Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

I had the privilege of attending NY Moves Magazine’s 2007 Power Women event Tuesday evening. I support the magazine for two reasons; they interviewed me (believe it or not) for their last issue, and I have gotten to know the publisher Moonah Yaqub as a result of the interview and my subsequently becoming a fan of the smart, funny and irreverent writing style. Being an opinionated gal myself, the content resonates with me.

Kudos to NY Moves for putting together a classy and meaningful evening that focused less on the glam and more on the substance of the women in attendance. The event honored women for significant and important contributions to our society and to New York, their mother ship. MC’d by the very funny Judy Gold, who teased Yaqub on the lack of sustenance and her British accent; the honorees expressed their appreciation for both the recognition and the caliber of women with whom they were associated.

The list was impressive;
Mira Sorvino, Actress and Activist
Naomi Wolf, Co-founder of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership and author “The End of America; Letter to a Young Patriot”
Jill Bargonetti, PhD, Professor and molecular biologist Hunter College
Joanne Abbott Green, Founder, executive producer, co-owner CMJ Music Marathon & CMJ Network
Christine Falvo, Director of state office Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Stacey Cooper, SVP North Fork Bank
Robin Wilson, Chairman and CEO Robin Wilson Home
Leslie Sloane Zelnik, Celebrity publicist and partner BWR
Deborah Berke, Architect, Deborah Berke and Partners LLP
Tamar Kraft-Stolar, Director Women in Prison Project
Sukanya Krishnan, Anchor CW11 Morning News
Liz Meltzer, VP Merchandising UNIQLO
Lauren Bush, Model & Spokesperson for the UN World Food Program
Bonnie Bernstein, NFL Sportscaster ESPN
Majora Carter, Founder and ED Sustainable South Bronx
Erin Burnett, Financial News Anchor CNBC
Michelle Byrd, ED The Gotham Awards
Danielle Chang, Entrepreneur and founder Peony Ventures
Allison Silverman, Co-executive Producer and Co-head writer The Colbert Report
Andrea Batista Schlesinger, ED Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
Patricia Yeo, Iron Chef Champion and Executive Chef Monkey Bar
Lisa Weber, President Met Life Insurance
Jilly Stephens, ED City Harvest
Maura Reilly, Curator Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art
Susan Sarandon, Actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Candace Bushnell, Author Sex in the City
Ivanka Trump, Model and VP for Trump Organizations
Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Model and Art Director
Kristen Schaal, Writer and Comedian

Mira Sorvino opened the event and I found her remarks personally inspiring and true to what faces the collective woman. She shared a recent conversation she had with Gloria Steinem at a UN event. Sorvino has been actively involved in lobbying our government to stop the genocide in Darfur since 2004, and through this work and becoming a mother she has connected to what she describes as a greater purpose. Her conversation with Steinem focused on the balancing act that faces working mothers, and that it is, in fact, impossible to have it all. And Steinem, in her wisdom, offered that until men begin a dialogue on balancing their careers and fatherhood, that we have not leveled the playing field. How true it is! Although I believe the attitudes and practices of many husbands, fathers, and working men have changed we still have a long way to go before there is true equality. Sorvino mused on what it means to have an interesting and engaging career and to be a mother, she clearly relishes the time she spends with her children and how happy they make her feel.

My reaction is two-fold; how nice that someone of celebrity status actually enjoys and mothers her own children (my inner cynic speaking), and how fortunate she is to have the time and money to do so. Her balancing act may be slightly easier than that of the typical woman, but it does still exist if she wants to retain her star power and the influence it affords her. Sorvino’s choice to use her power of influence to raise awareness of the issues in Darfur is important. Her personal travel experiences and involvement with the poor and homeless children of the region bring home to her the meaning of “important work”. I find that very grounding. I might not have personal wealth or celebrity through which I can influence political leaders and the public, but I admire those who make that choice.

It was Gandhi who said “you must be the change you want to see in the world.” Look at the list of these power women, see the ways in which they are using their influence, and know that women are in fact changing the world. The power of women is not the palpable testosterone driven type of power we associate with men, it is the more subtle power of influence, the small, steady and consistent steps forward, the ability to model behavior, and the compassion that is inherent in all women. We can ALL use our power to facilitate change; by volunteering in our communities, by choosing the work that has meaning for us, and by engaging in dialogue with working men about their roles and responsibilities as fathers. Thanks Mira and Gloria for reminding me to continue that conversation.