Rooted in longing, not necessarily in truth. Truthfully but especially American Culture because we have from the start a culture of many languages and religions and ethnicities and part of what it means to be american is contested truths, a land of many religions and we never did a good job of negotiating. But becomes important as we negotiate moving forward. In answer to your question is a positive force. But and his ideas have been bred in all sorts of curious ways. As i said, he wasnt Necessary Force because he helped americans to confront fundamental problems we have had comeau living in a pluralistic society, doing so humane way, and here is a speak of the story. I had to think with about these issues. University of wisconsin professor teaches history here. Here is her book. History of an icon. You want to watch this program again . Type the author name or book title in the search bar. You canyou can also share the videos on our website. Book tv, society 98. All available at booktv. Org. Good evening. I am honored to be here tonight to introduce each of Amazing Group of women. This evenings topic is a vital one. As a female ceo i am often asked to comment about what is like to be a woman in industry has traditionally been men. And so many times i asked what are some of the experiences i draw by denial to say limit i have gone experiences from an things i have read and people ive talked to people i have met. It is really all about stories. And that is what i think, the power of thea great story. So many women are doing so many important things whether its policy, business, human rights. If we stop to think about it we canbecause im so much. Change the way we look at the world. So this book is how women can achieve power and purpose. Harnessing the power of storytelling giving us a gift about the trailblazing. So i am thrilled to welcome and am proud ofim proud of effectively have the opportunity to be able to produce this book. Pres. Obama appointed her as the 1st ever United States ambassador at large. Cofounder of international nonprofit. Kim as a really is also cofounder and chairman of the Global Center for women. She is illegal, corporate, and philanthropic advisor. Newsweek daily beast. Moderating this evening we are pleased and excited to introduce lecture at Harvard University far executive editor of the New York Times. Spent the last 17 years as a senior editorial position where she was the 1st woman to serve in washington. Before joining at times Deputy Washington Bureau chief covering money and politics. So we are very excited to have the opportunity to have these wonderful women here. I would like to recognize the math of the Kennedy Library foundation acknowledges generous underwriters of the Kennedy Library on the Boston Foundation and the Foundation Media partners. They would also like to acknowledge perform part of the ceiling. Thank you again and i hope you enjoy the evening. They are going to have a short video. We are at a point today we know women are agents of change. Economic and social progress. Powerful. Enjoy your influence around 20 million in purchasing power. Increasingly using a power. In the process redefining. Power, the practical ability to expect change. More satisfactorily want to translate the power. It is my duty, obligation and privilege to help other women empower themselves. We have to develop a cadrea cadre of people around you to face the same challenges you face. Nourish her soul group. Unlock the unlimited potential. The most. Empowering women to unleash their talent and perspective. It is really a formula. And then to connect with others. Fastforward to the world we want. I want to begin by thanking the john f. Kennedy library for hosting. Their achievements, power, and purpose. I am thrilled to have a large group of students here tonight. I think that this book has a lot about how you can find your power. It is great to have a youth contention with us. I want to start with you. If you can give us a little bit of background, why did you want to write fastforward . If you can, tell us the secret for achieving power and purpose. Before i do that, what to say what a privilege it is to be here with you. One of the great journalists of our time. Certainly one of the greatest female journalists. Ive come to know her for years, but they have reporters i know, young women reporters have told me what it is to work with her and be inspired by her. Thank you for that. I also want to mention were introduced 185 their history. And in a personal note, is meaningful to come here to the Kennedy Library. When i was younger than some of the women in this room, she was my inspiration. I often feel the call to public service, not which, not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country really inspired a generation of us. For me to come here tonight and talk about how we can fastforward, he is so much to do with that. Why this book . I have had many years of opportunities to work with women at home and around the world. Working with the private sector and government and in the nonprofit and the accumulation of experiences i thought were worth sharing. Particularly in recent years. Spent two generations. I was running an organization. Something that came out of the administration that was part of the state department in those years. Women around the globe said you cant end this. We need to come together opportunities and possibilities. How is raising money for the nonprofit and i went to new york in england and met the young lawyer there was very close to the head of the companys and i started to tell her that companies really, a company like a lot really increasingly should not be doing this kind of work. But as a brand in many ways that have been doing that. She completely agreed. The colleague said to me, my god, she is one of us. And so coming out of the Corporate Legal sector and my efforts in the Public Sector actually brought several perspectives together, but we were working for the same end. And increasingly doing it not just in the silo but in an integrated way. Over those years both of us have met Extraordinary People have been part of this. They also did some 60 initial interviews. Really understanding with the breakthroughs or have today and that is the predicate for the book all we have a chance today like never before, far more women in positions of responsibility at every level, not what we need to get. But in ways that we have come a long way comeau we have a evidence based case for why investing in women and girls has tremendous dividends for economic and social progress and can talk about that. Hello World Economic forum many of the companies are producing Massive Research and data on this. And we can be connected through technological breakthroughs. As you really care about advancing women and girls, not just because it is a womens issue, and it is really an issue for everybody because of what it means, we believe we should seize the moment and fastforward the progress. We understand each other assess power no matter where we sit, find a purpose and then connect with others, there is far more we can achieve and can collectively make an enormous difference. One of the things i love by a book is that it is big picture in a lot of ways, but it is filled with wonderful wrenching stories about women around the world and girls. I was very moved and glad he put it near the front of the book. Attacks on women around the world but in this case specifically acid attacks. Its a pleasure to be here. A nerveracking thing. Executive editor of the New York Times powerhouse in the region book. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for putting this book out. That story for me sums of the book. Sophie for me change my life. The six weekold baby had been doused with acid how she was breastfeeding with the money. There was some sort of marital dispute. Awoman is come in and want to vent the father and the child. Melissa no, you cant live with us. Came back and threw acid at the mother and child while breastfeeding. The child wanted, loss per year. The company for women in direct selling business of power and women. And i was more into the Womens Movement. I was not new to these types of issues. But i was invitedi was invited by one of the dr. Seuss on the video and ocular Plastic Surgeon operating as a volunteer came across. So it was a whole word acid violence women. I want to steal a womans beauty. So disfiguring. He had just come back in this talk about this issue. What does on the image my whole perspective changed i thought, how could this be happening . Asix weekold baby doused with acid and no penalty. Im away. The perpetrator was just out of about. I felt i could use my platform for something. Clearly am a lawyer. There has to be something i can do. One thing led to another, but this child, a lot of us to do something and unbelievable figure and he basically galvanized a group of people, whole bunch of surgeons volunteer their time, brought the child of. Brought the issue to the un. What was amazing, try to get someone to cover the issue of the un. They cannot give one reporter there. We did give one reporter from new york one. No one interested in the issue. But what happened as a result was little by Little People came together and we were able to create a center for women. A little bit like a precursor of mall all up. What is amazing about to my thought was helping. Able to change the laws. Significant things happen. All of us go so much more out of it. I thought i was helping her. We talked about the book you out the data should talk about, but the other thing i said in the book, have a meaningful life. Use your skills for something bigger than yourself it creates a level of meaning. An amazing story. But since you mentioned mckenzie Sheryl Sandberg some of you know from reading her book lean in, and she is a major executive of facebook, she worked with mckenzie and commission to study on women in the workplace. Published in the wall street journal some months ago. She pointed out that you could send a woman in the space and have her orbit jupiter ten times, return to earth, and it would still take many, many decades for women to achieve parity. They said you grew up in the Womens Movement virtually. I am very taken by the title of your book. Especially because sheryl is making the point that it pays, it seems that almost every arena theyre has been a bit of a stall. Still 14 women ceos. In with the number of women senators you know,know, how can we get it back on track . That is part of the reason we wanted to do the book. We know we cannot move forward with the pace we have. It has been the study that says at the rate we have women elected to Congress Take over a hundred years to reach parity. It is still very hard to get through. But in so many places we are plagued by many challenges in the United States as well as women off a journey, and it has to do with a range of challenges including culture, the lack of political will i cani can tell you from my own experiences in this would go and meet so many times have the sense that have an investor from womens issues. How nice and cordial and courteous. Issues which were somehow not the issues of the day i really wish we could have some time that i would like to talk about how you could grow the economy and create jobs. All the sudden the conversation changed. There was a realization our own interest whether it is growing economies are they more Profitable Companies women are absolutely essential another country can get ahead of them. I mean, you make the point forcefully that having women in all ranks of an organization or company is my business. You tell many success stories. It is absolutely true that is what inspires and guides most of us. It is also the smart and strategic thing to do. A lot of the book focuses to win over the skeptics. To really move forward in ways that critically we need to. I was just a study that was released in the last couple days that some representatives that was conducted in the situation. There are no surprises. The Maternity Leave, women still lose 0. 23 of every dollar. It is bad enough you dont have that equality the fact that we have so many women workplace today. The great majority in the hodgepodge of childcare. Clearly we have to do better and we believe our collective action in ways that we perhaps of adaptive before, arming ourselves connecting the new share commitment to progress. That is the hope. A unique place and time. It took 70 years to get the right to vote. Explained to the students. Seneca falls was the 1st large Womens Convention 1st convention weather talk about having rights. That was the 1st really equal Rights Convention and i always say that Susan B Anthony traveled every week giving speeches. Getting the right to vote. But the. Is that if not as much progress as we would like. But i am optimistic. Women are actually storming the ranks. Most of the decisionmaking is at that level. Weve been stuck for really long time but have never been so close. The 2nd is because we know World Leaders not just women were leaders that men were leaders as well never seen in the house power before. They have to unleash the population. The shortest line is the ladies room. The World Economic forum. And were leaders. But the joke is that the shortest line however both are a few years ago. I have to figure out a way. I tell you, have been around a while. In my lifetime the Prime Minister of japan would come and has a lot to do. But that research is critical. Mckenzie just put a report that if you had equal access to Work Environment we can grow gdp by 2020. To that is real money on the table. Do you want to give out all that money . Was leadership. We have the data. Everything our lives is change. She said something that completely blew my mind. Think about how radically everything is changing around us. Transportation is changed. They can do for pretty much anything. We can reset in ways we never been able to. That is why we do believe we could fastforward, leapfrog, accelerate and change everything. Annemarie slaughter is adamant that we can fastforward unless knew policies and Government Action is taken. And you have it all around the world and the us flags, things like Maternity Leave and childcare. One of since about your talking about technological change, why are we still on the School Calendar . Invented for an agricultural economy what will drive the politics to you agree that is a necessary ingredient . Sheryl sandberg takes a little bit of a different take and says there are things within women ourselves that are holding us back. It is really all of the above. Government has to be a part of the solution. Many of the policy changes to cover large numbers of people who were impacted is going to take Government Action. Several years ago we had the 1st ever childcare. I remember that the 1st lady said we need bob rubin, secretary of treasury and former Goldman Sachs person to open this conference. When i went to obama said essentially that he said what do i know about childcare. But symbolically was critically important because treasury overseas irs middle income or lower income is through the tax system command it was a call to action both in terms of government policy but also in terms of the private sector. They write in the book about the 1st law firm and is providing paid leave, parental leave for his lawyers. In terms of the kind of change they want to say. So private sector government the problem sometimes policies that some companies do offer and the flavors in yearly for anyone who had a child, but you know, something that a number of analysts have pointed out is there is a problem if the policies are seen as created for women in that some companies in worried about staying out of work for a long time. I have policies that menus. And in fact we see the World Economic forum is discussed, one of the things it does annually is put out a gender gap report. What a reporta report does is look at the gap between men and women. Closer to being closed by far more economically competitive. Going on the shaft the town get better outcomes. Consistently at the top of the list of the scandinavian countries have enlightened generous policies. What they have insured is that they take advantage of the policies. Many menus. Indeed. And what they also did to ensure that is to basically work the policies and away that the fathers had to take a leave also. And what is interesting is mandatory. Well, you have to take advantage of the policy. But what is interesting is how many are in the process. Our surprising myself. And i think that is part of it as well. It contributes to social good but also enriches life. There is a lot more to life than being a good employee. Meant have a vital voice. Indeed. Voices are saying today this has made our lives that much better. The other thing is these policies are increasingly being seen for the outcomes of producing. We do not have enough experience, but they are doing what was intended ways that create light or social improvement. I think again optimistic no 11 designed that way. And were at the point we have to think about policies that there are a lot of policies. They see things differently. They dont even see differences in gender. The unusual place in history. The New York Times a new crop they found that they would be an equal partner in marriage. And found that because