Thursday, March 5, was International Women's Day. I had the opportunity to participate in nationwide screening of the film, A Powerful Noise which was shown at 450 theaters and was followed with a live panel discussion, featuring Madeleine Albright, Nicholas Kristof, and other experts on poverty and women's empowerment.
The film began was some startling statistics:
- Of the world's 1 billion poorest people, 60 percent are women and girls.
- Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, yet earn only 10 percent of the income.
- Women produce half the world’s food, yet own only 1 percent of its land.
- Women make up two-thirds of the estimated 776 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write; and girls make up 55 percent of the 75 million children not attending school.
The film followed the stories of three women walking into their own power to create profound change in their communities. I am so fortunate to have been born in a society where I do not face the extreme discrimination and hardships these women have had to endure. I have been well educated and given amazing opportunities.
And yet, just before the film began as they panned the audience and the camera focused on a woman in the crowd wearing a shirt with the tag line from the film "I am Powerful" and I felt a surge of emotion.
What does it mean to be a powerful woman in our culture? Sometimes I am surprised that I don't have it remotely figured out yet. It is easy in times such as these for all of us to feel that sense of vulnerability and powerlessness. The economy seems to be in a free fall, completely out of our control, yet impacting our lives in a very personal way.
I have found in our culture that women have a unique relationship to power. Women tend to be rewarded for being polite and appropriate. The more we work skillfully within the structure of our society, conforming to certain social norms, and following the rules the more accolades we receive. We learn quickly how to play many different roles, when we embrace our sexuality and when we diminish it, when to embrace our intelligence and when to let a man think it was his idea, when we take the lead and when we choose the role of the cheerleader and supportive one, and when we learn to allow others to feel they have power over us even as we feel we are secretly in control.
Skillful women are faced with these choices everyday, and to some degree it is always empowering to have a choice. These tactics, manipulations, etc when done effectively can have a huge impact on a woman's success. And countless women have used these skills to bring about tremendous good in the world. But I am left asking the question, does a woman feel powerful when using her feminine tool box of tricks?
When thinking of purchasing one of the "I Am Powerful" t-shirts to support work CARE is doing to create opportunities for women around the world, I must admit, I had some strong reservations to wearing a shirt with those words on it. Yes, this feminist had some reservations.
As I sit here reflecting on that observation, I am left wondering if my fear around walking into my own power albeit by wearing a shirt proclaiming it on my chest, or through my actions and behaviors, is it centered on the fear of destroying one of the most powerful tools in my box? Would I be giving up one of the roles that has proven so effective for me in the past?
Our world is dangerous, scary, and tough! Can my power be trusted? Will it be respected and rewarded? Will it be enough?
In times of crisis and danger, instead of praying to the male God of my past, to intervene and help me, this feminist will be heard uttering the simple truth, I Am Powerful...
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