If there were ever a changemaker, it was Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Decades before her high Court appointment, Ginsburg fiercely advocated for gender equality and served famously as a role model for females of all ages as she proclaimed that it is our birthright to create the life and career of our dreams by charting our own course. This is precisely why CHANGEMAKERS exists today, to educate, equip and empower females to do the same. (more on that shortly).
Ginsburg’s power was not through loudness of voice or harshness of words about her now legendary beginnings (bio link: https://bit.ly/35Wnyj6) and all the “firsts” she trail blazed. No, Ginsburg’s power rose because of her legal intellect, incomparable work ethic and powerful vision of what equal treatment for men and women looks like, in reality.
Ginsburg’s once-radical vision for gender equality permeated the law in myriad ways, workplace discrimination, criminal procedure, reproductive rights reforms and in so many aspects of how women interact with the world.
While fiercely fighting for greater gender fairness, she eschewed the term “women’s rights” and put forth “equal protection” instead that demands both women and men be given “full citizenship stature - - equal opportunity to aspire, achieve, participate in and contribute to society”.
Then, she walked the talk by living out the vision in all aspects of her life and by supporting other women in their pursuit for a better and fairer life.
After graduating Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in government, she married law student Martin D. Ginsburg that same year. The early years of their marriage were challenging, as their first child, Jane, was born shortly after Martin was drafted into the military. He served a two-year enlistment and, following his discharge, the couple returned to Harvard, where Ginsburg also enrolled.
Life is not always easy
During her time studying at Harvard Law School, Ginsburg learned to balance life as a mother and her new role as a law student with the help of a nanny. She encountered a very male-dominated, hostile environment, with only eight other females in her class of more than 500. Women law students were chided by the law school's dean for “taking the places of qualified males”. Yet, Ginsburg persisted and excelled academically, eventually becoming the first female member of the prestigious Harvard Law Review.
Married for 56 years, Justice Ginsburg credited her husband Martin for being her staunchest and most abiding supporter. According to an interview with People Magazine (December 2018), Ginsburg was the only boy who dated her who cared that “she had a brain”. Their relationship would go on to become one for the ages, as they were insistently equal co-partners in marriage and parenting.
In a recent New York Time’s article (Her Black Coffee Always Brewed Strong), two of her former law clerks (Abbe Gluck and Gillian Metzger, both law school professors) recalled their experiences of working with Justice Ginsburg. Aside from a brilliant legal mind, they marveled at how demanding Ginsburg was, of her clerks as well as herself. “She was the hardest working, most deliberate person either of us has ever worked for. She taught us to be strong and to stand behind our work. She gave countless women and men opportunities and support in the life of the law”.
Yet She Persisted
Throughout her distinguished legal career and in her life, Ginsburg persisted in her cautious, moderate and restrained approach that was copiously effective and embodied the resilience that eventually led to her becoming known as a feminist icon for millions of girls and women across the globe (‘RBG': How 'Notorious' Ruth Bader Ginsburg became a pop culture icon).
Following a lifetime of fighting for equality and freedom for all, it was in her eighties that Ginsburg became such a galvanizing force, particularly for younger women.
For anyone who paid notice, Ginsburg proved that while the odds may be unfavorable in achieving our dreams, unequivocally believing in one’s self along with the support of a trusted few, anything is possible.
Former President Barack Obama eloquently articulated Ginsburg’s historic life and impact on people everywhere, “Over a long career on both sides of the bench – as a relentless litigator and an incisive jurist – Justice Ginsburg helped us to see that discrimination on the basis of sex isn’t about an abstract ideal of equality; that it doesn’t only harm women; that it has real consequences for all of us. It’s about who we are – and who we can be”.
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought for us to the end, through her cancer, with unwavering faith in our democracy and its ideals”.
As a woman professional who strives for more - - equal treatment, career and/or business goals, a desire to be seen and heard in male-dominated industries, how can we apply the instructive lessons that Justice Ginsburg so openly and freely taught us: we must speak up and stand out while remaining in our integrity as women? What is the best path forward?
These questions and more are systematically addressed in the CHANGEMAKERS program, designed especially for women professionals, whether you are on a career track heading toward (or already in) leadership and/or as an entrepreneur, designing your own path?
Join us to:
- Get clear on precisely how to move yourself forward, what first steps to take.
- Re-claim your self-confidence to become your own best champion.
- Learn how to get your voice heard, precisely and with great conviction. You deserve to step out of invisibility.
- Pivot out of overwhelm and move forward with a realistic plan for your future.
- Connect with other like-minded women professionals who are on a similar path as yours…meet your tribe.
- Navigate through your fears and emerge as the strong, powerful woman professional that you are.
Contact us today to get started on your best life and professional journey.
Let’s make Justice Ginsburg proud!