Where is it you want to go?
by Jodie Emmert Mrotek, STA WIF Chair
As 2017 draws to a close, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the powerful events that have shaped the year. The
Women’s March
in January was one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history, with worldwide participation in the millions. The movie
Wonder Woman
became the first superhero blockbuster with both a female lead, as well as director. Finally, most recently,
The Silence Breakers
and the
#MeToo
movement was named TIME magazine’s Person of the Year.
These events, particularly the #MeToo movement, signal a cultural shift, a reset button on our perceptions. Cultural shifts require solidarity, risk taking; they require courage and conviction to sway sentiment. Abe Lincoln once said, “Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”
The number of women sharing their #MeToo moments is staggering; the personal and professional risk that comes with sharing stories of sexual harassment and assault cannot and should not be discounted or diminished. The depth of our experiences, irrespective of how recent they occurred, is the thread that binds us together.
As we enter the new year, we need to continue to shine a light on this issue, raise awareness and above all else, support each other. The success of this cultural transformation will be determined by the collective actions of both men and women, working together to foster a culture of understanding and support.
There’s an
Apple commercial
that for me personally, and on many levels sums up this conversation. The commercial shows a young girl with her iPad Pro going about her day and the music asks “Where is it you want to go?” The one-minute video wraps up with the girl in her backyard and her neighbor asks “What are you doing on your computer?” to which the girl responds “What’s a computer?” In 2018, let’s continue to work to create a future where the answer is “What’s a #MeToo?”
