Soraya Chemaly Will Emcee GameChanger Awards

Soraya Chemaly is a woman who understands that women’s rage doesn’t cloud our thinking; “properly understood, it is an astoundingly clarifying emotion.” I was proud to have her quote me in her book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger – and am thrilled that she will be emceeing this year’s GameChangers Awards on October 15 at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, DC. Each year, this event celebrates the visionaries that help channel our anger into policies that value caregiving, as we create a society that is more equitable for all.

The movement for paid family leave and paid sick time is driven largely by women, often women who have faced the consequences on our health, loved ones and pocketbooks when we lack access to paid leave. Even as culture slowly changes, the work of caregiving is still largely seen as the realm of women and therefore, devalued – rooted in this country’s dependence on free or cheap labor from women, enslaved people, and immigrants. Yet, the collective voices of women across the country has enabled eight states and the District of Columbia to pass paid leave policies, and dozens of locations to create paid sick time.

What’s driving this change? The power of women’s rage.

In Family Values @ Work’s report, “Why I became an Activist,” Sara Orris in Connecticut explained what motivated her to get involved. Her daughter who was born with a rare genetic condition that required around-the-clock care for six weeks following a surgery. Here’s how Sara put it: “I was angry that I actually had to consider, for even a moment, choosing work over my daughter’s care.” This May, after years of advocacy from Sara and other activists, Connecticut finally won the passage of paid leave.

In her book, Soraya Chamaly writes that focusing, thinking and analyzing one’s anger helps you give voice to the issue you want to address. In the face of ongoing oppression, women are organizing. We are speaking out and running for office. We are showing up at picket lines and holding marches, testifying at hearings, and writing letters to our elected officials. We are holding people accountable, and no longer allowing ideas of what is acceptable behavior for a woman to cloud our ability to take action.

Join us October 15 to meet Soraya Chemaly and celebrate our GameChangers!

Host Committee: Melanie Campbell, Candice Cook Simmons, Yanira Cruz, Adrienne Elrod, Holly Fechner, Pronita Gupta, Karen Nussbaum, Kim Otis, Ai-jen Poo, Will Robinson, Yadira Sanchez, Rinku Sen, Sara Steffens, Robin Williams