As a longtime activist on issues confronting women in the workplace, you can imagine how excited I was to be among 5,000 women from across the country attending the White House United State of Women Summit on June 14th. It was an honor to be a part of 9to5’s delegation representing an organization with a long history of fighting for women’s equality in the workplace. It was refreshing to see that women’s voices have been heard at the highest levels of our government and around the world.
I applaud Valerie Jarrett and the White House Council on Women and Girls for framing the conversation around six topics. That made it easier to identify the solution sessions that I wanted to attend. The “Conversation with the Trailblazers” included women who broke into fields traditionally dominated by men: corporate boards, NFL coaching and the financial services industry. These women recognized the longstanding cultural stereotypes that affect women’s entry into certain jobs and shared their views on what needs to be done to lessen this problem.
I salute the President, Vice President, First Lady, current female Congressional Representatives, women activists and celebrities (including Oprah) for taking time from their busy schedules to be present at this historic Summit. I left feeling more energized to continue the work necessary to improve the status of women in my community. As the Summit leaders emphasized, we still have much work to do!
Valencia Campbell
Action Network member
Ft Washington, MD
