In the 1930s, Height was already ahead of her time. When she joined the YWCA in her very early twenties, she decided to take on the most difficult question the organization was facing at the time: the issue of race. She immediately began pushing for an interracial charter within the organization – one that would, for example, end the practice of holding separate conferences for black and white leaders.

In her earliest years of advocacy, her promising future as a steadfast, courageous leader was already very clear. Despite the obstacles she faced, whether the YWCA leaders in the South refusing to meet with her or others threatening her with her life, she remained outspoken, active, and undefeated.

Her efforts were very quickly noticed by powerful and influential figures at the time. Marcy MacLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women, asked Height to join them when she was only 25 years of age. In no time, she became the president of the council and would remain so for 41 years. Her initiatives to improve the life of women during that time are endless. For example, she organized community advocacy trainings for thousands of women, be they housewives, workers, or students. These women would then return to their communities and push for better housing, schools, and stores. She also organized “Wednesdays in Mississippi” – a program that gathered Northern white and black women in different Southern locations for a dialogue aimed at reducing tensions. Her most visible accomplishment is the creation of the Black Family Reunion Celebration – a three-day cultural event in Washington, D.C. which aimed to counter the negative images of the African-American family.

Height’s charisma reached the highest ranks of the civil rights movement. During her time in the Office of Racial Justice at the YWCA, she joined the movement’s group of key leaders, known as the “Big Six.” The group included King, Wilkins, James Farmer, John Lewis, Philip Randolph, and Whitney Young. Today, many would argue that the group should have been called the “Big Seven” as Height was just as important a member, but was merely overlooked because she was a woman. Despite the male resistance, Height’s service at the highest ranks allowed her to witness every march and stepping stone in the movement. In addition, it allowed her to raise the importance of issues affecting women and children including child care and education.

Height once summed up her purpose as an attempt to help all African-American women escape the plight that was unparalleled – that of the “triple bind of racism, sexism, and poverty.” Such a statement is a true inspiration for a women’s organization like WCI. It reminds us that, first of all, gender issues cannot be addressed on their own as they are often both a cause and a product of greater societal ills like racism or poverty. She also demonstrated the importance of the women’s participation in solving these problems as they bring to the table unique peace-building capabilities and experiences that are necessary in any social movement for justice and equality.

You can access a detailed biography of Dorothy Height’s accomplishments at the following link: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-dorothy-height-20100421,0,2766418.story?page=1.

Suraya Pkazad founded the Voice of Women Organization which provides critical services – from shelter to skills training -  for Afghan women.  In 2008 she received the International Women of Courage Award and, as of last week, Suraya has been recognized once again for her bravery and service.  TIME Magazine has names Ms. Pakzad one of the world’s Most Influential People for 2009.  WCI applauds TIME for recognizing such a worthy candidate and continues to support Suraya as she champions women’s safety and empowerment in Afghanistan and worldwide.

See Suraya’s write-up in TIME Magazine

Read more about Suraya in the Philadelphia Inquirer online

Betty Gbean-Harris

President of the Liberian Koyean Women’s Group and WCI training participant

Biography:

Betty Gbean-Harris is the current President of the Koyean Women’s Group in Beatuo Toen, Tappita District, Nimba County, Liberia.  She is a former elementary school teacher at the Ganta United Methodist School.  Ms. Gbean-Harris participated in a WCI-sponsored training to promote the capacity of rural Liberian women in community peace negotiations and mediation.  She organized discussions in several communities about the role women can play in sustaining peace and encouraging inter-tribal reconciliation.

Betty’s Thoughts on Women Worldwide…

My wish for women is ……….. for capable women to be empowered, meaning they have leadership skills comparable with that of their male counterparts.  But, what is most required now, is to help raise their financial status to the point of becoming totally independent in decision making process.

My advice for young women leaders is ……….. to remain focused and above all emulate the good examples of older women whose services have been exemplary.

The reason I am here today is ……… to add my voice to the many voices in the field of advocacy for the advancement of women. I believe women can do even better than their male counterparts if given the same opportunity.

I am most proud of ……….. seeing women becoming leaders of their nations like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf the first female President of an African nation. Her election gave encouragement to women to build confidence in themselves that no role is ever impossible for women to perform.

The greatest obstacles that I faced were ……….. that majority of the women are not literate, lack financial power, feel inferior to males in most work places and are in most cases  entrenched to cultural and traditional habits.

Marjorie Margolies

Founder and President, Women’s Campaign International

Biography:

Marjorie Margolies started her career in journalism after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and completing a CBS News Foundation Fellowship at Columbia University. From 1971-1991, she was a television journalist at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia and with NBC in its New York and Washington, DC stations.  She was a contributing correspondent to the Today Show, Sunday Today, A Closer Look, CNBC, and Real Life with Jane Pauley.  Marjorie’s reporting has won numerous awards including five Emmys.

In 1992, Marjorie was the first woman ever elected to Congress from Pennsylvania in her own right.  She was also the first Democrat elected from Pennsylvania’s 13^th district since 1916.  During her term in the House, Marjorie was appointed to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, with subcommittee assignments on Oversight and Investigations and Telecommunications and Finance.  In addition, she was a member of the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Government Operations.  In 1995, Marjorie was appointed the Director of the United States delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.

In addition to her work at WCI, Marjorie currently teaches at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. As a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Marjorie lectures at universities throughout the country twice a year.

In 1970, Marjorie became the first unmarried U.S. citizen to adopt a foreign child.  Lee Heh arrived from Korea and was joined four years later by Holly from Vietnam.  Marjorie chronicled their experiences in the 1976 best-seller, They Came to Stay, the first of four books she has authored.  She is the mother of a combined family of 11 children and,  with the refugee families she has been sponsoring over the years, her household has taken care of 25 children in total.

Marjorie’s Thoughts on Women Worldwide:

My wish for women is ………..that they have a respected voice at decision-making tables.  That they have the freedom and the right to have it all: the opportunity to both have a family and a career.  This implies a support system from their families and their communities.

My advice for young women leaders is …………………go for it! Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have the right to do it.

The reason I am here today…………………is because I have always realized the importance of women in making a society a safer, better place.  When I was a reporter, the stories I covered emphasized how women and children are so marginalized worldwide.  As a member of congress, it became clear that issues normally stereotyped as “women’s issues” are really everyone’s issues: family, health, education, the environment.  Women should be doing more than just setting and serving the table, we should be sitting at it as respected equals.

I am most proud of……………my children and how they are handling life.

The greatest obstacle that I faced was……..prioritizing and balancing my family and career.  Worldwide, I’ve found that women often feel conflicted when at work feeling that they’re neglecting their families and at home feeling that they’re neglecting their career.  The ability to discard this guilt and achieve success in both arenas is a laudable goal.