The State of Feminism

This is the room we need to be in right now. I just want to underscore that the reason we have pushback is because we have made progress, and that is very threatening. Because the babies born today are more brown and Black than white already. So we are seeing where it's coming from. I represent Equality Now, and we have changed 134 laws around the world to center women. And that's pretty scary for some people. So all I want to say is, feminism is needed more now than ever because of the values we bring to the work and the world that we serve. We build communities, we lead with empathy, we do things in collaboration, like this room, and that's what the world needs. And I think being in rooms like this can feel very, very strong and powerful. And we need to walk out of these rooms staying in touch and knowing that when one of us feels a little shaky, there are all these other women in the room to hold us up. We can't give up.

I grew up in a feminist space in a matriarchal place, and it was really powerful. And I don't think I realized the value of it when I was so young. But I think what stays with me is the men who were in that space. And today my son calls himself a proud feminist, and I think that's where I get my hope.

These remarks have been edited for clarity and length. Portions of these remarks appeared at Women’s Media Center.