Two Steps Forward

I spent this past week buried in a book. While not an uncommon occurrence in my childhood, these days it seems I barely have time for a few pages here and there. But some stories are too compelling to put down, and this past week, reading She Said took priority.

She Said is the groundbreaking work of Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the two journalists that broke the story of Harvey Weinstein at the New York Times. The book offers a behind the scenes look at the process of building the case against Weinstein and looks at the experiences of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. It includes previously unpublished stories of what happened after Dr. Ford and other women central to the #metoo movement came forward with their stories. It is a book that is as heartbreaking as it is riveting, and it forces us to start looking at the questions that all women are facing as we move into this post #metoo era:

What do we do now? 

Has anything really changed?

I find myself asking these questions constantly. I’ve read countless books and articles touching on these types of topics. As cathartic as it can be to get these stories out in the open, my mind immediately shifts towards action. And when I look out into the world, I can’t help but feel that for every two steps we’ve taken towards progress, we have also taken one step back again.

I try my best to keep things positive when talking about progress. I know that the arc of the moral universe is long and that in terms of history or even in the last century, women have accomplished more than a multitude of prior millenniums. And yet, there’s this voice in the back of my head that can’t help but keep asking the same question over and over:

Couldn’t we be doing more?

I don’t blame that voice for asking. She knows that she is raising children in a society where if things don’t shift faster the pay gap won’t close for another 43 years (and that’s only if you’re a white woman), and start-ups like the e-cigarette company Juul will continue to raise more money annually than all female founders in the US, combined. But I also know so many incredible womxn that care deeply about issues of equality and inclusion, I have to believe that if we put our powers together we can push for progress forward faster at both an individual and societal level. In order to amplify our efforts, I think it’s critical to identify concrete actions we can take on our own and collectively to drive change in the right direction.

Action #1 - Create Communities 

They don’t call it the “Boys Club” for nothing. From time immemorial, men have been connecting and benefiting from organized clubs and communities where they network and learn from each other. There is no doubt that community creates camaraderie and that the spirit of “we’re in this together” makes folks reach out, support, and endorse the people they know. That’s why I believe it is a critical moment for us to be creating communities both virtually and in-person with individuals that share our values and vision for the world. 

With so many industries ripe for disruption, I hope to see progress that is powered by individuals that band together and believe in their ability to create change. In my own work in the world of #fintech, I saw a need to shift representation, profitability, and power dynamics for female financial professionals. This is what sparked me to create the Womxn Talk Money Community, a place for women in this profession to connect to industry opportunities and coach each other to embrace their fullest potential. There are many places and spaces that need change of this nature. I believe that creating communities is essential to disrupting the status quo. No matter the place or space you’re playing in, you can seek out like-minded leaders to conspire with you to inspire change.

Actions #2 - Share Our Stories

We are living in an unparalleled moment of history. More than ever before, women’s voices are being heard. But having a society that for centuries has highlighted almost exclusively the stories and successes of men, means that we have a long way to go to level the playing field. That is why it is critical that we as women share our own stories, to inspire the next generation of leaders to see history through our eyes and experiences.

I don’t just mean the best, most beautiful, and polished moments. I also mean the hard ones, the hurdles we’ve faced, and how we got through them. We need to persistently and passionately share our stories, successes, and our failures so that women everywhere know they deserve to be seen and heard.

Action #3 - Elevate Our Allies

Anyone that knows me personally knows that I strongly embrace and own my identity as a feminist. But a lesser known fact is that I learned what it means to own that identity has been equally defined in my life by both men and women. I was lucky enough to be raised by a father that adamantly expressed his belief in the power, capabilities, and expertise of women, and some of my most formative teachings came from male educators that encouraged me to find those things in myself. 

In our current cultural moment, we must embrace and elevate the men that are making conscious moves to push for progress and equality. Why? Because we can’t do this alone. These allies can serve as a vital example to men that want to support women but come from life experiences and a history that hasn’t shown how to embrace this as part of their identity. Men modeling equality and inspiring other men to follow suit will only accelerate our path to progress.

Action #4 - Call Out The Bullshit

So much of the biased beliefs that exist and persist in the world are able to do so because they are embedded into our culture. Take for example the issue of all white male panels in the world of accounting and finance. Historically, the profession was predominantly populated by white males, but that hasn’t been the case in quite a few decades. Yet, the problem persists due to inertia and bias, both conscious and unconscious. 

If we want to see it change, we’re going to have to say something. Same goes for sexist or discriminatory behavior. Not every woman is in a position where she is comfortable or capable of speaking out, so that means that those of us that are able to need to call out the bullshit LOUDLY and stand up for the voice of change.

Action #5 - Stand Up For Others (not just womxn)

To paraphrase Flavia Dzodan, if your feminism is not intersectional, I’m not here for it. But what does it mean to be intersectional? It means to embrace and acknowledge the systemic oppression and inequality that extends beyond how your personally identify. It also means acknowledging and owning certain privileges that you have been afforded based on things outside of your control, such as your race or the socioeconomic status you were born into. 

With privilege comes power, and it is our responsibility to use that privilege to stand up for and support those who need it most. In the same way we hope to see men support the equality of womxn, we need to serve as allies and take action to support others that face systemic and cultural oppression outside of our own lived experiences.

Action #6 - Support Candidates & Policies That Support Us

While some consider it crass to talk politics, it is something that we must be talking about if we ever want to achieve real equality. The only countries in the world that are anywhere close to closing the gender pay gap are doing so as a result of enacting government policies and institutions that fundamentally support the rights of women. 

If we want to achieve things like paid maternity leave, fair and equal wages, and a woman's right to her own bodily autonomy at a national or global level, we have to support and promote candidates and policies that share these same values. With the election year looming here in the US, there is tremendous power behind the people and policies we endorse because, like it or not, they shape much of our society.

Action #7 - Give Back To Organizations Taking Action

At times, the winding path towards progress can feel daunting and almost unbearable. In the face of so many things that need changing in order to achieve equality, it can feel hard to to even know where to begin. This is when we need to look outside ourselves to organizations that have been taking action and fighting the good fight at a level larger than what we might be able to achieve on our own and remember that they could use our help. 

Whether it’s donating your time, expertise, or dollars, giving back to an organization that is fighting for equality is one of the most powerful ways we can amplify our impact and inspire others to do the same.

Looking Forward

We are living in a profound moment for womxn to step into and embrace our power. But the path is far from over. On the journey to equality, we must own and embrace our values through the actions we take and make in the world to inspire lasting change. As you review this list of potential actions, I encourage you to pick even just one action to focus your energy on in the year ahead. In doing so, you will be joining an incredible arch of history, and a long line of women and allies that have been using that power to make this world a more equal place for all of us in the future.

Sincerely,

Madeline
Founder, Womxn Talk Money
CEO and Founder, Fearless in Training