WOMEN'S FORUM 2008

October 20th, 2008

With the real women of SEVEN

With Melanne and the real women of SEVEN

When Aude de Thuin, founder and CEO of the Women’s Forum asked me to come and speak at their annual meeting, this year in Deauville, I was flattered and very interested in participating in this huge gathering of empowered women.

Instead of organizing a traditional panel on business, I thought that I would like to speak about the human side of women, and about their strength and courage. I decided that the best way to do this would be with a performance of the documentary play SEVEN. The play profiles seven women in the Vital Voices Global Network who have overcome tremendous challenges in their native countries to achieve the impossible. We had held a performance of the play at my studio in New York for International Women’s Day last spring, and I knew that Deauville would be the perfect environment for another showing. Melanne Verveer, co-founder of Vital Voices, came to Deauville as well, and we also arranged for some of the real women upon whom the stories are based to join us.

When it came time to introduce the play, I was very nervous, but also proud to have the privilege of bringing these real life stories to such an important audience. It was very compelling, and when the actresses called the real women of SEVEN to join them on stage at the end of the play, I looked around me and everyone was crying!

Being among such a powerful group of people who are passionate about the role that women play in our world was truly an inspiring experience, and one that I will never forget.

KEYWORDS:

(0) COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT