Speaker 1: Hi, This is Milan Vervie and this is Kim Azareli.
Speaker 1: We are co authors of the book Fast Forward, How
Speaker 1: Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose. And you're listening to
Speaker 1: Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose, brought to you
Speaker 1: by the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Welcome to this special edition of Seneca Women Conversations on
Speaker 1: Power and Purpose. You know, during these difficult times, we're
Speaker 1: bringing you conversations with women and men leaders who are
Speaker 1: using their power for purpose. We're talking to leaders on
Speaker 1: the front lines of the coronavirus and trying to get
Speaker 1: perspectives from people who can share tips, resources and inspiration.
Speaker 1: Today we're talking to Milan uh just to learn a
Speaker 1: little bit about what's going on from a global perspective
Speaker 1: for women in this moment. Milan grace to talk to you.
Speaker 1: Thanks Kim. Obviously, we are going through unprecedented times right now,
Speaker 1: and it's one of those moments when we all need
Speaker 1: to come together, and we are coming together because it's
Speaker 1: the test of our resilience and frankly, it's what we've
Speaker 1: always done in the worst of times, we have managed
Speaker 1: to prevail. What I'm finding both at home and all
Speaker 1: over the world. Of course is that um, everyone has impacted,
Speaker 1: but women are disproportionately affected. We know that so many
Speaker 1: of them comprised the health care workers who are so
Speaker 1: critical right now, nurses, social workers, but also people who
Speaker 1: are doing the cleaning um, being those assistants in the hospitals. UH.
Speaker 1: They are critically on the front line, and we need
Speaker 1: to be thinking about them and helping them and all
Speaker 1: the ways we can. Of course, we're also experiencing a
Speaker 1: social and economic disruption in ways we probably never anticipate it.
Speaker 1: We've got mother's for the most part, often single moms
Speaker 1: bearing the brunt of caregiving at home. With so many
Speaker 1: schools closed or closing, they are feeling the impact UM
Speaker 1: and need to be caring for their families and also
Speaker 1: worrying about their parents, their elderly parents. And you know,
Speaker 1: we've seen so many poignant photos of UH women going
Speaker 1: to assistant living spaces, not going inside because they don't
Speaker 1: want to create any health conditions that are worse um
Speaker 1: by the hour, but they are often outside the window,
Speaker 1: often providing that kind of smile, the kinds of things
Speaker 1: that make a difference. And then of course there are
Speaker 1: the economic dislocations with which are very severe. Um. And
Speaker 1: women bear the brunt of a lot of our hourly
Speaker 1: wages uh conditions. They're the workers often with no paid
Speaker 1: leave of any kind. Uh. They are in the gig
Speaker 1: economy there in the retail stores. They are uh the
Speaker 1: waitresses in the restaurants, etcetera. So this is one of
Speaker 1: those times we all have to rally for each other.
Speaker 1: But but women every place are really, in many ways
Speaker 1: on those front lines. And have you have you seen
Speaker 1: particular women stepping up to the challenge at hand? Any
Speaker 1: specific women come to mind? Well, I'm I'm inspired by
Speaker 1: so much these days because as tough as this is
Speaker 1: and such a time of stress and worry, UM, you
Speaker 1: see people who are using their power for purpose, whatever
Speaker 1: their jobs are. You know. There was the other day
Speaker 1: I was watching Katie Porter, a congresswoman, as she was
Speaker 1: drilling one of the witnesses from uh C, d C
Speaker 1: and HHS about free testing. UH. And by the time
Speaker 1: she got through this period that was allotted to her,
Speaker 1: she had really gotten them to guarantee the fact that
Speaker 1: testing would indeed be free and hopefully there'll be more
Speaker 1: and more of it available so that no American can
Speaker 1: worry about the cost when they need the test. Uh,
Speaker 1: And we know now with the legislation that's clear the
Speaker 1: Congress that's going to be guaranteed. So I think people
Speaker 1: are stepping up to the plate in all the ways
Speaker 1: they can, you know, whether it's for neighbors, whether it's
Speaker 1: what they can do to keep restaurants going, or provide
Speaker 1: resources to people in great need. Right now. They're myriad ways,
Speaker 1: and all of those ways just make us feel this
Speaker 1: sense of community disrupted as a is. But that sense
Speaker 1: of community, that's sense of belonging, that sense that we're
Speaker 1: all in this together. We'll be back after this break.
Speaker 1: Are there specific nonprofits or community groups right now that
Speaker 1: you feel could use our listeners support. I think certainly
Speaker 1: there are many, and uh we really need to work
Speaker 1: with them and support them in any ways we can.
Speaker 1: I think the food shortages right now are a critical element.
Speaker 1: So the local food banks, meals and wheels, uh, feeding America,
Speaker 1: no hungry kids. They're just a number of them, and
Speaker 1: I think each of us knows in our own community, Uh,
Speaker 1: those that are are really out there doing that heavy
Speaker 1: lifting right now to make sure that the conditions, um
Speaker 1: that are what they are are not being impounded by
Speaker 1: hunger and desperation. Homeless shelters need help UM, the elderly
Speaker 1: need help UM. And there are special funds that are
Speaker 1: being set up a disaster philanthropy UH funds that one
Speaker 1: can UM find on on the website UH. And they
Speaker 1: are aligning philanthropists with nonprofit organizations who really need help
Speaker 1: right now and some of those epicenters of the most
Speaker 1: difficult needs. So yes, it's a time for all of us.
Speaker 1: And one of the things UM many of us can
Speaker 1: do is support those critical organizations right now. So, I mean,
Speaker 1: everybody wants to try to use their powerful purpose. And
Speaker 1: we've talked with some experts who talk about how actually
Speaker 1: being helpful in this moment UM is not just helping
Speaker 1: the community, it's helping yourself. It's fully a remedy for everything. UM.
Speaker 1: For our listeners who who want to do something from home, UM,
Speaker 1: what can people do well? I think they can go
Speaker 1: up on their website and make a contribution. The most
Speaker 1: important thing they can do is ensure that they're practicing
Speaker 1: all the good habits we've heard about that we can
Speaker 1: all repeat over and over in terms of hand washing
Speaker 1: and keeping our distance, making sure our children are not
Speaker 1: out congregating with others. There's been an issue in recent
Speaker 1: days about college students who have been uh, you know,
Speaker 1: having fun together. At this critical moment, we really have
Speaker 1: to make sure that nobody UM is doing anything that
Speaker 1: that will harm the other UH. And I think that
Speaker 1: while many are asymptomatic, they could well be carriers of
Speaker 1: the virus UH, and that will put so many others
Speaker 1: at risk. So think about others. I think that's the
Speaker 1: most important thing we can do at home, within our
Speaker 1: own families, in our neighborhoods. Who's alone, who's elderly, How
Speaker 1: might we help them? Charitable giving Uh. These are the
Speaker 1: kinds of things I think that can happen UM, even
Speaker 1: from our own dwelling places today, as many of us
Speaker 1: are in self isolation. You are you are the first
Speaker 1: global ambassador for women, and so you've traveled all over
Speaker 1: the world to more and corn countries. Obviously you lead
Speaker 1: much of the women peace and security efforts around the world.
Speaker 1: So you've seen the resilience of women in very difficult situations.
Speaker 1: What can we learn from that? Well, I think we
Speaker 1: can learn that it's inside all of us. I have
Speaker 1: seen people in the worst of circumstances, uh, unspeakable circumstances, Um,
Speaker 1: stay at it, find something deep inside of them that
Speaker 1: enables them to overcome and be resilient. And I think
Speaker 1: in many ways that's been the story of our country
Speaker 1: that in the worst of times, you know, I can
Speaker 1: remember my own parents talking about what it was like
Speaker 1: after World War Two. This is one of those unprecedented
Speaker 1: times in history, and others have gone through it, we're
Speaker 1: now going through it, and I think we know um
Speaker 1: that we will find the strength, we will find the
Speaker 1: courage we need. Not make fear be our companion. As
Speaker 1: a president once said, the only thing we have to
Speaker 1: fear is fear itself. And that's that's what I've learned
Speaker 1: from so many in terrible circumstances, do the best you can.
Speaker 1: We will all prevail in this. But we need each other,
Speaker 1: even at a time when we're being isolated, we need
Speaker 1: each other. Thank you Milan so much for joining us today.
Speaker 1: It's wonderful to her. Thank you, Kim. Bye bye. You're
Speaker 1: listening to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose, brought
Speaker 1: to you by the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I
Speaker 1: Heart Radio with support from founding partner of p ANDNG.
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