Report on “Her Turn: An Intergenerational Dialogue on Gender Equality.”
By Maddy Peterson and Jennie Spector
On the eve of International Women’s Day (March 8th), New School students gathered with some of the dynamic women of Global Women Leaders to engage in the second iteration of the series “Her Turn: An Intergenerational Dialogue on Gender Equality.” The event was jointly organized with GPIA. As women globally experience sweeping rollbacks of their rights, this event provided an opportunity for students to hear directly from women who have trailblazed the male dominated space of international affairs, to share frustrations and hopes for the future, and to learn from one another.
GWL members Susana Mallcorra, Margot Wallstrom, and Federica Mogherini divulged the barriers they’ve had to overcome to reach their acquired ranks, and why they’re now focused on rupturing the status quo of female leadership in the field. Students were especially interested in Ms.Walstrom’s creation of feminist foreign policy in Sweden, which revolutionized how countries can prioritize gender equality into their foreign policy aims. Students asked the women of GWL questions about women’s economic justice, advice for young women seeking a career in international affairs, the inclusion of LGBTQ rights in the feminist agenda, and what it would mean to see a woman as Secretary General at the United Nations. The answers to these questions provoked complex discussion among participants, including among the panel itself. What was readily agreed upon, however, was the importance of increasing women’s representation in all decision-making spaces. Students were told to prioritize unity, following their passion, and never taking their current rights for granted.
