The Female
Quotient is committed to
advancing gender equality in the workplace. Known for their fabulous and inspiring
“lounges” where women (and girls!) “connect, collaborate, and activate change
together,” the Female Quotient recently hosted what they call an Equality
Lounge during the World
Economic Forum in Davos. The
gathering featured nearly 100 thought leaders and influencers discussing how to
take equality from an ideal to a reality. Of course, Girl Scouts had to be
there.
The Female Quotient
invited Geneva based Girl Scouts Freya, Melissa, and Isahni from USA Girl
Scouts Overseas to attend the Equality Lounge, giving the G.I.R.L.s (Go-getter,
Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)TM an incredible learning opportunity
and an important seat at the leadership table. Here’s
what they had to say about their experience…
Freya:
Davos was a great experience, despite the four-hour train
ride. I was excited at the thought of meeting inspiring women
who are fighting for women’s equality.
Melissa:
Like our host in the Equality Lounge, Shelley Zalis, CEO
of the Female Quotient. Her gender equality movement organizes lounges all
over the world for women to share
their stories and experience “the power of the pack.”
Freya:
Shelley made us all feel at ease with her upbeat personality. She described the
power-generating panels installed on a nearby walkway, which produce “energy
for equality” [through capturing and converting “footfall energy” into electrical
power]. The number of steps registered will count toward an attempt
at a [related] world record.
Melissa: Meanwhile
we had time to listen to some podium discussions, and we had the
amazing opportunity to interview Maryam Monsef, the Canadian minister of status
of women. She answered questions about equality and what we can do to
raise awareness [about its importance].
Ishani:
The venue was so welcoming—the perfectly
decorated lounge, in pink and rose gold, felt relevant to people
our age. There were posters promoting gender equality and influential
women. It was a unique setting that added to our experience.
Ishani:
We felt privileged to hear Carolyn a week before, when she came to the
International School of Geneva to talk to us about gender equality and her
experiences at P&G as a woman.
Freya: Oh,
and our attempt to set a world record on the walkway was
very lively as we all stomped away. Visitors to the Equality Lounge
joined us and helped motivate us as our legs tired.
Melissa: Unfortunately,
we were unable to complete the challenge [set a record], but we did
produce more energy than expected! And it was great to see everyone
jumping together, all synchronized. It was a truly unifying experience, and we
were happy with what we achieved.
Ishani:
Shelley even compared the bursts of energy from our synchronized jumping with
the effectiveness of our combined strengths!
Freya:
For me, the highlight of the day was spending time with Shelley Zalis. Her
inspiring message was that we are all different and have different strengths.
While one person’s strengths alone might not get them very far, when we combine
our special qualities we are unstoppable.
Melissa: We
were all so thrilled with the experience and so grateful that we had the
opportunity to attend such an inspirational event.
Freya: I
learned a lot from my short time in Davos, about myself and about gender
equality. I also learned that goals don’t always have to be big and that every
step toward them, however small, counts.