Empower Global

11/06/2024

America has reached a new low. Choosing a convicted felon and ra**st who will be bad for the economy, bad for small business, bad for working class families, fatal for some women, bad for foreign policy, bad for families and elder care, bad for international trade, devastating for LGBT individuals, over an extremely bright, competent, relatable, unifying, positive, compassionate, strong woman.

After experiencing the same thing in 2016 when I was on the Hillary campaign, the same thread appears: she’s a woman.

We have to come to terms with a massive problem in our country in terms of the influence of misogyny and patriarchical norms on ourselves- this includes men AND women, who have internalized s*xist norms.

In PA yesterday, my guest said there is a particularly toxic form of machismo there, which played out in Trump taking the state.

Of course I know there are other reasons people will have for having voted the other way but this simply can’t be ignored. We have to engender a sea change in our thinking. Our short term GOTV strategy is not working.

We must restrategize and join together in collective action to overturn a society that thinks a woman can’t lead the country better than a soulless selfish criminal with no integrity or values.

I’m hosting a post election feminist leadership round table on Friday to start planting the seeds.

Twice is enough. Our short term GOTV strategy is not working- this is a long term strategy and we must start IMMEDIATELY, and also be prepared to defend our rights, our values and our ethics against a system that will reward loyalists and punish contrarians.

Register Now Free Live Event The Presidential election Feminist Leadership ROundtable What: Live Roundtable Date: 3:30-5 pm EST on Friday, November 8 Location: Zoom Here's what we'll cover Results of The Election What are the implications of the results of the election How to be empowered to become....

11/05/2024

When you think about casting your vote today, think about what effective leadership looks like in a 2024 VUCA world :

Values like Integrity, Public Service, Unity, Altruism, Adaptability, Creativity

Traits like Empathy, Courage, Resilience, Humor, Selflessness

Ability to cooperate and negotiate in a globalized world

Conflict Prevention and Resolution

The Ability to Unify Disparate Entities

Leading on the Climate Emergency and responding to public health crises and natural disasters

Lifting up small business

Advancing human rights for all

Enabling people to live healthy lives where they have the support to flourish

The ability to relate to multiple cultures, generations, nationalities, identities

Don’t fall for ploys that try to get you to vote out of fear. This is the oldest motivating tactic in the book because it works. It short circuits the logical thinking area of the brain in something called an amygdala hijack, which then makes it harder to consider and reflect on information and reach a logical decision.

The new leadership is about trust, inspiration, creativity and love, paired with accountability.

Stephen M. R. Covey &
Ryan Heil Hasina Kharbhih Christina Pascucci

Also your vote is not just about the presidency. The biggest effect on people’s lives doesn’t come from presidents, it comes from locally elected officials and judges. As they say, all politics is local. So make sure your voice is heard and reflected in your local community by exercising your right to vote.

Register to vote. Check your registration status. Get your absentee ballot. Fast, free, easy, secure, nonpartisan.

10/30/2024

I was just asked to provide commentary to a reporter on whether reproductive rights are driving people to the polls this election season. here is what I said that hopefully can be useful to repro rights advocates when you knock on doors.

Yes yes yes. The overturn of Roe v. Wade hit families - not only women, but families, as most women who need abortions already have children ( Six in 10 women who have abortions are already mothers, and half of them have two or more children) - in a way that illustrated you can't separate politics from your personal life and your health. For those who may not have voted in the past, the political has become frighteningly personal.
In 2023 alone, at least 171,000 women had to travel across state lines to get abortions. In addition, we have seen horrifying reports of women dying from not being able to access reproductive care.

https://www.propublica.org/article/josseli-barnica-death-miscarriage-texas-abortion-ban

Furthermore, access to OBGYN care generally is drying up in red states. Many OBGYNs are devastated that they cannot provide care to their patients, and are worried about being put in prison, so they are leaving for states with less abortion restrictions. This means that even those who aren't of reproductive age can't get access to OBGYN care, and for pregnant women, they are having to travel farther and farther to access even routine care for pregnancy. This is in a country with the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world.

Furthermore, routine D+C's, which were critical training for doctors, are now only performed when a woman is hemorrhaging blood or septic, and doctors haven't been able to do them in safer circumstances, which is essential training for when those emergency procedures need to occur.

Furthermore, many states have amendments on the ballot - such as Arizona - that enshrine the right to an abortion in their state's constitution - so this goes beyond voting for Democrats but making sure that trigger laws from the 1800s are never able to occur again.

https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Proposition_139,_Right_to_Abortion_Initiative_(2024)

here is a good study to reference: https://www.prri.org/research/abortion-views-in-all-50-states-findings-from-prris-2023-american-values-atlas/

And it gets worse - project 2025 details how a trump administration would make it even harder - and more criminal- to get access to reproductive care.

Here are some things in Project 2025:

Justice Department & Comstock Act

Blocks abortion medication shipping.
FDA Reversal & Contraception Restrictions

Pulls approval for "chemical abortion drugs."
Limits contraception access.

HHS, NIH, CDC Policy Shift

Cuts s*x education, pregnancy prevention, and abortion programs.
Reduces minority and LGBTQ healthcare services.

Women want to be safe, their husbands want them to be safe, their kids want them to be safe, and people don't want to live in the dark ages.

To view a PDF of slides presented during PRRI’s May 2, 2024, webinar on this report, please click here. For a replay of the PRRI webinar via YouTube, please click here.

10/15/2024

😯 What is a feminist leader, anyway?

I'm excited to invite you to find out. Given the upcoming presidential election in the US - featuring our first female candidate ever, the tumult and lawsuits around DEI, the hurricanes down South, etc, feminist leadership has never been more important.

I will be hosting an invite-only feminist leadership roundtable in two weeks, on October 29 at 6 pm EST.

We will discuss:
what it means to be a feminist leader
what areas are giving leaders the most agita
what to expect in a Trump administration or a Harris administration

This event is only for senior-level leaders and up and is open to women and men.

DM me if you are senior manager level and up, or comment "Me" in the chat if you would like to participate in the discussion, and I will send you the registration link if you qualify.

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09/30/2024

Another Women's Leadership Challenge alumnus pushing forward to create the change she wants to see in the world!!
(https://www.womensleadershipchallenge.com)

“Yesterday I launched Reproductive Autonomy, a website I’ve been working on for a while!

Reproductive Autonomy provides reliable, trustworthy information to enable all people to make informed reproductive decisions for themselves and to advocate for and support others in their reproductive decisions.

The site is divided into three categories: Get Help, Get Informed, and Get Involved.

It’s mostly US-focused right now, hopefully it can become more international over time. Please share the site around - I hope it can be a helpful resource for any and all who need it!”

Amazing work Rebecca Justus!!!!

https://www.reproductiveautonomy.org/

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Reproductive Autonomy provides reliable, trustworthy information to enable all people to make informed reproductive decisions for themselves and to advocate for and support others in their reproductive decisions.

03/07/2024

Beyond proud of my former student, The Women's Leadership Challenge alum and politician Christina Pascucci.

She garnered almost 1% of the vote in California for the Dem Senate primary and repeatedly polled in the top five candidates.

36,000 people walked into the voting booth with the conviction that she would be the best person to represent them in the United States senate.

She put her all into the campaign, whilst being 7 months pregnant.

Christina embodies the feminist leadership characteristics I teach.

A few of those are:

Human centricity: she genuinely cares about individual people and has empathy for each person

Global citizenship: she has covered war zones all over the world- when everyone was leaving Ukraine, she was going in. She brought conflicts like Armenia and Azerbaijan to Fox News!

Purpose over power: she is driven by a social compass and genuinely cares about making people’s lives better, promoting better childcare, family leave, better resources and support for mental healthcare. Etc.

Courage: She had the courage to enter a crowded space with the conviction that she could create positive change, and repeatedly impresses me with her coverage of active conflict

One class I teach in the challenge is called “Failing Fabulously,” where I encourage women to dream big and put into the space what it is that they would do if they could not fail. Many have said they would run for office. She’s my first to put those words into action!!!!

Congrats Christina Pascucci ! This may not have been a “win” by the numbers but this is a huge win in my book as your former leadership coach ❤️❤️❤️

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-primary-elections/california-senate-results

01/09/2024

There was deep suspicion that Narendra Modi's government assassinated a Canadian linked to the Sheikh separatist movement - was it in fact, a state sponsored killing? And if it was - was it warranted? Have American drone strikes emboldened states to trespass on sovereignty?

Beyond the murder, India is set to have elections this year - and they just passed a gender quota law for Parliament, finally giving women a little more power in a highly patriarchical society. What does the future hold for the world's most populous country?

Rajiv Lall, Former managing director of IDFC, (and Bellagio fellow with me The Rockefeller Foundation!) provides his analysis and recommendations.

There was deep suspicion that Narendra Modi's government assassinated a Canadian linked to the Sheikh separatist movement - was it Modi's government? And if it was - was it warranted? How does that compare to American drone strikes? Beyond the assassination attempt, India is set to have elections th...

12/19/2023

It was a beautiful celebratory holiday weekend with so many of my students and alumni from the Women's Leadership Challenge. Potlucks, birthdays, holiday parties, graduation happy hours. One thing I am incredibly intentional about is creating community.

In a world where the surgeon general has declared loneliness a public health emergency, and religion has declined (once a major source of community), it is critical that we build and invest in communities that go beyond superficial list serves and facebook groups.

People want to celebrate together, break bread, drink wine, open gifts, be vulnerable, share their fears and hopes and dreams.

I also LOVE Esther Perel's new card deck - Where do we begin? - as a tool to help people to think deeply, find mutuality, and open up to one another.

12/19/2023

To start the weekend off right, here's coaching normally reserved just for those who take The Women's Leadership Challenge.

How do you prevent negative feedback from derailing you?
"The Self Confidence Workbook."

Featuring:

How can you utilize AI:
to better understand who you are
to reinforce your sense of self
to better understand and leverage your strengths in your career
to articulate your "UVP" unique value proposition

How do you prevent negative feedback from derailing you? How do you boost your confidence and self-esteem? BONUS: How do you use artificial intelligence and ...