035 - There are More Layers Than You Realize with Michelle Bekkering
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PC035 Political Contessa There are More Layers Than You Realize with Michelle Bekkering
Michelle Bekkering is the National Engagement Director for the US Global Leadership Coalition. Prior to joining the Coalition, she was nominated by the president and unanimously confirmed by the senate as Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development. Michelle is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and equality, and she was the leading architect of the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, a US government initiative whose goal is to economically empower 50 million women by 2025. She served 12 years at the IRI (International Republican Institute). During her tenure there, she provided leadership on democracy, rights, and governance initiatives in DC and abroad, including serving as the IRI’s country director based in Indonesia. She also served on the Congressional Advisory Council of the US House of Representatives, House Democracy partnership program. Michelle is a native of Iowa, and she lives with her husband and their daughter in Washington, DC.
Today, Michelle joins me to talk about her journey of finding her field in the world of politics. She notes that all politics is local and shares the story of how her mother and grandmother taught her about the importance of politics. She explains why women need to be involved in peace negotiations, discusses voter turnout, and shares stories of women around the world. We also discuss the need to get women talking about politics.
“When you have nothing else to lose, you have everything to gain.”
- Michelle Bekkering
This Week on Political Contessa:
Getting women talking about policy
How the women before her taught Michelle the importance of politics
Why women need to be involved in peace negotiations
Why empowering women means empowering the community
The experiences of different women across the world
Voter turnout
Resources Mentioned:
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