Two Wise & Witty Women: Margaret Atwood & Jameela Jamil

If you’re anything like us, you might find that when you see something like this month’s World Bank Group report on Women, Business, and the Law , something in you shuts down.? The report reveals that the global gender gap for women in the workplace is far wider than previously thought. That women enjoy fewer than two-thirds of the rights of men. And that no country provides equal opportunity for women.?

News like this can be discouraging —?but we need to remain resilient. Perhaps even more importantly, we need to maintain a lightness of spirit, a sense of humor, and the determination to stand strong and have our say.? That’s why, this Women’s History Month, we are delighted to be able to share original interviews you won’t find elsewhere with two such wise and witty women.?

Here’s who sat down with us to share their inspiration with you this month:

Margaret Atwood , two-time Booker Prize winner, is the author of The Handmaid’s Tale and more than 60 other books. Atwood shared her thoughts about maintaining her lightness of spirit, why we need to focus on ensuring that today’s challenging conditions don’t get worse, and how we can all maintain a good attitude — no matter what happens in the world.

Here’s one excerpt from our conversation with Atwood: “I am very leery of handing out advice. But [to cultivate a good attitude] you have to look within yourself. What exactly is making you depressed? What is your version of a good world? What does it take to make you feel better or more hopeful?” ? Read the conversation here.

Jameela Jamil is an actress, advocate, and television host and judge. She spoke with us about why she considers advocacy her most important role, what she has learned about speaking up effectively, and how her commitment to remain bold is meant to demonstrate to other women that they, too, can speak up — and make mistakes — and they’ll survive.?

Here’s one excerpt from our conversation with Jameela Jamil:? “I want women to see that you can have opinions and survive. Most importantly, you can make mistakes and survive. So I’m so bold on stage, so myself, because I want people to see it’s survivable to be yourself and not be this perfect depiction of what a woman is allegedly supposed to be. I’m unusual, but so are a lot of people. I think a lot of women are masking, and I hope to be a part of helping them feel they can be set free.” Read the conversation here. ?

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