Inspiring the Next Generation: VCWA Celebrates International Women’s Day With Acclaimed Female Leaders
The VCWA hosted its most recent iteration of its 2022 International Speaker Series, "Navigating New Realities: Creating an Inclusive Future," a four-part series highlighting the growing exchange of information, knowledge, and ideas in today's era and the ways innovation and inclusivity play a vital role in how we move forward. The series launched with a full day in honor of International Women’s Day, titled ‘The Evolving Role of Women on The World Stage’, and sessions included the topics of gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean, Afghan women and girls in a new regime, and featured a book talk on women's rights in Iran. The day concluded with an in-person evening keynote reception featuring Ambassador Kelley Currie and Shalonda Spencer, the Executive Director of Women Advancing Peace and Security, moderated by media producer and host Fran Stoddard.
Gender Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean
To explain the state of women in Latin America, and the challenges they face, VCWA was joined by Deyanira Murga and Ileana Valle. Murga is the Executive Director of Cerberus Risk Security Consulting and Valle is the citizen security lead at USAID Colombia. The conversation with University of Vermont Professor Caroline Beer provided VCWA members with an overview of the region’s women and explored questions of policy, society, and the business sector’s respective role in uplifting and empowering women of the region.
Afghan Women and Girls in a New Regime
Manizha Wafeq, cofounder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, joined international development executive Ellen Yount for a conversation about the state of Afghan women and girls after the collapse of the democratically-elected government in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s seizure of power in the country. Manizha described the dire state of women in Afghanistan as the country slides back into repression, stating that there has been a "high number of our people leaving the country. . . we have lost a great number of all kinds of professionals, but especially women," said Wafeq "These women had become role models. . . What will happen to all those girls who are still in the country?" Indeed, it has not only been the loss of female leaders that has excelled this backsliding on women’s rights, but a tremendous lack of direct support for Afghan women by the international community, according to Wafeq. “The international community could have done a better job in standing beside Afghan women and could have given us much more leverage in negotiation with the Taliban.” However, she also highlighted the tremendous bravery and resilience of these women in lieu of the return of the Taliban regime’s repression. “Unfortunately, with the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, we started to see everything go back to the way it was to some extent,” Wafeq stated “but the way Afghan women showed up and showed resilience was really encouraging.”
“Globally, we need more women in leadership positions... unless we get more women in leadership positions, we can't hope for meaningful change.” - Dr. Nina Ansary
Book Talk With Nina Ansary
Dr. Nina Ansary, an award-winning Iranian American author, historian and women’s rights activist, joined Justice Jeanine Johnson, the first woman to serve on Vermont’s Supreme Court, for a book discussion about her critically-acclaimed book Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality. The book takes readers on a 4,000-year historic journey to expose the roots and manifestations of institutionalized gender discrimination; dismantles centuries of historical bias through biographical profiles of fifty extraordinary, yet forgotten women innovators; and challenges ingrained stereotypical assumptions to advance an unconventional argument for equality and inclusivity.
Ansary provided much needed discussion of topics ranging from how to lift women up globally, frameworks for understanding ideal women’s liberation and outlining women’s repression, the nuances and challenges of women’s repression in the Middle East, pre-Islamic Persia’s insights for the women’s movement, the future of women in Iran, and much more. Referencing her childhood in Iran amid the Iranian revolution: “This is a reminder to not become complacent in the assumption that progress towards women’s rights is linear,” she said.
A topic discussed by Dr. Ansary and Justice Johnson that bears relevance domestically as well as internationally is the systemic nature of women’s repression, something that takes different forms. Despite her earlier warning about the ‘nonlinear’ nature of women’s liberation, Dr. Ansary shared some optimism as well, proclaiming that ‘globally women persevered in male-dominated industries despite gender-specific systemic barriers.’ She highlighted that, even in her country-of-birth, Iran, women are succeeding amid tremendous efforts to keep them suppressed. Much of the inspiring discussion invoked a call-to-action, with Dr. Ansary making the case that “gender equality is, quite possibly, the greatest challenge of our time.”
Women’s Role in Peace and Security
VCWA’s in-person, keynote address on International Women’s Day provided a forum for discussion about the tremendously important role that women are playing amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, and their crucial contributions to international security. Ambassador Currie shed light on her tremendous career in the UN, her expertise in the Asia-Pacific region, women’s contributions to security and peacebuilding, and the work that must be undertaken to ensure women’s empowerment and advancement. “There are still 75 countries in the world where women need a man to sign for a bank account,” she said, highlighting the systemic ways in which women are being constrained in societies across the world. Harkening back on some of her experiences with women of the various cultures she has interacted with, she remarked about the importance of International Women’s Day as well, stating that “seeing how much it meant to these women, who had so little. . . it really brought it home for me, and since then I have had a special appreciation for this day!”
Ambassador Currie also shared some thoughts about the success of the American political system, despite the division and polarization that has come to define the news headlines. “We’re living through changes that in many ways are unprecedented. If you look back at the arc of history, every time there is a push forward there is a reaction. […] It causes resistance, our society is changing in so many ways,” she explained, adding “the great thing about American democracy, with all of its problems and flaws, [is that] we have within our society, and within ourselves, the tools to make a correction.”
Shalonda Spencer shined a light on the issues that women of color, specifically, are experiencing amid the same fight for liberation. Spencer, who has had a career in leadership within the security and peace-building spheres, added that “freedom is a constant struggle. . . every day is a fight. . . and it is very unfortunate that women's rights have always been seen as minor.” She added, “Just having these conversations about women of color, and women overall. . . is a gain.” She reminded the audience that the fight for women’s rights and dignity around the world is a constant struggle, and that female leaders must not become complacent, lifting up future generations of diverse women.
Patricia Preston, Executive Director of the VCWA, also shared her thoughts, adding: “all of our programming has been focused on exploring the transformative and progressive role women play in global affairs, peace, and security today, as well as the work being done to inspire the next generation of leaders.” Former Vermont Mayor, Peter Clavelle was also in attendance. Reflecting on the current celebration of the day in Albania, a country he once called home with his wife, he stated: “in Albania, women call ‘Women’s Day’ ‘Freedom Day’, and today hundreds of women gathered around the streets of Albania to protest and to call for freedom of women to live without fear.”
WAMC Northeast Public Radio also released a segment about the event, which can be accessed here. Those who purchased tickets to this event can access a recording of the International Women’s Day series, by emailing marya@vcwa.org. Information about future events at VCWA, including future International Speaker Series can be found here.
VCWA will be hosting their next event within the International Speaker Series, “Harnessing the Power of Technology", on April 7 from 9:00 am to 8:30 pm. The event will be free for members, and will discuss the changes in technology that will shape the coming era of world politics.
Vermont Council on World Affairs 2022 International Speaker Series:
March 8th: The Evolving Role of Women on the Global Stage
April 7th: Harnessing the Power of Technology
May 5th: Developing a More Inclusive Approach to Climate Change Policy
June 7th: Shaping the Next Wave of Globalization
Thank you to our 2022 International Speaker Series sponsors and supporters, National Life Group, Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C., Vermont Women's Fund, Mercy Connections, Gravel & Shea Attorneys at Law, Vermont Bar Association, Hilton Garden Inn, and Vermont Global Exchange.
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