachiiiing.
Solange got a new album. Weekend listening parteeee.
One, two, one, two. Mic check and then a fact check on the first presidential debate.
Space race said what? Elon Musk unveiled his plan for colonizing Mars.
Sure, she's got an Oscar. But here is Lupita Nyongo showing us why she should be your favorite rapper.
Melinda Gates, the awesome half to Bill, is going back to her roots and nope, we're not talking about hair.
Need some weekend inspo? Check out this list of women run media companies.
So many bloggers. So much fashion week. So much drama at Vogue.
Just how many times do you think Hillary Clinton has been mansplained over her career? Chime in below and let us know.
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Links We Love: A Hack, A Debate & More Celeb Love for Chrissy Teigen
Take a seat, read up, and get ready for Monday's debate.
Didn't have time to read this week? Don't worry we didn't either. Now take a seat, read up, and get ready for Monday's monumental debate.
Hillary Clinton gets the Between Two Ferns treatment. And manages to hold her own.
STEM is the future. Even Cards Against Humanity knows it. Does that make them for humanity?
Have a rough commute? A court has ruled that time spent traveling to and from work, is work.
Put 'em up ladies and gents. Are you ready for Monday night's major debate?
Yahoo is the latest company to be hacked. And they got hacked hard.
Retire? Not women. This study says women work four years longer than men.
Forget the iPhone 7. These Apple employees are claiming mental health issues from a hostile work environment.
Ain't no basketball wife. Ayesha Curry is the woman next to, not behind her husband. Oh, and like the rest of us, she loves Chrissy Teigen.
These CEOs say devoting time to reading every damn day will help you work smarter. (You're welcome in advance for these links.)
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Links We Love: Pinksourcing, SNL's first Latina comic, and what is a "lady"?
Cheers to being unapologetically a "lady."
It's Friday, and you've been so overwhelmed with work that you haven't had a chance to look over your Facebook feed. Maybe you just needed to look at a few puppy videos to get you to Friday and completely ignored everything else.
Don't worry - we've got you covered with what you missed and what helped make headlines this week:
Kudos to H&M to celebrating the unapologetic lady in their new commercial.
So what is the definition of a "lady"?
Speaking of ladies, have you heard of "Pinksourcing" your business?
Pinksourcing shows the realities of women working in the US, yet women are scolded for working while sick and taking time off for being sick. Point and case this week: Hillary Clinton.
Speaking of women in politics, here's how Obama's female staffers came up with a brilliant strategy to make sure their voices were heard.
Meanwhile, women continue to battle the wage gap. While many of them do ask for raises, they still don't receive them.
However, progress is still happening one way or another: Melissa Villaseñor is just got cast as SNL's first female comic. And OMG, is her Owen Wilson impression the best ever.is her Owen Wilson impression the best ever.
NYFW is almost done, but we're not over the fact that THINX just put on the most empowering anti-NYFW event. Bravo Miki Agrawal.
For the LULZ, remember that guy that tried to say how you should eat Phô? Well, this response is even better and just as ridiculous.
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Links We Love: Banks Behaving Badly, Lena's in Hot Water & a Small Pox Hospital?
Oh, and headphone gate 2k16.
Coming back from Labor Day weekend making you play catch up with work, with not enough time to check what went down on the internet this week?
We've got you covered with some of our favorite headlines that helped shaped this week.
"I am part of the first generation of women not truly dependent on anyone." Stacy London shares about not playing by societal conventions and being a new classification of person.
Humans of New York asked Hillary Clinton about being cold and unemotional. She answered.
Bobby Kim, co-founder of the Hundreds, talks why the future of Brand is people.
ITK: Down by the banks there's been some hanky panky. Yesterday Wells Fargo was fined $185 million for opening oh, just a couple million fake accounts.
Jen Gotch's Ban.do business has a sparkly and pink exterior, but the center is serious business.
Fainting models and a small pox hospital. The disaster that was Kanye West's Yeezy Season 4.
The age of the female combat soldier is coming. What happens when women lead soldiers into battle?
Apple killed the headphone jack, but why? And will it make us talk to each other again?
Does that mean Apple is building a lifestyle? Prob.
If you ever felt you were the Latina version of Little Miss Sunshine when you were a kid, this is for you.
9/11 15 years later: how it shaped this woman's anxiety-ridden childhood.
Matt Lauer won't stop interrupting Hillary Clinton, but lets Donald Trump's lies slide? Here's why this week's NBC's commander-in-chief forum was a sexist disaster.
There's a rebel in all of us, including girls who want to be storm troopers: the amazing new Star Wars ad from Target.
Clients say some crazy things. Was it as a crazy as the things this one client said to Strategy Creative?
Time to put your headphones on: Lady Gaga just dropped her first song in three years.
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Rock the Vote President Says Young Female Voters Are Louder Than Ever
From equal pay to reproductive rights.
This November marks one of the most historic elections. Ever. Not only did Hillary Clinton make history when she secured the win as the first female nominated by a major political party for President, but Millennials, the biggest and most diverse generation the United States has ever seen are primed to be a driving force at the polls. In 2008 and 2012, voters under 30 were a crucial piece of winning the presidential election. They stand to make the same impact this election year.
It's something that Rock the Vote, the non-profit, nonpartisan organization committed to galvanizing youth to vote has been encouraging since 1990.
It was 26 years ago when a bikini-clad Madonna motivated generation MTV to vote. Wrapped in an American flag and rapping about former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, she delivered the first PSA for Rock the Vote.
Today, according to Rock the Vote, the diversity of Millennials is not simply reflected in age, background, ability or race, but in the way Gen M approached problems, finds opportunities and envisions the future. 80 million strong, it is a generation that wants a better, more just future for all. Young women are a driving force behind that vision. According to RtV "anyone who ignores the importance of young women in this election, does so at their own peril."
"Anyone who ignores the importance of young women in this election, does so at their own peril."
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In a poll released earlier this month with Rock the Vote's partner USA Today, they found that 73% of women between 18 and 34 strongly disagree with banning an entire religious group from entering to the United States. They've also found young women across the country who are engaged in issues that matter to them, like defending access to reproductive rights, reforming the criminal justice system, and securing equal pay.
Young women are poised to make a big difference in the world by voting for candidates who will elevate the issues they care about across every office, not just President. It's why Create & Cultivate has teamed up with Rock the Vote. From encouraging young women to register to talking about issues that matter most, we asked Rock the Vote President, Carolyn DeWitt about the importance of this election, the power of the vote, and a generation that's only getting stronger.
Why is it important for Rock the Vote to be at Create & Cultivate?
It’s so important for us because we know that young women are some of the most passionate and engaged people in this country. Young women are playing a more vocal role than ever before in their families, communities, politics, business and across every facet of American life. Create & Cultivate is a place for young women to come together and learn how to carve out a life for ourselves that makes us proud. At Rock the Vote, we know that participating in elections is also a way, one of the most important ways, that women can shape our futures.
What kind of galvanization have you seen from young women this election cycle?
Young women are getting louder about the issues we know affect our lives. From demanding equal pay for equal work, pushing back against sexism and defending our access to reproductive rights, this election cycle has been one where women are speaking truth to the powers that be. We may want different things, we may have different visions of where we want to be in life, but we are empowered to fight for it and we are only getting stronger.
What do you think a female POTUS would do for the future of our country?
This is a really big milestone for our country—one that has been long overdue. Across the globe, we currently have a record number of female world leaders. This is important because women often approach challenges differently and are often more likely to consider the direct impact of policies on women. But more than that, we are seeing that issues are the driving force behind engagement in elections. Young women are becoming more independent. We want to go to college and not experience crushing debt. We want to get paid what we’re worth in the workplace. We want to turn the tide on climate change and leave for our kids and grandkids an environment that is healthy. No matter who is president come November, we are going to keep fighting for these issues.
"Young women are becoming more independent. We want to get paid what we’re worth in the workplace."
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Do you remember the first time you voted and what that feeling was like?
The first time I was eligible to vote in an election, I was living in Kenya. It was a midterm election. I wasn’t particularly interested in politics; in fact, I would say I was completely turned off by politics. But, I had seen the impact of democracy and the power those in office had over their country and its people. I witnessed that the right to vote, especially free from intimidation was something I had that those around me didn’t. I had visited countries and knew people who had died fighting for a democratic system. I couldn’t take that right for granted. I went to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and completed an absentee ballot.
Why is this election so important for young women?
There is a lot at stake this election. It’s easy to forget how far women have come in the last few decades and that it wasn’t that long ago that women didn’t have rights over their bodies, protection against domestic violence or harassment in the workplace or equality in places of education, including school athletics. This election, we’re not only fighting for progress, but we’re also fighting against regression. We are more independent and stronger than ever, but there is still work to be done from access to reproductive rights to equal pay. We are also more likely to play active roles as advocates for our families, our friends, and our communities and will fight for the issues that impact the lives closest to us. We know that when we work together we can change the course of our country and build an inclusive system that works for all of us.
"When we work together we can change the course of our country and build an inclusive system that works for all of us."
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What have you seen and learned as a business woman that you can share with our audience?
I’m so grateful that I have had the experiences that have shaped me into who I am today, leading Rock the Vote during this critical time in our nation’s history. I have experienced the democratic process here at home and abroad, in an effort to build more just and equitable institutions. When I was in South Africa, I met with various leaders who helped end apartheid and set up a democratic state and the victims who were imprisoned under apartheid. In Kenya, I was part of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission to build a more democratic state. As an adult, I’ve been the primary advocate and caretaker to a family member with disabilities. Whether as a mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, or employer we often play the role of caretaker and advocate for those in our lives. To me, that means it’s even more critical that we use our voice to express our values in the democratic process. I will always be working to build and protect democracies and fighting for a political system that welcomes everyone’s perspective.
To register and Rock the Vote click here.
Share why you're voting this election in the comments below!
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The Female Forbes: Why Moira Forbes Is More Determined Than Ever
"If you can't see it, you can't be it."
Moira Forbes, EVP of Forbes Media and Publisher of ForbesWoman, has the kind of last name that immediately makes you tilt your head back and raise your eyebrows. Forbes. Yes. Heard of it.
Moira Forbes, journalist and knowledge seeker, makes you tilt your head to the side and listen intently as she speaks, curious as to what knowledge nugget she’ll drop next.
Growing up in one of the most powerful and influential families in publishing, Moira is one of five daughters of Steve Forbes, current Editor-in-Chief of the publication, and Sabina Beekman. Her great-grandfather B. C. Forbes founded the media company, releasing the first issue in September 1917. The inaugural 52 pages featured the business of “Doers and Doings,” as well as a section called “Women in Business.” This might not seem revolutionary now, but it would be three more years before the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. “My great-grandfather,” says Moira, “was interested in telling great stories in business. The huge successes and the big misses,” regardless of gender. The core mission of the media company “has remained the same,” she says, and is an exploration of humanity that captured her attention as a young girl.
On Moira’s ninth birthday, her grandfather gave her a leather briefcase, which she filled with any office supplies she could get her hands on and lots of pens. The same year, her father bought her a name plaque for her desk. “I loved playing office. Office and store were my two favorite things. I loved interviewing people growing up. We’d play newspaper. It was a natural interaction and curiosity.” She was always interviewing family members, asking questions, questing after the story.
At the moment that story is ForbesWoman. The platform launched in 2008. ‘It was a time in our business,” she says, “where we were really looking for growth and opportunity, and looking for a deeper commitment to audiences that are important to Forbes.” She believes that the content in the magazine is just as relevant to women as it is to men, however, “we felt the opportunity to go a level deeper and engage with the community about the unique dynamics of women in business.”
The focus of ForbesWoman is on female entrepreneurship and sharing stories from female movers and shakers (AKA the doers), in an environment that offers practical advice, and creates “a community of women who are striking out on their own, making unconventional decisions, and looking to see how others are charting their course.”
Moira was directly involved in this decision, calling it a passion of hers. After looking around the media landscape and not finding content that she wanted -- from career to leadership to more soft story elements around lifestyle, she narrowed in. “There was a void of content that we felt was authentic to our brand and that our audience was eager to consume.”
***
“It is a very exciting time for those who didn’t have a voice before,” Moira says.
Digital has created an extraordinary path for women to contribute in the business world. Entrepreneurship is on the rise for women. There is more access than ever. A sea change for women professionally, socially, and politically, came with the Democratic nomination of Hilary Clinton for president.
“When you see women reach the highest levels of power,” she explains, noting that the person in the White House is the most influential person on the planet, “and they’re at the helm of the most powerful nation in the world, that’s a very powerful sentiment. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.”
“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.”
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It’s an incontrovertible notion. “As women continue to break through these last glass ceilings, it makes for a powerful statement that these opportunities are possible.” She makes quite clear that change will never be quick or easy, but it is nonetheless important. If digital is a fast-paced, quick animal (content is fast, stories are 140 characters) change is its tail, dragging behind. There are two ways to view this. Frustrating sure, specifically in a nation that Moira says, “prides itself on opportunity and access.” But no change or success has ever come without setback and failure. Opportunity knocks often on the heel of disappointment, it’s simply unfortunate that some of us are too busy wailing to hear the call.
“I think change is slow,” she says, “because the business ecosystem is much larger than just female entrepreneurs. You look at access to capital-- that remains a huge challenge. You look at opportunities that influence policy and government that are inextricably linked to business, which are still areas where women don’t have the same level of representation.”
Ecosystems and sectors outside of business are also still in the midst of giant shifts. They are all parts of the massive, slow moving machine that is equal representation, though as the parts become better oiled, there will be less friction, more motion. “It’s very hard to steer those parts in a different direction,” she says, “so you do have to work to drive change in all the different sectors and realize that it isn’t as simple as we portray it to be. There isn’t a CEO who is saying ‘I don’t want more diverse boards,’ or ‘I don’t want more women at the table,’ but how you do that and how you go about that change can be difficult for a variety of different reasons.”
She lists a few including: socioeconomic, political, cultural -- particularly issues with unconscious bias. “Something,” she notes, “that each of us holds, but are those small things that can have big repercussions.” She thinks it’s positive that culture can change faster than ever before -- social media and the shifting idea around influence and power certainly being precipitant factors, but creating what she calls lasting change and gender parity, even with “the greatest enthusiasm, effort and commitment, will take time.”
“Lasting change and gender parity, even with the greatest enthusiasm, effort and commitment, will take time.”
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In a way, lasting change is like piecing together a good story: the parts come together in bits, you work for them, seek them out, and sometimes you get hung up on or ghosted, but for the sake of the story, you never give up. The is the crux of where Moira finds her own calling: the hard parts and the “curveballs you’d never expect.”
“Understanding the stories of how people keep moving forward, what inspires them to continue to act and gives them a sense of mission, day in and day out, to fight the fight when many people would throw up their hands and say it’s just not worth it,” that’s what she wants to share.
So what is a reasonable timeline for the current fight toward gender parity? Even with the potential of a female POTUS, she says that even in the next 3-5 years there will not be true 50/50 representation.
This isn’t single-file success, but not everyone can get through an open door at the same time. A front door opens to a small hallway, a hallway leads into a dining room, and slowly more people gather at the table. “We need to create great pipelines for talent, understand how to identify and source great talent,” she says. It’s also vital to acknowledge that while we’re talking about women starting occupy the highest positions in a company, not that many positions are open; turnover at the top is slower. “We spend a lot of time,” she says, “talking about corporate boards and public companies and needing women on these boards, which is very important, but the flip side is that there are only 100-120 of those spots that open up each year. I think we have to be ambitious with our goals and be realistic about what are the challenges and opportunities to get there.”
Noting, “You can’t hit fast-forward on experience but the next best thing is to learn from the experience of others.” She sees ForbesWoman as the storyteller, sourcing and sharing the relevant content with an audience that can thrive on the information parlayed. And she wants “to be able to scale and amplify these great stories, to inspire people to act, and think differently.”
The content she is most interested in is comeback stories. “When we talk about success we talk about it as a destination and think about the heroes of entrepreneurship and business. We think about the context of where they are now,” she says, “but no great success or achievement occurred without setbacks and failure along the way.” This was a mission of her great-grandfather from the beginning, who penned the following words in that first September issue:
“The most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.”
“No great success or achievement occurred without setbacks and failure along the way.”
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Despite the movement toward gender equality, Moira believes “women still face the challenge of a narrower band of acceptable behavior. You have to walk a much narrower line to communicate confidence in a way that others will be receptive to and not turned off by.”
She says hard work and great work are number one, but women should also pick their heads up and let people know what work they're doing. “Let people know what your ambitions and aspirations are,” she says.
It’s impossible to have this conversation without mentioning Hillary Clinton again, a case study of both an ambitious, unapologetic woman who has broken through one of the final glass ceilings, who has also been subject to immense criticism of that unabashed determination. “Women are still subject to [biases],” Moira says. “There is a crisis of confidence sometimes where [women] feel badly and ashamed of that and want to hide.” She adds, “I’ve never met a man who has impostor syndrome.”
Irrespective of party politics, she celebrates Clinton’s achievements and nomination as “a historic moment in this country. You have to recognize that and celebrate whether you support Hillary Clinton or not.”
The sense of possibility is great. “The fact that we haven’t seen a female president in our lifetime, yet -- you can’t underestimate the power of those cultural messages. You need to have the role models of what’s possible because then it’s no longer questioned.”
“You need to have the role models of what’s possible because then it’s no longer questioned.”
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She brings up the Roger Bannister effect. “For hundreds of years they said no one could break the four-minute mile. It was always said it was impossible and there were articles written that you would die. Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile and then within months of that five more people did. It’s a great reminder that when the impossible is made possible the powerful effect that has.”
We ask what she would have in her leather briefcase today. She laughs. “Nothing. It’s all on my phone. Shows how times have changed.”
Yes, times have changed, but the Forbes commitment to its roots has not. “We’ve always been rooted in telling the story, empowering our audience to not only achieve success in business but achieve success in life. That has been our core, fundamental guiding principle, so how we tell that story and the way we tell that story-- the platform may change but the core mission has remained the same,” she says.
And that is hardly nothing.
Arianna Schioldager is editorial director of Create & Cultivate.
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What a Female POTUS Win Really Means to Women
Hear the unedited voices of fellow Americans watching history in the making.
On Tuesday, June 8th when Hillary Clinton took the podium at Brooklyn Navy Shipyard she told the raptured crowd, “We’ve reached a milestone in our history.” Clinton was, of course, referring to securing the nomination as the first female nominated by a major party for the presidency. It was a speech that one Tweeter described as, “fiercely fuck you feminist.” Other women were quick to share about the “tears in their eyes.”
This election cycle it is impossible to ignore the gender politics, or what Trump calls the “woman card,” arguing that Clinton would receive less than 5 percent of the votes if she “were a man.” But what would a win really mean, both symbolically and otherwise? And does the win mean something different to different generations of women?
Hillary is divisive. She is currently under FBI investigation. Her campaign has accepted contributions from NRA lobbyists and Wall Street. There are many who believe all of her decisions and flip-flopping on issues are simply manipulations to achieve political gain. Opponents call her crooked, corrupt, and out for herself. Then there are others who believe her track record of defending women’s health and reproductive rights, ensuring equal pay, and fighting for paid family leave and affordable child care is progressive, unwavering, and tireless. During her time as a Senator she championed gender equality legislation, including introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, designed to give women the tools they need to fight workplace discrimination. More are split on what one of her aides referred to as a "muscular brand of American foreign policy." Her activist approach backed Gen. Stanley McChrystal to send 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. She supported the Pentagon’s plan to leave behind residual force of 10,000 to 20,000 troops in Iraq. She pressed for the United States to funnel arms to the rebels in Syria’s civil war. Nor does she shy from military entanglements but rather has an “appetite for military engagement abroad.” It’s what many liberals cite as their main source of distrust-- her “textbook view of American exceptionalism.”
For every #ImWithHer, there is an equally loud and resounding #NeverHillary.
Over the next few months as we wind closer to Election Day 2016, we will be sharing the thoughts and hopes from women of various generations and backgrounds on what a Hillary win-- and more generally, a female POTUS- means to them.
Name: Antoinette Nolan
Born: Seattle, WA
Year: 1947
I was born right after World War II so am among the first of the baby-boom generation. My parents always expected me to excel and go to college but there their expectations diverged dramatically. My dear, wonderful dad told me to have a good time and get a good education but not to worry about grades because I would find a husband.
Fortunately, he didn't say that was the only reason I was going to college. My much-more-forward-thinking dear, wonderful mother told me to work hard and graduate with the ability to support myself. She wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer. I didn't do exactly what either one wanted or expected. I did get married. I raised three daughters. And almost my entire adult life, I have held jobs that I thoroughly enjoyed and would have allowed me to support myself, but I never felt the need to get a professional label. In their own way, both of my parents positioned me to embrace the women's movement whole-heartedly. I was never told that a woman's abilities were limited or that a woman could not think for herself or that a woman was a second-class citizen. My parents' gift to me was belief in myself as a whole person with the freedom and skills to create a life of my own choosing.
"I was never told that a woman's abilities were limited or that a woman could not think for herself."
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I am thrilled with the thought that we might have a woman president. To me, this has always been in the same not-in-my-lifetime category of miracles as the Catholic Church accepting birth control or women priests. I wish I could say I think the election of a woman will unite the country or stop back-biting and hate mongering or foster cooperation or bring progress on the issues facing our county and the world. Hillary Clinton is brilliant, pragmatic, skillful, authoritative and uniquely positioned to be an outstanding President so I hope she can be a catalyst for change and progress. She's decisive and confident and isn't afraid of being tough, so I wouldn't worry about her getting pushed around by aggressive behavior of other leaders. I think her own heartbreaks give her empathy with the suffering of others. She's a great model for women but all those qualities make people hate her. I think if we elect a woman President, the feeling of exhilaration for women will be like when we got the right to vote. Finally women will have living proof that we can achieve anything. It's ironic that it's taken almost 100 years after women got the vote for us to finally have a chance to vote for a woman. The misogyny in this country is discouraging and frightening. There's already "news" that Hillary was somehow connected to the Orlando murderer.
My fear is that all the people who hate her will try to stop everything she does and it will be even worse than with Obama. I can't imagine people saying the same things about a man as they say about Hillary or a man being bullied and excoriated as Hillary has been. Not even Trump has been treated so badly. Hillary is a target for everyone's rage, dissatisfaction, and despair. Her decisions on foreign or domestic policy are likely to be wildly criticized simply because she's a woman. I'm fortunate that the men I work with want to work with competent people, be they women or men. That's not the case for many, many women in either their work or private lives.
I hope Hillary's domestic policy will include equal pay for the same job, living wages, and child care, issues that disproportionately affect women. Men will really hate her for it and she will be accused of trying to ruin families, take jobs away from men, bring wages down overall, etc. It might make things worse for women. I hope in foreign policy she will be wise. Obama has been careful and taken calculated risks, plus he's acknowledged US wrong-doing. That's angered people who believe one should never apologize. Hillary is unlikely to apologize and be more hawkish so she should proceed more deliberately. Sadly, the world is more dangerous than it was at least during Obama's first term. She would probably do well to schmooze with foreign leaders more than he did. Thoughtful people will appreciate a wise leader.
Internationally, I hope Hillary will work for peace through diplomacy and non-violence, but most Americans don't believe in a Gandhiesque approach. Domestically, I hope she will be able to build consensus and tackle substantive issues, focus on justice for Americans of all colors, creeds, classes and abilities, and be the point person for women and men to embrace our interconnected world.
"I hope she will be the point person for women and men to embrace our interconnected world."
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I hope Hillary Clinton's legacy will be belief in ourselves as a united nation made stronger through collaboration and for women in particular, recognition and acceptance that each of us is a whole being worthy of the freedom to make her own choices and reach for her own stars.
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