The Women's Conference

Last updated

The Women's Conference (formerly the California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan US organization and annual forum for women. The event first began in 1986 as a California government initiative for working professionals and women business owners. Since 2004, The Women's Conference has become a large event [1] at which people such as the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, [2] former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters, Jane Fonda, Martha Stewart, Tyra Banks, [3] Sarah, Duchess of York, Tim Russert, Deepak Chopra, Tom Brokaw, Queen Rania of Jordan, Maureen Dowd, Sandra Day O'Connor, Thomas Friedman, Lalita Tademy, Anna Quindlen, and Billie Jean King have spoken.

Contents

Restructured by Shriver in 2010, The Women's Conference reportedly became the "largest meeting of women in the country" [4] and a celebration of "lives and lessons". [5] Now known as the California Women's Conference, its main stage presentations and seminar sessions have addressed personal topics such as work-life balance, service and volunteerism, healthy lifestyles, spirituality and families, professional issues such as professional development, financial planning, entrepreneurialism and communications, as well as social issues like women's maternal health, global poverty, climate change and emergency preparedness.

The conference has been located at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, since 1993, usually running in the fall.

Every year, substantial portions of the event are made available free through a live streaming webcast at The Women's Conference's web site. [6]

History

The California Women's conference first began in 1985 when the alarming failure rate of women-owned businesses became a recognized statewide concern. In an effort to help women business owners and promote available government resources, then-Governor George Deukmejian took action to create a conference focused on helping women gain access to financial, professional, and personal support. The Governor selected his hometown of Long Beach to host the first conference on September 23–24, 1985. Over 2,000 members attended.

After its inauguration, Gloria Deukmejian soon assumed responsibility for the conference, which became known as the California Governor and First Lady's Conference. Since then, the Governor of California and his wife, the California First Lady, have traditionally played a key role in the support and promotion of the highly acclaimed event.

In 1989, the conference was established as a nonprofit public interest organization with a bi-partisan Board of Directors—an organizational move meant to ensure that changes in the Governor's Mansion would not affect the continuity of the conference. With each successive California administration, the size and scope of the event has expanded considerably. Under First Lady Gayle Wilson's chairmanship (and California Governor Pete Wilson's administration) the conference expanded its focus to include corporate women. Under First Lady Sharon Davis's direction (and the administration of Governor Gray Davis) the conference added a youth leadership program.

For over 25 years, the conference steadily became better-known. Its popularity increased significantly after the 2007 election of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California with the support of his wife, Maria Shriver. At her direction, it was renamed The Women's Conference and the event attracted an extensive roster of high-profile speakers and celebrities. It has reportedly become the largest one-day conference for women in the nation. [7]

In 2010, the conference was attended by more than 30,000 over three days of events, a record for the conference's 27-year-old history.

In addition, the event earned at least US$5 million to $6 million in revenues for the City Convention Center, local hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

From 2010

After the Conference's significant success from 2007, all gubernatorial support of the conference was withdrawn on the accession of Jerry Brown, Jr. as governor of California in 2010, due to the state's budget crisis. [8] Accordingly, the California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women was dissolved, and in 2011 there was no California Women's Conference.

It was planned for the city of Long Beach to host the 2012 conference on September 23 and 24, 2012, at the Long Beach Convention Center, under the name California Women's Conference, with the theme "The Future is Now", building upon the conference's 25-year legacy.[ citation needed ] [9]

Event highlights

The Women's Conference 2007 sold out in less than three days, a conference record. [10] The conference gathered nearly 14,000 participants on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, and featured a panel discussion moderated by Shriver of five presidential candidates' spouses, Jeri Thompson, Michelle Obama, Cindy Hensley McCain, Elizabeth Edwards and Ann Romney. [11] Bill Clinton did not attend because of a scheduling conflict, [12] though Shriver joked that he had been "invited to serve coffee". [13] The conversation touched on the role of the spouses in the campaign, the public's perceptions of the spouses, preparing their families for and protecting them from the campaign. [14] Jon Stewart lampooned the first-ever "wives debate" on the October 30 edition of Comedy Central's The Daily Show. [15]

Also in 2007, New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman moderated a conversation on leadership and the environment between former Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Due to the October 2007 California wildfires, Governor Schwarzenegger was unable to attend the conference in person and instead participated briefly via live satellite, giving an update on the status of the fires and fire fighters. [16] [17]

In 2006 the Dalai Lama delivered his "first-ever address to a women's conference" on stage with Maria Shriver. [18] He expressed his belief that women can change the world with compassion and kindness, and reportedly led the 14,000 women through a meditation exercise.

In 2005 Barbara Walters and Maria Shriver engaged in an on-stage conversation with Sandra Day O'Connor on the heels of her decision to leave the U.S. Supreme Court. [19]

Organization highlights

Led by Maria Shriver's belief in the "power of WE", [20] The Women's Conference has formed partnerships, developed programs and supported initiatives that extend the inspiration of the conference for "more than just a day" and empower women everywhere.

WE Care – The Women's Health Empowerment Initiative

WE Care supports solutions to women's health issues throughout the world. In partnership with Meredith Corporation, the initiative supports the work of CARE, a leading humanitarian organization, to save the lives of thousands of pregnant women in Africa and Latin America. WE Care encourages the women of California and beyond to join the movement to empower women in the developing world to overcome extreme poverty while proving much needed funds to fight mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Zambia and train midwives in Nicaragua to assist with safe deliveries. Participants in The Women's Conference 2007 showed their support for WE Care by making financial contributions and a visual sign of support: women dipped their hands in orange and yellow paint and left handprints on a banner that Maria Shriver will hand-deliver to the Care project sites in Nicaragua and Zambia.[ citation needed ]

WE Invest – The Women's Financial Empowerment Initiative

WE Invest promotes women's financial security and economic empowerment, helping to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of each and every California woman. WE Invest supports California-based non-profit organizations that help women overcome social and economic barriers in their journey out of poverty. [21]

WE Lead – The Minerva Leadership Program

The Minerva Leadership Program seeks to inspire, educate and empower young women leaders who are civically oriented and socially conscious to be the architects of their own lives and to make a difference in the world.[ citation needed ] The Minerva Leadership Program inspires young women to become leaders in their homes, schools and communities. As part of this program, and in collaboration with the Women's Foundation of California, 500 ethnically and geographically diverse California women, ages 16–22, are invited as special guests to participate fully in The Women's Conference and attend two exclusive seminar sessions. Minerva Leadership Program participants must pledge to perform an additional 10 hours of service to their communities, which leads to more than 5,000 hours service to California's communities.

Minerva Awards

Created by Shriver in 2004, the Minerva Awards [22] honors remarkable women who have stepped forward in the spirit of Minerva and changed their country with their courage, their strength and their wisdom. [23] The Minerva Awards are presented every year at The Women's Conference. Nominees are announced prior to the conference event, typically in September.

Minerva Award recipients have made extraordinary contributions in the areas of the Arts, Health and Sciences, Community Activism, Human Rights, Business and Technology, Motherhood, Innovation, Education and Finance. Many of the nominees not only have made a significant contribution to their profession, but they also impart their knowledge and skills to the next generation either by mentoring, or by working for the inclusion and retention of women in their field. [24]

The award is named after the Roman Goddess, Minerva, who graces the State Seal of California.

In 2007, Shriver expanded the awards to extend beyond California to honor a woman who has positively impacted the U.S. and world by honoring Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Executive Vice President of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and Founder and Honorary Chair of Special Olympics International. [22]

The achievements of Minerva Award winners are chronicled in a permanent exhibit at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento and have become part of California's official archive.[ citation needed ]

YearMinerva Award Recipients
2010
  • Carolyn Blashek, founder of Operation Gratitude which send toiletries and other much-needed supplies to soldiers overseas.
  • Oral Lee Brown, businesswoman and founder of the Oral Lee Brown Foundation in Oakland, California.
  • Sister Terry Dodge, executive director of Crossroads Inc., an eight-bed transitional living facility in Claremont, California, that offers a six-month program for women just released from prison.
2009
  • Jane Goodall, author, world-renowned primatologist and environmentalist and founder of The Gombe Stream Research Centre.
  • Agnes Stevens, retired school teacher and founder of School on Wheels a one-on-one caravan tutoring homeless children.
  • Dr. Kathy Hull, founder of the George Mark Children's House in San Leandro, California, the first freestanding residential pediatric palliative care center in the United States.
  • Helen Waukazoo, co-Founder of the American Indian Friendship House for rehabilitation and sober living.
2008
  • Betty Chinn, has been showing the homeless who live in her hometown of Eureka love, comfort and basic humanity daily, for over 20 years.
  • Billie Jean King, professional tennis player and champion of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes match, and founder of The Women's Sports Foundation.
  • Gloria Steinem, Women's Rights Advocate, Writer, Organizer, and Co-founder, Women's Media Center.
  • Ivelise Markovits, founder of Penny Lane, offering help and hope to abandoned, neglected and abused children.
  • Louise Hay, author, self-help pioneer, and counselor who first gained national prominence during the AIDS epidemic.
2007
  • The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives
  • "Sweet" Alice Harris, Founder and Executive Director of Parents of Watts
  • Maureen Pennington, Senior Nurse, Director Medical Services, Naval Medical Center San Diego
  • Christy Porter, Founder and Executive Director of Hidden Harvest in the Coachella Valley of California
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Executive Vice President of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and Founder and Honorary Chair of Special Olympics International
2006
  • Jane Alexander, Co-founder of Citizens Against Homicide
  • Sandra Orozco Stapleton, Ramona Delgado and Jennie Hernandez Gin, founder of Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE)
  • Marilyn Hamilton, Designer of the "Quickie" wheelchair and founder of "Winners on Wheels" youth program

Lifetime Achievement Minerva Award recipient:

2005
  • Anita L. DeFrantz, former Olympic medalist in rowing, Vice President of the 1984 Los Angeles Games Organizing Committee and the first American female and African-American to serve on the International Olympic Committee
  • Sister Jennie Lechtenberg, SNJM, Executive Director, PUENTE Learning Center
  • Janice Mirikitani, author and partner of Glide Memorial Church

Lifetime Achievement Minerva Award recipient:

  • Betty Ford, thirty years of service raising awareness of breast cancer and addiction
2004

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Schwarzenegger</span> Austrian and American actor and politician (born 1947)

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. He served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco Columbu</span> Sardinian bodybuilder and actor

Francesco Maria Columbu was an Italian-American bodybuilder and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Shriver</span> American journalist and author (born 1955)

Maria Owings Shriver is an American journalist, author, a member of the Kennedy family, former First Lady of California, and the founder of the nonprofit organization The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. She was married to former governor of California and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, from whom she filed for divorce in 2011; it was finalized in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Shriver</span> American activist and attorney (born 1954)

Robert Sargent Shriver III is an American activist, attorney, and journalist. He was a member of the Santa Monica City Council from 2004 to 2012, serving as mayor pro tem in 2006 and as mayor during part of 2010. A member of the Kennedy family, he is a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and former U.S. senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama</span> 10th Panchen Lama of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism (1938–1989)

Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen was the tenth Panchen Lama, officially the 10th Panchen Erdeni, of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism, Panchen Lamas are living emanations of the buddha Amitabha. He was often referred to simply as Choekyi Gyaltsen.

Robert Carr Dynes is a Canadian-American physicist, researcher, and academic administrator, and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and the former president of the University of California system, and former chancellor of the University of California San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 California gubernatorial election</span>

The 2002 California gubernatorial election was an election that occurred on November 5, 2002. Democrat Gray Davis defeated Republican Bill Simon by 5% and was re-elected to a second four-year term as Governor of California. Davis would be recalled less than a year into his next term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger</span> Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger

The governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger began in 2003, when Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for Governor of California in a recall election. He was subsequently elected Governor when the previous governor Gray Davis was recalled and Schwarzenegger placed first among replacement candidates. Schwarzenegger served the remainder of Davis' incomplete term between 2003 and 2007. Schwarzenegger was then reelected to a second term in 2006, serving out this full term and leaving office in January 2011. Schwarzenegger was unable to run for a third term due to term limits imposed by the Constitution of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint John's Health Center</span> Hospital in California, United States

Providence Saint John's Health Center, formerly St. Johns Hospital and Health Center, is a private not-for-profit, Roman Catholic hospital in Santa Monica, California, United States. The hospital was founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. In 2014, the hospital was transferred to Providence Health & Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly McKay</span> American lawyer

Molly B. McKay is an American attorney and a civil rights activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. McKay was the former Co-Executive Director of Marriage Equality California and the former Media Director for Marriage Equality USA. She has also been active in Californians for Same Sex Marriage and the California Freedom to Marry Coalition, and was the Associate Executive Director of Equality California. McKay married her longtime partner Davina Kotulski in 2004 when Gavin Newsom made same sex marriage legal for one day in San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 California Proposition 11</span>

Proposition 11 of 2008 was a law enacted by California voters that placed the power to draw electoral boundaries for State Assembly and State Senate districts in a Citizens Redistricting Commission, as opposed to the State Legislature. To do this the Act amended both the Constitution of California and the Government Code. The law was proposed by means of the initiative process and was put to voters as part of the November 4, 2008 state elections. In 2010, voters passed Proposition 20 which extended the Citizen Redistricting Commission's power to draw electoral boundaries to include U.S. House seats as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Dalai Lama</span> Spiritual leader of Tibet since 1940

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, also known as Tenzin Gyatso; né Lhamo Thondup; was born on the 5th day of the 5th month in the Wood-Pig Year of the Tibetan lunar calendar, July 6, 1935 in the Gregorian calendar. The incumbent Dalai Lama is the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. Before 1959, he served as both the resident spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, and subsequently established and led the Tibetan government in exile represented by the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India. The adherents of Tibetan Buddhism consider the Dalai Lama a living Bodhisattva, specifically an emanation of Avalokiteśvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, a belief central to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the institution of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama, whose name means Ocean of Wisdom, is known to Tibetans as Gyalwa Rinpoche, The Precious Jewel-like Buddha-Master, Kundun, The Presence, and Yizhin Norbu, The Wish-Fulfilling Gem. His devotees, as well as much of the Western world, often call him His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the style employed on his website. He is also the leader and a monk of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, formally headed by the Ganden Tripa.

Writers With Drinks is a literary event that has run monthly since 2001 in San Francisco, California. It is a spoken word variety show hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, who MCs and introduces the six readers from six different genres including literary fiction, poetry, stand-up comedy, erotica or porn, science fiction and fantasy, blogging, reporting, memoir, and non-fiction.

The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education is an international charitable organization and education center in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 2005, the center's mission is to "educate the hearts of children by informing, inspiring, and engaging the communities around them."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Schwarzenegger</span> American writer (born 1989)

Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger Pratt is an American author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alameda County Board of Supervisors</span>

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors is the five member non-partisan governing board of Alameda County, California. Members of the Board of supervisors are elected from districts, based on their residence.

Andrew Murray Vineyards is a family-owned winery located in Los Olivos, California. Nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA of Santa Barbara County, it specializes in Rhône varieties Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache blanc.

Nadine Schiff is a Canadian film producer, screenwriter, author and philanthropist from Los Angeles, California.

Mimi Halper Silbert serves as the chairman of the board, president, and CEO of the Delancey Street Foundation, a residential educational community that provides ex-felons, sex workers, substance abusers, and others with academic, vocational, and social skills. Silbert was the developer of Delancey Street's headquarters, which houses 500 residents as well as of retail, educational, and recreational facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First ladies and partners of California</span> Spouse of the governor of California

The first lady of California or first partner of California is the spouse of the governor of California. The role of the spouse of the governor of California has never been codified or officially defined. The spouse figures prominently in the social life of the state, and some spouses have been assisted with a staff in the Executive Office of the Governor. As of 2023, all the state's governors have been men, and not all of them were married while in office.

References

  1. ↑ Marinucci, Carla (2007-09-17). "Maria attacts [sic] big names to conference". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  2. ↑ Dalai Lama To Speak At Shriver's Women Conference, http://cbs2.com/local/Dalai.Lama.Maria.2.521216.html%5B%5D
  3. ↑ The Tyra Banks Show
  4. ↑ Maria Shriver's Job, "So Shriver". LA Times. 2007-10-26. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  5. ↑ Marinucci, Carla (2005-10-20). "Shriver on stage next week - will she speak out?". Long Beach: SF Gate.
  6. ↑ Conference sells out in three days, http://www.presstelegram.com/business/ci_6436335 Archived 2008-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (2007-10-26). "So Shriver". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  8. ↑ "Future of Annual Women's Conference Uncertain". CBS Los Angeles. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  9. ↑ "California Women's Conference". EventComplete. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  10. ↑ "In Basket". Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  11. ↑ "Wives of Candidates Debate Their Roles". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  12. ↑ '08 Wives Talk Candidly About Their Roles,
  13. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (2007-10-24). "Wives of Candidates Compare Notes From Trail". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  14. ↑ Maria Shriver Moderates Panel of Five Wives of Presidential Candidates, USA Today On Politics Blog, http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/10/five-would-be-f.html
  15. ↑ "Wives Debate". Thedailyshow.com. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  16. ↑ "Environment is focus of conference - Press-Telegram". Origin.presstelegram.com. 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  17. ↑ "Maria Shriver won't return to NBC News". USA Today. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  18. ↑ The Dalai Lama to appear at Maria Shriver event, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=8462
  19. ↑ Shriver on Stage Next Week - Will She Speak Out?, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/20/BAGDCFAVQP1.DTL&hw=Carla%2BMarinucci&sn=001&sc=1000
  20. ↑ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi f=/c/a/2007/09/10/EDSES1CVE.DTL&hw=Maria+Shriver&sn=001&sc=1000
  21. ↑ Shriver Launches Program in Oakland, http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_8543582?source=most_emailed
  22. 1 2 Maria Shriver's Minervas for notable women could go international, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/22/PLMSSSF94.DTL
  23. ↑ Minerva Awards to Honor State Leaders, Activists, CBS2, http://cbs2.com/local/Minerva.Awards.Shriver.2.536993.html Archived February 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ "Maria Shriver, First Lady of California". Firstlady.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.