Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose

Sandra Day O'Connor's Legacy of iCivics: A Conversation with Louise Dubé

Sandra Day O’Connor holds a place in history as the first woman to sit on the US Supreme Court. But the retired Justice has another great achievement as her legacy: the creation of iCivics, a series of digital games that teach how democracy works—and that have reached more than 5 million American school children. iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé joins Kim Azzarelli to discuss Justice O’Connor’s impact, why we need civic engagement more than ever today, and the beauty of living a life filled with purpose.  And hear, in Justice O’Connor’s own words, why the next generation’s civic participation is critical to a healthy democracy.  

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the Road to Equality

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Director of UN Women. As a long-time human rights defender, she’s been at the epicenter of global efforts to accelerate progress for women and girls. Phumzile joined Melanne at the Seneca Women Forum in Davos to talk about the significance of the historic 1995 UN World Conference on Women in Beijing, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Listen to their conversation about how the Beijing conference put women’s rights on the world’s agenda for the first time, the progress since, and what companies and countries can do to help accelerate gender equality in 2020. 

Rick Goings on the Role of Men

Rick Goings has been in the business of empowering women his entire career. As the former CEO and Chairman of the multi-billion dollar company, the Tupperware Brands, Rick recognized his company’s success depended on the success of women. Rick joined the Seneca Women Forum at the New York Stock Exchange to discuss his unexpected career path in direct selling, the business case for empowering women at work and the role of men in achieving gender equality. 

Katie Couric on Women in Media

Katie Couric is one of the most successful women in media and has won just about every journalism award possible while overcoming the gender bias that has pervaded much of broadcast media. Katie joined Ambassador Melanne Verveer at Seneca Women’s Forum at the New York Stock Exchange. Hear why news networks need more women, how Katie handles her critics and why she’s dedicated to creating quality content with purpose-driven partners. 

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Reema Nanavaty on Women's Economic Independence

Could a small loan and a basic business education lift millions of women out of poverty? The answer is a resounding yes, thanks to the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), which since 1972 has been helping marginalized women across India get the tools they need to earn and manage their own income. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a champion of SEWA, and Reema Nanavaty, SEWA’s executive director, joined Melanne Verveer at the Seneca Women forum at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hear how SEWA is helping women achieve economic independence, why implementing simple organizational practices are the key to a successful business and how technology is opening unexpected doors to opportunity.