Anna Quindlen, author and columnist, followed Russert with a moving yet funny speech tracing the journeys of three women. Over the course of the speech we came to find that these three women were her mother, her and her daughter. She spoke about what the purpose of the women’s movement was. Was it to be just like men? Or was it, as women, to determine for ourselves what success is, what it means to forge our own balance and change the world in our own way?
“But there’s a catch to all of this. And maybe a gathering of us this large is a good time to deconstruct it. Was the point of this huge revolution we’ve all lived through merely to have that sort of power and position, to get corner offices, executive washrooms, fat retainers?
Did we want to win the right to lead imitation men’s lives or did we want something that we haven’t quite begun to get yet, the right to put our female stamp on the ethos of the entire world? The women’s movement that we all lived through was a kind of classic dialectic.
We started out with a basic thesis, the thesis of woman as wife and mother alone, what (Betty Friedan) called the feminine mystique. And we came up with an opposite in the beginning, an antithesis, and not to be coy about it, it was too often a kind of faux guys life complete with those little floppy tie things that we wore for a while with our suits that almost killed the whole deal.
But today we’ve approached a synthesis, a balance and that is the understanding that work, influence, even power with no countervailing forces, no intimacy, no family, no sense of connection to other is for many of us no kind of life at all and should not be the model for anyone.
But with great gain people always have to be careful of their potential losses. And if we, us, become a group of people who believe that the position of our name on the page or the letterhead is the most important thing about us we will as the bible verse goes, have gained the whole world and lost our own soul.
I mean doesn’t that mean that the price of equality will have been the loss, not of femininity but of our basic humanity? Many of us in this room have done well in our lives. It is fine to want to do well but if we do not do good too, doing well is simply not good enough.
The women’s movement was a battle against waste, the waste of talent, the waste to society, the waste of women who had certain gifts and goals and had to suppress those.
The point was not to take over male terrain but to change it because it badly needed changing. Things don’t work. Things in the business world don’t work, things in politics don’t work, things in all kinds of different venues don’t work. But we can make them work.
The point after all wasn’t the corner office. The point was sisterhood, solidarity, freedom and dignity. The point was bringing the gift we women have to give to the entire world.
“Always remember to set a place at the table of life for the unexpected guest.”
Linda Ellerbee Journalist, Author & Television Producer
“Never underestimate the power of holding hands.” Alison Levine Team Captain, First American Women’s Everest Expedition
“Women need to stick together. In sisterhood, we find the positive in one another and can support each other. Tyra Banks Host, America’s Next Top Model & The Tyra Bank’s Show
“When in doubt, take it as a compliment.”
Srinija Srinivasan Vice President & Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo!
What was your favorite tip? Do you have some words of wisdom of your own? Click here to let us know.
Welcome to the California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women exclusive social networking site! The theme of this year’s Conference is “Connect Today, Seize Tomorrow,” and we not only want California women to get connected at the Conference, but also to stay connected to the Conference. With this site, you will be able to check out the official Conference networking site, create your own page, mingle with other women from the Conference, jot down thoughts about your experiences, share photos, recommend books and music, post videos and much more. Vox is a safe and private full-featured blogging community designed specifically for family and friends.
Find other Conference attendees
- Click someone's picture to connect
- Once you're on the person's blog, edit your connection at the top left of the page
- This person will then become a part of your neighborhood
- Give your blog a name
- Choose a theme that best represents you or looks fun
- Change your member photo
- List a few interests
- If you like, tell us a little bit about yourself
- You can leave comments or questions on any post in this blog
- Post your own thoughts about the conference
- Tell us what sessions you're most excited about
- Upload photos from the conference or add your favorite conference books
With the Conference less than a week away, all the info you need to know can be found on our website, www.CaliforniaWomen.org. A few important things we want to emphasize:
- The Conference will begin promptly at 8:30 am. Come early (starting at 7:00 am), enjoy our complimentary continental breakfast and get a jumpstart on our fabulous Exhibit Hall (photo of Exhibit Hall included)! You won’t want to miss this opening session with speeches by Suze Orman, Martha Stewart and First Lady Maria Shriver.
- Admission badges were mailed on September 14 by U.S. mail to the address you provided. If you do not receive your badge by September 20, please contact Conference Registration immediately. Badges are your admission ticket to the Conference and to all Conference events. They are not replaceable.
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes! Attendees usually wear business casual or casual attire. The Convention Center is a large facility so comfortable walking shoes are a must.
- Please limit yourself to a moderately sized bag/purse. You will receive a Conference gift bag once you arrive and can use it to put all of your goodies you get from the Exhibit Hall and other program materials.
- Afternoon of Compassion: The main stage session in the afternoon will feature the presentation of the Minerva Awards and remarks by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Your all-day conference pass will admit you into this afternoon session.
- The Conference’s main stage sessions will be available to all Californians through a free live Webcast streamed from the Conference Web site. Virtual attendees will be able to experience inspirational speeches from our roster (link to agenda) of world-renowned speakers. Tell friends and family who can’t come to Long Beach that they can attend the Conference virtually by going to www.CaliforniaWomen.org on Tuesday, September 26th!
