[On March 31st] Women’s Leadership Conference was held on the Mount Vernon Campus at GW. As a member of the Arts and Culture Cohort in the Women’s Leadership Program, I was honored to be invited and excited to attend. I went to the opening session and the afternoon session. Both parts of the conference contained intelligent women who demonstrated, what I believe to be, idealistic role models for young girls.
I found that the morning session focused on the issue of women and confidence. Due to the inequality women faced in passed, many women find it hard to stand up for themselves. Julie Smith was the main speaker of the morning session. She is the Senior Fellow and Director of the Strategy and Statecraft Program at the Center for a New American Security. I enjoyed what she had to say, due to her advice for women. She discussed how many women do not have as much confidence as men in the workplace. There is a constant idea that women feel as though they shouldn’t be in the position they achieved. In the world of elective politics many women have ambition, however, they believe they are not qualified enough. Therefore, they don’t attempt their dreams. Smith exclaimed that women need to realize they are in the position they are in for a reason. I thought this was excellent advice, for many times I feel unqualified. I think if women don’t start going for their dreams and doing it with confidence, we will never be equally respected. Women should not wait for someone to tell them that they’re good enough.
Smith also brought up her life as a working mother. She explained how she worked in the White House, as the Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President. Eventually Smith had to quit due to the abnormally long time spent away from her children. Although this is unfortunate, she now is able to have an exciting career, while still making time for her kids. I think it’s important to recognize the fact that many successful women are mothers. Therefore, many times it’s difficult for women to be as ambitious as men. Smith explained that, “You can’t always have it all, but you should try and ask for it.” This is necessary for women to understand, because many times working women feel as though having a child will bring a negative impact on their career. When applying at the Center for a New American Security, Smith asked if the hours would be flexible enough for family time. Since she asked, her boss was able to coordinate a system, in which she could balance her two priorities. Therefore, it is clear women can have it all; though they must be confident enough to ask for it.
The afternoon session contained four panelists all involved in journalism. My favorite discussion from this session was the topic of Trump’s Cabinet. One of the panelists stated that Trump has the fewest women and minorities in his cabinet since Reagan. Many of the women who work for Trump are not in high-level women. Many people claim this is because of sexism; however these journalists had different ideas. Gigi Schumm, Vice President and General Manager of Symantec’s Public Sector organization, exclaimed that Trump doesn’t care what people think; he does what he wants. His entire campaign was based on doing things differently, or rather, his own way. Trump’s main concern was that he could work with people that are loyal and caring to him. Francesca Chambers, the White House Correspondent for DailyMail.com, claimed that Trump was not looking for diversity when picking his cabinet. Instead, he was trying to find the people he found most qualified for the job. Since Trump’s main supporters are white men, I think it’s pretty obvious why majority of his cabinet is this race/gender.
Overall, I found that this conference was an amazing experience. It made me want to be as successful as the women who spoke. I was disappointed it was not required for the entirety of the Women’s Leadership Program. I feel as though many of the girls would be inspired and truly enjoyed the panels. Next year, the entire program should attend.
-Willa Alexander-Jaffe
Reflections on the Women's Leadership Conference 2017
May 1, 2017
