Health panel at Power Up Conference: (L to R): Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, Heather Florio, Dr. DeShawn Taylor, Dr. Sophia Yen.

It was the perfect combination of celebration and commitment—saluting 10 years of exceptional work with tangible outcomes for Take The Lead, plus a roadmap for connecting purposefully to change the present for a gender and racially equitable future.

“Together We Lead” was the theme of the fifth annual Power Up Concert & Conference on Women’s Equality Day in Washington, D.C. with women and men from across the country convening to salute accomplishments spearheaded by Take The Lead co-founder and president Gloria Feldt.

“Let’s make it a happy Women’s Equality Day,” Feldt told the 200+ attendees. “It’s all in our hands.”

Conference co-chairs Laura Vega, vice chair of Take The Lead’s board of directors, and Associate General Counsel and Senior Director of Legal Affairs at Microvention along with Vada Manger, former 2022 Leading Man Award winner and CEO and manager of Global Holdings, welcomed the conference goers. This followed a short film made by Alicia Ontiveros, a graduate of 50 Women Can Change The World in Media & Entertainment.

Natasha Dupee, director of the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Policy, presented Feldt with the Women’s Equality Day Proclamation from Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Presenting the Leading Company Award to Pandia Health, Feldt praised the mission of co- founder Sophia Yen. Mentioning the 1967 Time Magazine cover story about the birth control pill, called “Freedom From Fear,” Feldt said, “The pill has been called the liberation of human development. This little thing was a life changer and culture changer.”

““The pill has been called the #liberation of human development. This little thing was a #lifechanger and #culturechanger.” — @GloriaFeldt1 on #birthcontrol ”

Yen accepted the award on behalf of the only “woman-funded, woman-led, women of color company” offering programs of universally accessible women’s health and wellness.

Felicia Davis, CEO and founder of Black Women’s Collective, presented the Power Tool Champion award to Dr. DeShawn Taylor, MD, founder and CEO of Health Justice and Desert Star Family Planning.

“My goal is to help advocate for like-minded people and help create policies to advance care for people across the country,” Taylor said.

““My goal is to help #advocate for like-minded people and help create policies to advance #care for people across the country,” — @drdeshawn_md #womenshealthcare”

Moderating the panel on health was Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, MD, CEO and founder of Adesso & Heart-Tech Health. “Only six percent of U.S. dollars go to cardiovascular disease,” said Steinbaum, a cardiologist. Only one fifth of the money is going to women’s heart research.”

“Only six percent of U.S. dollars go to #cardiovascular disease. Only one fifth of the money is going to #womenshealth heart research. #fundwomen #womenswellness”

This is critical because there are heart health issues that are specific to women and present differently in women,” Steinbaum said. “Women’s health is about education, access, and advocacy.” Gaslighting by healthcare professionals is also a serious concern for 55% of women patients when presenting symptoms, she said.

Heather Florio, CEO and second-generation owner of Desert Harvest, said she has spent 30 years researching and delivering tools for pelvic and sexual health. “This is a hammock for everything in our body,” she said.

Listen to Gloria Feldt’s podcast on health equity

Education is key, the panelists agreed. Renaming birth control pills from oral contraception to calling it an estrogen-progesterone pill is a start, Yen said, “because 70% of women use it for other reasons.”

Women’s healthcare has become political and divisive, when it needs to remain about the integrity of providing healthcare fairly to all, regardless of gender and identity.

“#Womenshealthcare has become political and divisive, when it needs to remain about providing healthcare fairly to all, regardless of #gender and #identity. #accessforall”

Steinbaum said, “The words we choose are important. If your doctor doesn’t listen to you, find another doctor.” She added, “What challenges the status quo ignites systemic change.”

Taylor said in pregnancy, adoption, abortion, and family planning conversations there are “religious undertones and we do not teach people about their bodies. It’s a narrative created over time.” She adds, '“The person who is pregnant has the moral authority over their lives.”

With the more recent rollback of Roe V. Wade and the local, state, federal, and Congressional challenges to reproductive health access, education and funding for women’s healthcare is key to social justice. “It is important to change the narrative around the world for women,” said Florio, who also works in Africa and other Muslim nations.

“As disrupters, our end goal is impact and success,” Steinbaum said. “Together we Lead is how we do it. You take what you learned here today and do one thing. Become educated yourself.”

Red more in Take The Lead on leading in a Post-Roe culture

Introducing the Alexander Barbanell Leading Man Award, named after her late husband, Feldt said Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, spouse of Vice President Kamala Harris, represents full support for women’s issues as demonstrated by his dedication to Harris’ presidential campaign and career.

“This is about the importance of men in women’s leadership, named for my late husband, the most supportive man alive,” Feldt said.

Male allyship and support for women is not just emotional, but also a keen business decision, Manager said. “Women have tremendous purchasing power. You need to have women on boards to reflect purchasing habits and have that perspective at the table.”

“Women have tremendous #purchasingpower. You need to have women on boards to have that #perspective at the table. — @VadaManager”

On the second anniversary of her husband’s passing, Feldt said it is important for male allies in the fight for gender fairness and equity to ask, “What can I do to help?”

“It is important for male allies in the fight for #genderfairness and #equity to ask, “What can I do to help?” — @GloriaFeldt1”

She said, “Just listen. Listen to what she says. Inequity comes down to the personal. Get people thinking about their personal stories.” Feldt added, “We need to praise and reward our children in a gender equal way.”

Engaging everyone to maintain a culture of gender and identity equality is not just a Women’s Equality Day Mission, it is a forever and always pursuit. Take the Lead’s declared mission in 2014 of achieving equity across all differences and industries in leadership is not just a dream, it is an opportunity.

Leadership Takeaway of The Week

“As disrupters our end goal is impact and success.”

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, MD, CEO/Founder Adesso & Heart-Tech Health

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About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com