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  • The Women Are Talking!: Up Close and Personal with Women Leaders at the 2024 Reykjavík Global Forum


    By: Katie Usalis

    Every November, political and community leaders from around the world bundle up and head to Reykjavík, Iceland, for the annual Reykjavík Global Forum on women’s representation and leadership, a beautifully curated, invitation-only opportunity to discuss our world’s most pressing issues, from a woman’s perspective.

    This year, I not only had the opportunity to attend but also to sit down for a private conversation with three absolute legends: Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-1997), Dr. Michelle Harrison, CEO of Verian and the Reykjavik Index for Leadership, and Senator Donna Dasko (Canada). Pull up a chair and join me to hear what these powerhouse women leaders have to say. 

    Katie: Good morning! Thank you all so much for your time. I loved what Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, had to say this morning in her fireside chat with you, Mary. She said, “We need more men who dare to lead like women.” How do you believe women lead differently?

    President Mary Robinson: I'm generalizing, but men can tend to be more hierarchical, very interested in strong power, interested in staying in power.…women tend to be less hierarchical, more discussing how to reach a practical solution. They are very keen that the leadership will make a difference for others, and there's more of a sense of servant leadership and not necessarily staying long in office. For example, I didn't stay a second term because I felt I opened up the office, I'd created much more relevance to the presidency and then handed it over to somebody else to build on. 

    Senator Donna Dasko: There has been a fair bit of research to show that women tend to be more consensual and tend to work together more so than men. I think that is the way leadership is evolving as we move into the future, although right now, when I think about the world, I think we have some really serious challenges with the way the world is unfolding, particularly with the war in Europe and also with the Middle East.

    Katie: If we could close our eyes and envision a work where women are in charge and a society that is more matriarchal than patriarchal, what would be different?

    Dr. Michelle Harrison: Can I say I don’t want a matriarchal society? I think the matriarchal will be no better than the patriarchal world. We're looking for a world where gender isn't the dominant factor in people's outcomes, aren't we? So, I'm not attracted to matriarchy more than I am attracted to patriarchy. I’m attracted to leadership being about the qualities a person brings, not the gender they are.

    Mary: I am very comfortable saying that I believe that if women had a balance of leadership, and parity of leadership in our world, the world would be in a much better place. It is the fact that we have a dominance of male leadership, and it is leadership of one kind without checks and balances. We need that not just in individual top leaders, but we also need cabinets to have parity, which means 50%, more or less. Also in parliaments, business, right across the board. That's to me the important thing: that we understand that humanity will be better served if we can combine the leadership, and get inputs from both sides, with balance. I think we should be thinking more about co-leadership at certain levels. I belong to a group called Global Women Voices and we want to see, for example, the presidency of the General Assembly to either be alternatively woman and man or co-presidents. We want to explore and this idea of the way in which the input of both can be the best solution. Not the dominance of one or the other. 

    Katie: One highlight of the forum each year is the release of the Reykjavík Index for Leadership, the first global measure of perceptions of women's and men's suitability for positions of leadership across the G7 and more than 40 other countries, covering all continents. I found it fascinating that perceptions of women's suitability for leadership are going down yearly, especially among young people. Dr. Harrison, please tell us more about that. 

    Michelle: It’s only been this year as I’ve really been looking at the data, that it occurred to me that the decline in perceptions of women’s leadership is coupled with economic shocks and the rise of populism. So we’ve got real hardship amongst young people, and that will be one of the drivers of the regression we’re seeing in the data. We do have to keep feeling comfortable with the fact that this is nuanced because we’ve also got one of the most progressive groups of young people that have ever walked the earth. So, if you look at what has encouraged a conservative, populist movement among young people and why that is, we see that somehow the notion of feminism and female leadership has gotten correlated with “life is now harder for young men,” “life is now harder for lower-income men.” Populists have it easy because they point to a fictional group of people and put the blame on them, and women have gotten caught up in that, along with immigrants and other marginalized groups. We have got to uncouple all of that, which is not easy but it's every touch point – it's in schools, it's in our communities, in civil society, through public policy. One of the things we need to do a lot more about is show that the gender equality movement is on the side of young people. We need to put our arms around this generation of young people who've had real proper hardship and demonstrate again and again that we are on their side. We are not the problem.

    Katie: For my last question, I’d love to close by asking each of you to share something you’d like to say to Ms. readers and feminists in the United States?

    Mary: I feel very much for young women, particularly young feminist women, in the United States at the moment. It must be very bleak and very lonely, and they must feel very angry. I believe it is going to be very important to find ways to bridge the wide, unreal gap that has opened up. We need to get out of the individualism into how we become better people because we're thinking more about others. I really feel for women generally in the United States at the moment, and I can imagine the anger, the hurt, the everything. I'm giving a collective hug to literally all of your readers. It's hard, but we have to look forward to finding a sharing together. That will bring us closer. 

    Michelle: Just keep going. When I looked around that room today, and saw the power in that room? Twenty years ago, I was walking into rooms where I saw three women out of 100, and that occasionally still happens, but about 10 years ago I stopped needing to count the women in the room. We just keep going. This is a moment. It's obviously disappointing, but we are in a very specific moment in our social history. We regroup, we hold the line, we understand what's going on, and we get long-term and strategic like the opposition is.

    Donna: I would say don't give up, don't look back. Look forward. There are many ways to make a difference in your communities, in politics, in the private sector, the public sector. There are many ways to make a difference, and I think American institutions are strong. I honestly don't think that one person can derail an entire country that is built on really solidly democratic institutions like free media, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and strong community organizations. I believe that the country is going to move ahead, though it may be a rocky road. 

    Katie: Thank you all so much for joining me and for all the ways you inspire us every day.

    TheRepresentWomen team is grateful to be engaging with the Reykjavík Global community. Beyond this opportunity to sit down with Mary, Michelle, and Donna, we also hosted women members of Congress at this year’s Forum who participated in a rich panel discussion, co-hosted by Running Start, on Solutions to Advance Women's Representation & Leadership. We were thrilled to be able to bring US women leaders to the table, as we hope to deepen the connections among American lawmakers and thought leaders with global advocates for women's leadership. It is clear that now, more than ever, we all must join hands, hearts, and minds to learn how to strengthen democracy and build women’s political power the world over.

     

  • published Tamaya Dennard (she/her) in Staff 2024-06-17 17:04:16 -0400

    Tamaya Dennard (she/her) - State Partnerships Manager

    Tamaya Dennard is the State Partnerships Manager at RepresentWomen and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Inspired by Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan and an abiding belief that everyone deserves a non-tokenized voice in what’s happening in their community, in 2017, Tamaya became the first openly gay woman elected to public office in the City of Cincinnati and served as President Pro Tem for Cincinnati City Council. 

    In addition to being the Chair of the first City Council committee focused on issues of equity, inclusion and young people, among her proudest legislative moments is the creation of Cincinnati’s Salary History Ordinance and the Girls in Government program.

    After studying abroad in France, Spain and Guatemala, Tamaya earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from the University of Cincinnati.  In 2017, Tamaya was given the Affirmed Award by the Urban League Young Professionals of Southwest Ohio. In 2018, she was presented with the Theodore R. Berry Award by the Cincinnati NAACP and in 2019, she was voted Best Elected Official in Cincinnati by CityBeat Magazine.

    In her spare time, you can find Tamaya sitting courtside rooting for the University of Cincinnati Women’s Basketball team, getting frustrated on a golf course, playing pickleball or listening to 90’s RnB and hip-hop (the golden era). 

  • published Arianna Conte in Staff 2024-06-11 12:58:55 -0400

    Arianna Conte- Communications Manager

    Arianna Conte (she/her) is the Communications Manager with Represent Women. In this role, she is responsible for supporting the overall communications strategy of Represent Women, including amplifying our research, publishing social media, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders who are committed to building a stronger, more representative democracy. She previously worked as part of the communications team for Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore and former Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. 

    Transformative policies cannot be made without a diverse collection of individuals at the decision-making table. Arianna is excited to be a part of a team committed to advancing structural change in politics and policy not only in the United States, but across the globe. 

    Arianna graduated from Emerson College in 2018 with a degree in Political Communication. A lifelong Rhode Islander, she currently resides in Providence. In her free time, she likes biking, cooking, crocheting, and spending time outside with her friends and family.

  • published Communications Manager in Job Openings 2024-04-10 15:26:40 -0400

    Communications Manager

    About RepresentWomen

    RepresentWomen is the leading women’s political representation organization in the United States that works on making systemic change so that more women can run, win, and lead. We champion and advance adoption of evidence-based solutions that break down structural barriers to women’s political leadership. We mobilize changemakers to support these reforms.

    RepresentWomen Structure

    RepresentWomen is a national organization located in Silver Spring, MD with staff members who work virtually all over the country and world. As an organization we:

    • Identify the most transformative, viable, and scalable structural reforms
    • Conduct research to determine the best practices to implement those reform
    • Identify and help ​​stakeholders apply this knowledge to make real-world change

    RepresentWomen is on a fast growth trajectory. Our current team consists of twelve full- and part-time staff. This position will need to maintain positive, collaborative relationships with all organizational staff. This position is remote with occasional in-person gatherings in the RepresentWomen office in Silver Spring, MD, and other in-person conferences and events around the US. The Communications Manager will report to the Communications Director.

    Summary/Description

    In 2021 RepresentWomen completed a strategic plan that aims to double the size and budget of the organization, expanding the scope of our work and investing in infrastructure to sustain that growth. The Communications Manager is a new position on the team, and under the supervision of the Communications Director, will execute the needs of the department.

    The Communications Manager is an early to mid career professional with 5-7 years of communications and digital media experience with at least 3 of those years leading a team. 

    The position will be remote, with the option to work in a hybrid model if desired. At a minimum, the entire team meets in the Silver Spring, MD office twice a year for bi-annual all-staff gatherings

    Responsibilities

    • Communications Strategy Development and Implementation
      • Support in the marketing and communications plan that amplifies our research, partnerships, and programming to advance our agenda-setting and strategic engagement goals as outlined in our strategic plan. 
      • Understand our key audiences and how best to engage them in order to strengthen RepresentWomen’s voice and brand.
      • Help implement the Communications Strategy. This includes social media, graphics creation and report formatting, press (e.g., op-ed writing and publishing), video production, email communications, website, research launch events or webinars, etc.
      • Co-supervise the development of RepresentWomen’s collateral material, publications, and promotional materials.
    • Press & Media Relations
      • Support RepresentWomen’s media relations. Maintain good relationships with representatives of the local, regional, and national media to help secure positive coverage of programs and activities.
    • Communications Team Management
      • Work as a strong team through open communication and collaboration.
      • In the absence of the Comms Director, support the department by providing editorial support.

    Qualifications

    Ideal candidates will have:

    • A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field, such as journalism, public policy, communications, international relations, or gender studies
    • 5-7 years of increasingly responsible experience in Communications and Digital Media preferably with a nonprofit and at least 3  years of mid-level leadership experience
    • Strong background in digital marketing 
    • Effective decision making and relationship building skills
    • Have a demonstrable interest in learning more about the systems and practices used to advance women’s representation and leadership in the U.S. government
    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking  
    • The ability to handle a variety of projects and assignments at once while managing their time, maintaining tremendous attention to detail, and asking for support when needed. The ideal candidate is extremely organized and collaborative.
    • An affinity for working with a culturally and politically diverse community.
    • A commitment to building and fostering a diverse, inclusive, and collegial workplace; multicultural competence and ability to work across lines of difference.
    • Experience with in-depth collaboration and coordination in remote working environments is a plus.

    Salary Range

    $60,000-75,000 + benefits, and a generous time off package.

    How to Apply

    Please apply using the following link:

    https://jobs.gusto.com/postings/representwomen-inc-communications-manager-eba7c6ee-aa9a-47f9-9210-f7ddec6f8503

    RepresentWomen requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 within 3 weeks of their start date. 

    RepresentWomen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider applicants for positions without regard to any category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including but not limited to: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status or uniformed service member status. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, young people, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply.

  • published Web Manager (Contract) in Job Openings 2024-02-01 14:00:31 -0500

    Web Manager (Contract)

    We are seeking a tech-savvy Part Time Web Manager (Contract) to join our team at RepresentWomen, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s representation in public office in the U.S. and abroad while addressing barriers women face when running for elected official positions. You will play a crucial role in boosting our online presence through our website representwomen.org.

    We seek an innovative web designer with experience using NationBuilder and website coding. A great candidate is someone excited to refine their web design skills, contributes to new projects and digital media ideas, enjoys creative problem-solving while tackling potential website challenges, and is a team player who thrives in a collaborative environment.

    In this role, you will:

    • Manage and update our website content through NationBuilder, focusing on improving user experience and accessibility.
    • Organize our resource library, making finding our valuable research easier for our supporters.
    • Collaborate with our communications department on design and functionality improvements.

    This is a remote contract position offering flexible hours.

    Please apply at the following link:

    https://jobs.gusto.com/postings/representwomen-inc-web-manager-contract-8440447e-7d02-491a-80d0-aba24b3cdb82 

     

  • published Ashley Thurston in Staff 2024-01-31 09:42:19 -0500

    Ashley Thurston- Communications Director

    Ashley Thurston is the Communications Director for RepresentWomen, where she manages both internal and external communications with a focus on cultivating strong press relationships. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Ashley's early fascination with media and journalism led her to pursue a career in the field. After high school and as a college student, she joined the newsroom at National Public Radio in Atlanta, assuming the responsibilities of a regular reporter and later taking on the role of assistant producer, responsible for weekly content production.

    An internship opportunity in Los Angeles inspired  Ashley to transfer from the University of Georgia to work with a public radio station in LA. Her passion for empowering young women led her to establish her own radio show, "The Powder Room." After a pivot to child development, Ashley began her new career as an assistant teacher and eventually progressed to school administration for an early childhood center, Ashley rediscovered her love for media. Joining iHeart Media as a producer, she also enrolled in Mount St. Mary's University's Film and Media program, focusing on documentary production.

    After experiencing challenges due to the pandemic, Ashley decided to return to Atlanta to be closer to her family. Transitioning back to the field of communications, she assumed the role of Communications Director for the Georgia House Democrats in the office of the Minority Leader. In this capacity, Ashley created a communication strategy for  legislators to effectively communicate the priorities of the House Democrats, particularly those impacting the health and safety of Georgians.

    During Ashley’s free time, she loves to spend time with her family and closest loved ones, focus on her fitness journey through personal training and Pilates, and travel to exciting places.

  • published Michele McCrary in Staff 2023-09-15 11:12:13 -0400

    Michele McCrary- Operations Director

    Michele McCrary (she/her) is currently serving as the Operations Director at RepresentWomen. She is a passionate advocate for racial and gender parity. With over a decade of experience in Banking and Operations, Michele boldly decided to leave her corporate banking career behind to pursue her deep-seated commitment to social justice.

    Michele recently completed a transformative fellowship with Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, further enriching her understanding of the critical issues at the intersection of race and gender. She is a cohort member of Alabama Leads whose dedication to progress shines brightly.

    Michele is an avid music and movie enthusiast; She dedicates her free time to positively impacting her community through volunteer work, embodying her dedication to creating a more equitable world.