March 28, 2024   4:31pm
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A journalist I truly respect has been traveling from the U.S. to Rwanda to Chili to report on “Women, Power, and Politics, a show now scheduled to air this Friday night (Sept 19) on PBS …

Did you know the U.S. ranks 68th among countries for number of women in national political office?

Emmy Award-winning Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa on PBS’s NOW focuses on ‘Women, Power, and Politics’ on a one hour episode airing Friday, September 19. On her own personal journey, she follows a U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire to the Presidential palace in Chile; from a team of high school debaters in New York City to the halls of Parliament in Rwanda, asking high-powered women what drives them and what unique contemporary challenges they face.  This is an intimate look at the high-stakes risks, triumphs, and setbacks for woman leaders of today and tomorrow.

In  “WOMEN, POWER, AND POLITICS: A RISING TIDE?,” Hinojosa interviews President Michele Bachelet of Chile, the first woman leader in Latin America who did not have a husband precede her as President, as well as former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, now in a tight race for a seat in the U.S. Senate.  She also travels to Rwanda, where, 14 years after a horrific massacre left nearly one million people dead, women make up nearly half of the government, and an economic boom is enriching lives. Rwanda now has the highest percentage of women in government of any country.  The show also follows a group of diverse high school girls competing in a debate competition for the chance to participate in the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute. These girls — some from disadvantaged backgrounds — are on the cusp of finding their way as future leaders.

According to Maria, “This is an important, unique story about empowered women, but the insight we uncover has the power to enlighten and inspire everyone.”

The NOW website at www.pbs.org/now will feature web-exclusive commentary from Maria Bartiromo, Sandra Cisneros, Mary Robinson, and Sherry Lansing, as well as opportunities for all women to post and share their stories of ambition, success, and discouragement.

See a sneak preview of the show here.

Given what’s going on with our own elections, it should be interesting to watch and compare …

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Photo’s:  ID and Credit

The female cadet with Maria Hinojosa is Yasna Astorga Pérez who is a Health Officer in Peru.  The post photo (walking in the garden with Maria Hinojosa) is Beatrice Gakuba, owner and founder of Rwanda Flora in Rwanda.  Both photos were taken by Adrian Heinzelman.

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