"Maybe We Need a Queen as President": A Q&A with Mark Steinman

Is Vision 2020 women-only? Of course not. Men are important partners in the pursuit of gender equality.

We recently spoke with Mark Steinman, who sits on our National Leadership Circle. In this Q&A, Mark shares his reasons for becoming involved in Vision 2020 and why he feels men should be just as involved as women in the fight for gender equality. 

The Lasting Benefits of Running for Office

This year marks the 25th anniversary of "The Year of the Woman," when a record number of women, including Vision 2020 President Lynn Yeakel, ran for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Now, a quarter of a century later, women's interest in public office is increasing once again.

Lynn's personal experience as a U.S. Senate candidate in "The Year of the Woman" 25 years ago changed her life in many ways. Although she narrowly lost the general election and was not one of those 28 new women in Congress in 1992, everything she has done since has benefited from that unforgettable adventure.

Read Lynn's five reasons encouraging women to run for office.

Introducing the HERstory Hunt, A Women's History Scavenger Hunt

One of Vision 2020's goals is to educate youth about the contributions of women throughout history. As one strategy to achieve that goal, Vision 2020 created the HERstory Hunt, a hands-on women's history scavenger hunt that seeks to teach girls and boys to go beyond the traditional telling of history to find the underrepresented voices of the past, and especially to find the places where women have served as leaders or important historical figures.

To test-run the HERstory Hunt, Vision 2020 recently teamed up with two national parks and two Girls on the Run chapters.

What We Heard on 50/50 Day

May 10th marked the first-ever 50/50 Day, a global awareness day to spark discussions and action around gender equality. More than 11,000 50/50 Day events took place across 63 countries worldwide. In the U.S., every state participated -- with many programs sponsored by Vision 2020 Delegates -- and in Philadelphia, Vision 2020 was the host of 50/50 Day.

As part of Vision 2020 50/50 Day, we held a film screening of 50/50 -- a mini-documentary about the history of women in leadership -- followed by a panel discussion featuring top business and government leaders. In a candid exchange, the panelists shared insights and advice that we believe every woman (and man) should hear.

"Favorite City on Earth": Refinery29 Recognizes Philadelphia for Vision 2020 50/50 Day Resolution

As part of 50/50 Day in Philadelphia, Vision 2020 teamed up with Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown of Philadelphia City Council. The councilwoman, who participated on a panel of business and government leaders, brought with her an official resolution proclaiming May 10 as 50/50 Day throughout Philadelphia — the only major U.S. city to make such a declaration.

Then and Now: What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Women continue to be left out of important meetings among leaders. I asked this question 30 years ago and am still asking it today: "What's wrong with this picture?"

Remembering Carmen Delgado Votaw: 1935-2017

Carmen Delgado Votaw, a leading advocate for women’s rights both nationally and internationally, passed away on February 18, 2017. She was a key member of Vision 2020, serving as both a Visionary Delegate and a charter member of our National Leadership Circle.

Turning Passion Into Action

Although Women’s History Month has been celebrated for more than 30 years, this year feels a little different, in a good way. Now that we have woken up, where can we channel all this energy for activism?

50/50 in 2020

The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), an Allied organization of Vision 2020, asked community leaders to share their thoughts on Women's History Month and the work that still needs to be done. Vision 2020 President Lynn Yeakel was one of AJLI's featured contributors.