Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/169650
We Mean Business > DW: What is the driving force behind EngenderHealth? PB: We want to enable every woman to have the number of children she wants, not the number that her circumstances dictate. We ofer a very woman-centered approach to providing tools and quality health services a woman needs to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy children throughout her lifetime. In the countries where we work, many people don't even have access to the most basic care. So we are really trying to ensure that those services are there, and that women know they're there. DW: How do you use social media? PB: Four hundred of our 500 workers operate outside the United States. So our backbone is the support we get through the social networks—through people blogging and writing about their own experiences and the work that is related to EngenderHealth. Tese are critical forms of communication for us. We're also using mobile technology as information channels for women who need to know about family planning, where they can get services, what information providers need. How exciting is that! It's transformative in our feld. DW: What characterizes your management style? PB: I believe in the power of teams. I love the efectiveness of teams that can work together with trust and respect. It's such an exciting way to work, and really I can't work any other way. DW: Has a lot changed for women in business, as you see it? PB: Women are still not being paid at the same rate as men. Teir representation in senior leadership is not adequate. As a woman who was in that world for 20 years plus, I am very disappointed to see the lack of progress. At the same time, women now represent more than half of undergraduate and certain graduate 28 D I VERS ITY WOMAN Fa ll 2013 in leadership. Tey created a great buzz there. populations, so I have great hope about the next generation of women being able to succeed. DW: What's happening for women in other countries? PB: It's deeply moving to see what women do with incredibly limited resources. Tey'll walk 15 kilometers or more when pregnant to get health care. Tere is a tremendous amount of courage among them. I'm also inspired by the women leaders I meet in many countries. I often come back and think, "Gee, where are our inspiring voices in the health-care world in the United States?" We've had Hillary Clinton and Wendy Davis, but we need more advocates like that. DW: You attended the Women Deliver summit in Kuala Lumpur in May. Can you share some highlights? PB: Tis is the largest global event focused on health and empowerment for girls and women, with the likes of Melinda Gates, Chelsea Clinton, the younger Barbara Bush, and thousands of participants around the world. I participated in workshops and plenaries, but the most fabulous part was simply listening to the real-life experiences of people from developing countries. You could really get a sense of what's going on, and there was a lot of useful problem solving. Barbara and Chelsea are exciting women to watch DW: You recently launched a new campaign, Fistula-Free Generation. What is that about? PB: A fstula is an abnormal tear in the bladder or rectum that's created when a baby gets stuck in the birth canal. Te baby in this case is often born dead, and the woman will continue to leak urine or feces, or both, which can make her an outcast because of the odor and the inability to control her bowels. In many countries where we work, a majority of women deliver at home, which puts them at greater risk for obstetric complications, including fstula. EngenderHealth is changing that. We train health-care professionals and educate communities to improve women's access to family planning and maternal health care, including fstula prevention and treatment services. It is truly life changing for these women. DW: Do you have advice to women for working in the business world? PB: Don't be afraid to take a risk. My father always said, "Go do it. You don't want to say you should have done it." It could be as simple as going to knock on your boss's door if you have an idea. DW: What is currently on your nightstand for reading? PB: I just fnished Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, which I found incredibly disappointing. Here is a leader in a corporate position, but she had not one constructive policy proposal to improve the lives of working women. I also recently read Catherine the Great by Robert Massie. What an extraordinary woman! And I have just read Long Walk to Freedom, the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, which is very inspiring to the work we do. Marguerite Rigoglioso is a regular contributor to DW. d i v e r s i ty w oma n.com