Women In the World



            










           When I was offered free tickets to attend the Women in the World Summit, my first thought was to cease the moment and jump at the opportunity. Before attending I did not know what to expect, but I did understand the notion that if professional women are offering their time and knowledge you people like me is a place where I want to and need to be.  Women in the World Summit was a gathering of women who were on the front lines from all different aspects over the world and came together to tell their stories. There were activists, CEOs, peacemakers, and entrepreneurs. These women allowed us to peek in to their lives by telling us stories through journalistic narratives, stirring videos, and provocative discussions. Women in the World was a showcase for women who had impacted our society and for the men who champion them.
            I witnessed many panel discussions, but the one that which impacted me the most was entitled, “They Killed My Daughter.” During this discussion a mother spoke of her daughter being addicted to opioids. She explained how her daughter hid her addiction for a long time, but after a while it started to show. Her daughter lived a great life before her addiction:  She was a great student in school and just an overall a good person. Her daughter got into an accident and that’s when she was introduced to her first dose of opioids. The topic of drug addiction hits very close to me because many of my family members are addicts themselves. So, to hear the pain in this mother’s voice really hit a chord in me. The speaker’s current goal is to combat the pharmaceutical industry. She believed that they do not do enough to help people with their addiction, and she wants to save people so no other mother would ever have to feel the pain that she endured.
            Another segment that stood out to me was called, “Beat the Clock.” This was a panel of women: The President of Markus Strobel President of P&G, Michaela Angela Davis, writer and image activist, Maye Musk, model and face of Covergirl, Sheila Nevins, former president of HBO documentary films, and Lesley Stahl who was the moderator of 60 minutes and CBS news. This was by far the most powerful group of women I have ever seen. They talked about how hard it is for older women to gain employment, but since times are changing, older women are not looked at as “old news” anymore. They informed us that there are more opportunities than there use to be for women who are not in their younger years. Maye Musk was a prime example of this. When you turn on your TV you are likely to see her gracing your screen. What I learned from this panel is if you are still able to do the job, you should never let your age discourage you in the future. There is still life after 50 and you just have to grab it!
            The last panel that left a mark on me was the “Me Too” panel. It had Joanna Coles who was the Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines, Teen Vogue Columnist, Lauren Duca, actor Terry Crews, and Zainab Salbi moderator of the television show Me Too, Now What. The panel discussed rape culture and the meaning of consent. All the panelists made many positive points, but Terry Crews was the most impactful to me. This brawny African American man looks like he can beat up anyone opened up to us about a time when he was on a movie set and was touched inappropriately. He was so vulnerable when he explained to us how he didn’t know what to do when it happened. It is easy to say what you would do until something so shocking happens to you. Crews also gave a fresh insight to the panel. He was the only man and gave us tips on signs we should notice when interacting with men. I walked away from that panel thinking I must be mindful of who I interact with in the workforce, but also not be afraid to speak up.
            This summit was very powerful because I cried, laughed and learned so much. I do not know where I will end you in this journey of life, but I do know that I need to appreciate every day of it. Learning about the fight against drugs, how aging is bitter sweet, and the #MeToo movement are things that I have a better perspective of outside of seeing them being mentioned on television. This summit is something that was needed, and I appreciate that I had the chance to attend. It was very insightful and I hope one day it will be me on that stage empowering some young girl to find a cause, fight for that cause, and to hopefully make change some way, I plan on attending again and learning new things to help with my future endeavors.



Erica Pierce

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