I am still trying to grasp the fact that I attended the White House’s first ever United State of Women Summit in Washington DC last week.
On June 14 (If I was not dreaming) I was amongst 5,000 activists, trailblazers, and changemakers at event with an incredible speaker lineup that included a number of powerhouse women (and a few men) such as First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, Joe Biden, and President Barack Obama.
This event was more then a summit. It was a movement discussing how far we still need to go in order to establish gender equality around the world.
Thanks
I would firstly like to thank the individual behind my nomination. I would not have been a participant at this unforgettable event if it weren’t for my adviser, role model, and professor, Dr. Rekha Datta. Without her thoughtfulness on that day I would most likely would have been at my internship at the Home News Tribune instead of sitting in the audience of the White House Summit.
Moreover, I would like to thank Monmouth University. Without its generosity I would not have have been able to afford the monetary expenses involved with this experience.
The Summit
The Summit was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Downtown DC. A line quickly wrapped around the building shortly after the doors opened at 6:30 am on Tues., June 14. I had never seen so many women before, hundreds of women, all awaiting their entry into the United State of Women Summit.
After making it into the building, passing through an airport like security check, shuffling through a very organized registration line, and grabbing a bagel from a well-stocked breakfast bar, myself and the other attendees were lead into the hall to select our seats.
I sat in between a woman from the Center for Disease Control, and another woman from California who mentors teenage girls interested in the media.
The Summit began around 9 am with opening remarks from Valerie Jarret, senior advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.
It focused on six key topics: economic empowerment, health and wellness, education, violence against women, entrepreneurship and innovation and leadership, and civic engagement. All of these subjects were discussed in a series of plenary presentations, and panel discussions.
The speakers list seemed never-ending. I heard riveting speeches from a number of actors/activists and politicians such as Nancy Palosi, Kerry Washington, Amy Poehler, Matt McGorry, and Meryl Streep, just to name a few.
I cheered as Vice President Joe Biden passionately bellowed into the microphone and called for an end to rape culture. “We have to give our women and girls a voice, but we also have to assure them that they will be heard,” he said.



He made it clear that violence against women is an epidemic. This is especially true, as 1 in 5 college women will be sexually assaulted during their four years in undergrad.
A highlight of the day was an interview with Michelle Obama by Oprah. I wish you could have seen my face as I watched them walk out onto the stage together. There session was hilarious at times, and awe-inspiring at others.
“We can never be complacent - because we are not done.” said Michelle as she looked out into the sea of clapping activists from all 50 states and around the world.



A few hours earlier I had witnessed President Obama take the stage.
In sixth grade I remember sitting in my middle school class, and watching the first African American President be sworn into office. I was twelve years old, and I did not fully grasp the significance of the moment.
8 years later, seven months before the end of his final term I saw him off the screen and in person. I listened to him joke, share memories, laugh, and highlight the many ways that his administration has fought to better the lives of women and girls in America and around the world.
“We have to remember that progress is not inevitable. It’s the result of decades of slow, tireless, often frustrated, and unheralded work,” Obama said.
Mariska Hargitary spoke as well. Since I was a little girl I had only known her as Olivia Benson from Law and Order. She discussed her work as the Founder and President of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization that uses education, advocacy, and knowledge to help sexual assault and abuse victims.
Later a role model of mine, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, the founder of Muslimgirl.com, moderated a session with Billie Jean King, the former top-ranked women’s tennis player, and Shonda Rhimes, the award winning television producer. I listened intently as they discussed the positive impact of civic engagement.
“When I was twelve I started to notice how the courts had white walls, the players shoes were white, and the players were white, and I wondered where everyone else was,” said King.
Moments earlier, scientists held another very important conversation. They discussed the need to encourage girls to study STEM and computer science.
In the early 1980s, the number of women with computer science degrees was 37%. However, that trend began to reverse in the 80s. In 2013, 18% of bachelor’s degrees in computing were earned by women, and the numbers will continue to decrease unless we do something about it.
Conclusion
After twelve insightful hours my greatest takeaway was that the story for women and girls continues to be written. We still have so far to go, but I am certain that we will get there eventually. I feel so blessed to have participated in that movement, because I left mentally energized, and fully committed towards continuing my journey as an advocate for gender equality.