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Hi ala,
The local paper has been running the same full page ad for its 6th annual Summit every day. In the middle of the page are pictures of the three featured speakers...all male. Underneath their names and titles, a congressman, a politician and the founder of a group of restaurants, there are the words "And more!" The words that send us to the hinterlands to seek out those speakers not deemed worthy of being promoted or highlighted.
At first I thought we would get other ads, with other speakers, because surely a summit like this would have many interesting speakers to feature. But no. The same ad, every day.
So, I went to the website, where there are four "2026 Headlining Speakers" and "Additional speakers to be announced!"
One of the speakers from the newspaper ad is missing from the website. Has he canceled? The two new faces include a well-known performer, actress and recording artist, and the other is a female Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who also somehow doesn't make the cut when it comes to a full page advertisement in the daily newspaper.
Sometimes, it's not just about who we put on our stages. It's who we promote. Who we highlight.
Feels like the late Gloria Steinem would have had something to say about this one. Fair media representation was part of her core mission. She founded Ms. magazine in 1972 because at the time the media options for women were extremely limited.
Women's magazines were controlled by men. They focused on housekeeping, fashion and keeping husbands happy. There was nothing for the independent woman. The first issue of Ms. featured Wonder Woman, with a banner, Wonder Woman for President.
Meanwhile, it is more 50 years later, and I'm a woman left wondering. What "more" do we need to do to be considered worthy of that promotion which keeps getting gifted to men?
Bobbie and the entire Innovation Women team
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