Today was Consultation Day—an incredible daylong event that took place at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. We began the day hearing from some of the strongest voices I’ve heard yet in the women’s equality movement—including Dr. Gertrude Mongella, former Under-Secretary-General for the UN’s 4th World Conference on Women. One of my favorite parts of the entire event was Dr. Mongella’s quote that there are—metaphorically speaking—“slow drivers” in the lane of gender equality, and we, as women, need to pass them and take the fast lane. Similarly, we heard from Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland (!) that we, quite simply, need to “stick to our guns” on our beliefs, and things will begin to change.
So far into this experience, I feel like I am truly reaping the benefits of coming along for this entire journey. In preparing for tomorrow, I am keeping in mind not only the questions posed for us yesterday by the WomenNC board, but a message conveyed by Dr. Gertrude Mongella—“Human rights begin at home. They begin in own country. What country is the best country in the world? All have the fault lines of misogyny. We must work in our spaces to make the change”.
Until tomorrow,
Justine
Great quotes from great speakers. Thanks for sharing them. Those strong voices when carried to government and NGO policies will push those "slow drivers" aside, and improve our world. Find your strong voice and be a part of that change. Keep listening, expand your networks, crystallize your beliefs and make a difference. I know you will, Justine.
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