This “Tough Girl Tuesday” we celebrate the life of Muriel Siebert, the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and longtime advocate of women’s equality on Wall Street, who passed away on August 25, 2013 at the age of 80. Described as a “trailblazer for women on Wall Street,” Siebert not only fought the male-dominated culture of Wall Street, but also was the only woman to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange for over a decade (she bought her seat in 1967). Infuriated by the difficulty for women to purchase seats on the Exchange and to engage in the Manhattan social clubs (i.e. the “old boys clubs”), Siebert began to take charge by demanding equal treatment.  This treatment ranged from using the same elevator as men to access a meeting at a certain club, placing a ladies’ restroom in a convenient location, and allowing membership to popular social clubs of the time that were key to business networking.  While she has made incredible strides for women in Wall Street, she consistently claimed that the battle for equality was not over; there was still a long way to go, and women had to keep fighting. 

“Firms are doing what they have to do, legally,” she said. “But women are coming into Wall Street in large numbers — and they still are not making partner and are not getting into the positions that lead to the executive suites. There’s still an old-boy network. You just have to keep fighting.”

In 1969, she founded Muriel Siebert & Company and became the first woman to own a brokerage firm that was a member of the New York Stock Exchange.  Over time, her brokerage donated millions of dollars to help women pursuing careers in business and finance. The company went public in 1996 and changed its name to Siebert Financial Corporation.  These are just some of Siebert’s many
accomplishments and milestones as a woman on Wall Street who would not accept defeat or inequality, and her legacy will continue to inspire women and girls for generations. 

Information source: “Muriel Siebert, a Determined Trailblazer for Women on Wall Street, Dies at 80” The New York Times. Published August 25 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/business/muriel-siebert-first-woman-to-own-a-seat-on-wall-st-dies-at-80.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


 

Gloria Steinem – feminist activist, leader, writer, lecturer, and editor – was announced as one of 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and award established 50 years ago by John F. Kennedy.  The award is the
nation’s highest civilian honor, and fellow Women’s Media Center co-founder Robin Morgan stated that, “…rarely has an honor been more deserved. We celebrate this announcement, and Gloria, and the inherent recognition of feminist activism in the ongoing work for women’s full human rights.” 
Steinem has made incredible waves in the women’s rights movement throughout her career and her work has made a difference in the lives of millions of women throughout the world; a difference that will go down in history alongside the work of other great women, such as Susan B. Anthony and
Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She is a voice to women and people who believe in equality and human rights, which is unfortunately an ongoing battle in the U.S. society and many other nations throughout the world. Steinem remains a constant inspiration to all the “tough girls” out there; the women who believe that they deserve equality and actively pursue their dreams despite the challenges and
hardships they may face along the way. 

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we
lose excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of
planning.”  -Gloria Steinem

 Information source: Women’s Media Center. http://www.womensmediacenter.com/press/entry/womens-media-center-congratulates-co-founder-gloria-steinem-on-presidential
 http://www.gloriasteinem.com/who-is-gloria/


 

Malya Villard-Appolon, a finalist for the 2012 CNN Hero of the Year award, re-located to Haiti in 2010 after the disastrous 7.0 magnitude earthquake displaced 1.3 million people, took the lives of 316,000 and injured 300,000.  While Haiti was not politically nor culturally a stranger to social injustice against women, the issues that plagued women such as violence and rape escaladed at a rapid pace due to the vulnerable environment that was created by the earthquake.  The earthquake was an uncontrollable force that drastically altered the physical and social environment of the country, the result of which was a vulnerable environment for those who were already far too vulnerable.  Villard-Appolon, a co-founder of the Haitian grassroots organization KOFAVIV—Commission for Women Victims for Victims, had been advocating for women’s rights in Haiti since the organization’s founding in 2004.  As opposed to outsiders entering into a culture or becoming mere bystanders of the violence against women in Haiti, Villard-Appolon and other members of KOFAVIV consider themselves to be a part of this victimized group who struggle each day with the social injustice and violence that many women face today in Haiti. KOFAVIV is a peer-to-peer advocacy; women can support one another because they have lived and learned from similar experiences with violence, rape and other injustices.  

“We were all victims; I was a victim. I swore that I would give support and services to other women who were victims but also that I would work so that there would be no more victims,” said Malya Villard-Appolon as she outlined her past in a recent interview with WNN – Women News Network.
    
     In 2011, KOFAVIV and other international partners worked fervently to reform Haiti’s rape law which had become obsolete due to inconsistencies in the application and the overall slow process of sentencing rape crime.  Villard-Appolon, KOFAVIV, and other partners have pushed for a new and
improved law that would provide “doable” human rights to women in Haiti.   At the present time rape is arguably the largest issue that women face in Haiti, especially for those who still live in tent camps as Haiti struggles to rebuild after the earthquake.  Malya Villard-Appolon is an incredible example of a former victim who has taken it upon herself to help other women that are victimized by rape and violence and to give them the support and strength that they need to not only move forward in their lives, but also quite frankly to survive. Villard-Appolon could live anywhere in the world; she could live in a place that is not plagued by regular cases of rape and violence or surrounded by an environment that still remains in shambles after a disastrous earthquake.  Instead, she has chosen to live in the vulnerable environment of Haiti amidst the struggle in order to personally support and protect women who are in desperate need of help, and to push for new laws that grant women not only protection, but also human rights.  Villard-Appolon is indeed a true hero whose efforts in Haiti will play a critical role in changing the world.  
 
Information source: Women News Network. “Haiti’s CNN Hero finalist Mayla Villard-Appolon stil believes in women & change”Byline: Lys Anzia. <http://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/12/03/cnn-hero-finalist-malya-villard-appolon/>    

Women are collectively finding new ways to speak out against issues that resonate with them; whether it is political, economic or social, each issue carries with it a personal significance to those who are willing to not only speak out against the issue, but create a platform for other women and men that can become a vehicle for a movement.  Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, is a writer who created a blog that has evolved into a collection of thousands of stories from both men and women about their personal experiences with sexism.  Bates’ mission was not to provide a forum that bashes men, society or culture, but rather to create a collective voice for sexism so that it can be acknowledged by society and serve as an exhibit to those whom argue that sexism no longer exists in our culture in the U.S. 

               Sexism is often an uncomfortable topic to discuss and as society evolves and social issues begin to surface, it is unfortunate that not all issues are appropriately addressed nor received by the masses.  Sexism is an issue that can take many different forms, create situations that can range from minor to severe and often creates a defensive dynamic among women who seek to protect their equal human rights and individualistic self.  Bates’ forum for these stories allow a collective voice to be heard; whether it is a story from an adolescent girl, a middle-aged homemaker, a senior executive at a global corporation, a military officer or an third-party observer.  The Everyday Sexism Project was developed by Bates to prove a point to both men and women alike.  Not only does sexism continue to exist in our developed society, but it is seldom discussed or taken as seriously as it should.  Bates, like many other strong and confident women that we continue to see throughout the world, sought to find a potential solution to a social problem that plagued not only her, but millions of men and women.  While Laura Bates and the Everyday Sexism Project will not be able to immediately stop sexism, a movement in the right direction has been created that includes the voices of thousands of ordinary men and women who want to take a stand against sexism and continue to advocate for not only equal rights, but the behavioral change that must come with this progress.  

  Information Source: Policy Mic, Everyday Sexism Project: Women Worldwide Turn to Twitter to Combat Misogyny. <http://www.policymic.com/articles/13022/everyday-sexism-project-women-worldwide-turn-to-twitter-to>

President Barack Obama appointed Melanne Verveer as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. The President’s decision to create a position of Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues is unprecedented, and reflects the elevated importance of these issues to the President and his entire Administration. In her capacity as director of the Department of State’s new office on Global Women’s Issues, Ambassador Verveer coordinates foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic and social advancement of women around the world. She mobilizes concrete support for women’s rights and political and economic empowerment through initiatives and programs designed to increase women’s and girls’ access to education and health care, to combat violence against women and girls in all its forms, and to ensure that women's rights are fully integrated with human rights in the development of U.S. foreign policy.

Ambassador Verveer most recently served as Chair and Co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international nonprofit she co-founded. Vital Voices invests in emerging women leaders and works to expand women’s roles in generating economic opportunity, promoting political participation, and safeguarding human rights. Prior to her work with Vital Voices, Ambassador Verveer served as Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady in the Clinton Administration and was chief assistant to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton in all her wide-ranging international activities to advance women’s rights and further social development, democracy and peace-building initiatives. She also led the effort to establish the President’s Interagency Council on Women. Prior to her time in the White House, Ambassador Verveer served in a number of leadership roles in public policy organizations and as legislative staff.

Ambassador Verveer has a B.A. and M.A. from Georgetown University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Women’s Foreign Policy Group, and numerous other organizations.

This Tough Girl Tuesday we’re recognizing Michelle Bachelet who has spent a lifetime advocating women’s rights in a variety of influential roles. Her career began in the Chilean Government as Minister of Defense and Minister of Health where she implemented health care reform and several gender policies intended to improve the conditions of women in the military and police forces. Later Michelle became the first female President of Chile from 2006-2010. She is currently serving as the first Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, and under her leadership UN Women will lead, support and coordinate the work on gender equality and the empowerment of women at global, regional and country levels.