Portraits of Power: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

This image of Licia Ranzolli (the Italian representative to the EU Parliament) went around the web like wildfire. A politician working while caring for her new born? Unheard of, she might as well dance around the room in her bra.

recently I read The Voice, and article in the Vogue about congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and to my delight I found that she also takes her children to work with her. What a great roll model, She is the newly appointed Democratic National Committee leader, and not only she has her own children at work, her staff also gets to bring in their little ones when they do not have child care. I think it is unreasonable that we have to act like men in order to achieve success in our careers.  The definition of "getting the job done" needs to be changed in our society, and yes woman can do it all. We need more fearless woman like Ms. Schultz and Kathrine Switzer, to step out of the norm, and not fallow rules in order to change the way woman are expected to be.

Portraits of Power: Kathrine Switzer

Hi Friend, after watching my sister, Neda run a 5 mile race on Saturday, I was so inspired. She told me about the first woman who ran the marathon in Boston, and how she was pushed out of the race at some point by a man, just because she was a woman. Women were not allowed in the marathon races.

I wanted to know more, her name is Kathrine Switzer, and you can see her being pushed, above. Her friends saved her from that man, and kept her safe for the rest of the race.
In an interview she said that at that point, with all the cameras and reporters focused on her, she realized, she had to finish the race at any cost, or "the men" would make her the example of why women should not be allowed to run.

And she did, she finished the race and her uterus did not fall out!!! it took another 5 years (1973) before woman were allowed to participate in the marathon, but if it was not for Kathrine's fearlessness, it could have been much later. Women struggle with their place in the society to this day, from wage inequality to making decisions about their own bodies. However, just like Kathrine (here comes my pinterest quote) we can change those rules one strid at a time, if only we put fear aside.

Also see her being interviewed for a new series called Makers due to air in 2013, about woman who empower America.