Shattering the “Golden Ceiling”
Before taking the stage to host the WBII annual International Women’s Day Event in The Hague, I searched for fresh material and statistics. The latest research results and comparative data analysis are predictably published every year around March 8, International Women’s Day.
Statistics can always be found to support either side of an issue. For instance, this year the International Herald Tribune focused on women and science. Only 16 of the 540 Nobel Peace Prizes have ever been awarded to women in science, but the fact that there were 3 awarded last year could be taken as a very positive indicator.
Fifteen years have passed since the Beijing Declaration, but The Gender Wage Gap remains, with women earning 17.6% less than men on average worldwide and the disparity is over 30% in Korea and Japan. What strikes me when I review these statistics each year is how little the statistics change and how slow the wheels of progress actually turn.
It was a thrill to wake up on March 8 and see that the Golden Ceiling had been shattered on the Eve of International Women’s Day! What, you ask is the Golden Ceiling? It is, of course the “Glass Ceiling, Hollywood style! And now, thanks to Katherine Bigelow’s big win of the most coveted golden statue in Hollywood, the Golden Ceiling is finally shattered. It took 82 years for a woman to win the Most Important (and genderless) category of Best Director.
The broader statistics in the film industry are quite disappointing. Of the top 250 films made in 2009, only 7% had a female director. There is still a long way to go, but International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress. Katherine Bigelow’s Oscar is “a first” for women in a competitive industry with tremendous global visibility. Her high profile victory will undoubtedly inspire others and just the mention of it brought cheers and energy to the crowd gathered at our event on Monday night!
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Helping Hearts – How Small Business Helps Haiti
Millions of people around the world tuned in over the weekend for the Hope for Haiti Telethon organized by George Clooney. The show was an amazing spectacle that featured musical performances by Bono, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay, Beyonce, Stevie Wonders and many, many more! Hollywood celebs were out in full force to man the phones for the telethon. Julie Roberts, Robert Deniro and Steven Spielberg chatting with donors and giving heartfelt thanks demonstrated a perfect example of everyone pitching in for the cause.
HopeforHaitinow.org achieved record-breaking results, collecting over 58 million in the 24 hours following the broadcast. It was well organized with multiple ways to complete the transaction, including internationals, which is not always easy! Particularly ingenious was the the Donate Now button on the website becoming a Donate Again button after you give (each time). The money will continue to pour in through the sales of the recorded performance, which has reached number 1 in 18 countries. Wow and bravo all around!
So this morning when I glanced at Facebook and noticed the blog post, “Let’s do Something to Help Haiti” by Natalie Carstens of Tigs Creations Photography, I was not convinced that this link would lead me to a new and inspiring initiative to raise money for Haiti, but I was wrong to underestimate Small Business. Continue reading »
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Resolution Inspiration from a 92 Year-Old Diva
Are you struggling through the early days of your resolution to lose weight, hit the gym, or “fill in the blank” with any other healthy habit? Experts say that your odds of succeeding are greater when you make long-term lifestyle changes instead of trying crash diets or other fads. Sure, that’s obvious, but how long- term are we talking about here? This 92 year-old woman(not pictured above) sets an example for all of us to follow in thinking long past January!
As the clock ticked toward midnight on New Year’s Eve, the topic of conversation inevitably turned to resolutions. Mae, a young Filipino Au-Pair, shared diet tips that recently helped her lose a few kilos, but Mae has the look of a skinny fourteen year old girl that couldn’t gain weight if she tried, so none of us reached for a pen or (insert your favorite smart phone here) to take notes. Mae then mentioned that she was not the Au-Pair for a brood of small children, but one little old lady. Mae caught our attention when she said she was dieting with the old woman, who asks Mae to bring in the scale each week. When the needle is moving in the wrong direction, she requests salads and fruit to drop the extra kilo(s). Maybe you’ve been clinging to the excuse that it gets too difficult to lose weight after 30, 35, 40, etc., but obviously this woman doesn’t buy into it. Continue reading »
Filed under Inspiring, Just Life, Just for fun, Women | Comment (1)
Serendipity and Social Media Superhero Chris Brogan in Action!
No, I didn’t just happen to bump into my favorite superhero, Chris Brogan, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Our chance meeting occurred via the modern, social media serendipity engine, Twitter.
Chris Brogan was in Paris speaking at Le Web and I was home in The Hague, still feeling sorry for myself for missing Le Web. Late Saturday night after a completely offline day, I quickly jumped online and noticed on twitter that @chrisbrogan had just arrived in Amsterdam. I replied to ask if he would be speaking at any events the next day or if there were any opportunities to meet him. Chris Brogan is mentioned in hundreds, thousands of tweets every day, so I didn’t expect a reply. It was nearly midnight.
He immediately sent a Direct Message to say he was just passing through the Netherlands, but would be happy to meet me for tea at Schiphol Airport in the morning. I won’t pretend that I kept my cool, I was shocked and shaking! Continue reading »
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