Finding Balance: Creating Space for Public Leadership in a Busy Life

We are in the middle of a global pandemic. The challenges of the times have driven us all to work from home while simultaneously homeschooling children, caring for elderly or sick parents, and supporting the essential workforce. This crisis has put a spotlight on the need for more women in political leadership.

In an op-ed last week, Melinda Gates shared “[Women] have been wearing these hats their whole lives. They saw their mother struggle to care for the kids and have employment and get an education. Women know the barriers—they’ve lived the barriers that women have been up against in society. They see the needs of our kids and elderly parents. They’ve been trying to hold it together and make it work. And they’re finally saying, we can do this, in a smart way, a compassionate way, and take care of everybody…We need far more women and people of color in Congress and in our statehouses. When you have people living in today’s society who understand the stresses on families, they are the ones who can help us pass the right policies. We need to have them in these positions of power.”

Utah ranks 33rd out of 50 states for women’s representation; and today we had the opportunity to speak to three phenomenal women who beat the odds in this state and know first hand how to juggle the demands of life and bring their experiences to bear when leading for their communities. Join Mayor Michelle Kaufusi and County Councilmember Shireen Ghorbani and City Councilmember Kat Martinez to see how balance looks different for each of us.