100 Women Using their #PowerToEmpower
The exhibition is being held by Vital Voices, an international non-profit organization that trains and supports women leaders all around the globe. The main purpose of the project is to highlight those women who use their power to empower others in their communities and thereby the world. These are some of the women who shape our world to be a better and a more humane place for everyone.
The exhibition kickstarted on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8th of March, 2020) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a part of DIRECT CURRENT, the Center’s two-week contemporary culture immersion through March 21, 2020.
With the Partnership of Gayle Kabaker, the Award-winning artist behind the exhibited illustrations, Vital Voices came up with this creative idea of paying homage to those phenomenal women who might not be at the forefront of media and news but still they are defining power as the ability to empower others. The women who do not estimate their success with universal recognition but with hard work and efforts made from their end, towards gaining a positive change around them.
2020 marks a significant year for women, with the centennial of women’s suffrage in the United States and the 25-year anniversary of the historic United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. It is a critical year for taking stock of all that’s been achieved in the global movement for gender equality. As we look to the future, and the great unfinished business that remains, we turn to 100 of the most daring and creative leaders of our time, who share their vision and solutions in Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower.
– Alyse Nelson, President + CEO of Vital Voices.
Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower is basically a striking art exhibition and companion coffee table book, which is acknowledging 100 women all over the world who are fabricating a new definition of Power. The Collection features a beautiful illustration of Neysara, accompanied by a thought-provoking excerpt from her narrative in which she shares her personal journey of overcoming the perils of Transitioning in India and Founding ‘Transgender India’ to minimize the challenges of Trans Community. Along with Neysara, the exhibition also includes the portraits of astounding personalities such as philanthropist and founder Melinda Gates; founder of SheFighterU.S. Lina Khalifeh; Women’s Soccer Team Captain Megan Rapinoe; The first U.S. Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman; A chief in Malawi who is working to end child marriage Chief Kachindamoto; Chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group – Donna Langley; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad; model and philanthropist Karlie Kloss; and fashion designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg.
This feature is a loud reiteration of a very basic principle that , TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN , TRANS MEN ARE MEN, GENDER NON CONFIRMING PEOPLE ARE VALID. In 2006 when i transitioned my human status , my dignity, my existence was taken away from me, my own family wanted me honour killed . And this is not just my story alone, Trans people are dehumanized and our human status is taken away by the society. We have a long road ahead to emancipate transgender people in India.
– Neysara, Founder of TransgenderIndia.
It is a humbling moment for us to be heard and recognized at such a global level as this. Our work and efforts are solely dedicated to creating conversations among trans-community of India on safe transitioning and guiding them towards right choices. We are so grateful to be included in the list of those selected inspiring women who lead in the service of others. While each woman is path breaking in her own right, it’s so together that our 100 voices illustrate the transformative power of women’s leadership across cultures, industries, and generations.
