Women’s Media Awards Recognize Leaders in Journalism, Hollywood, Activism, Academia, and More
“We must move forward. We can’t lose faith. We have to stick together.” That’s what actor/activist Mariska Hargitay said about women’s fight for gender equality and human rights, before she took the stage as one of the honorees at the 2023 Women’s Media Center Women’s Media Awards, which were presented last night at the Whitby Hotel in New York City. Speaking to WMC exclusively, the Emmy-winning Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star said, “Through the sisterhood, I’ve solved things in my life that I thought were impossible, which is why tonight is so meaningful to me.”
Hargitay is the founder and president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group for survivors of sexual assault. This year, she received the WMC Sisterhood Is Powerful Award. She was among the among the fearless feminists and allies gathered for the annual event, which celebrates women who’ve made an outstanding impact in the media. The other honorees this year were CNN news anchor Fredricka Whitfield (WMC Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award); IndiJ Public Media president/CEO Karen Lincoln Michel (WMC Carol Jenkins Award); and three recipients of the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award: disability rights activist/author Emily Ladau, cultural critic/English professor Koritha Mitchell, and Global Justice Center president Akila Radhakrishnan.
In opening remarks, WMC president Julie Burton said, “Media shapes us — informs our ideas, our policies, and our politics. It tells us who we are and who we can be. It tells us who and what matters. We are so proud to honor these champions for women who have bravely and transparently fought for inclusion, a seat at the table, equal rights and access. Who have told the stories that matter — and told them as if women matter.”
When asked what she thinks will help eradicate systemic discrimination against women, Hargitay responded: “Don’t lose sight of the big picture. We have to get curious. We have to connect with our humanity. This is a very female/feminine perspective. I think that is the only way … through our strength and our vulnerability. That’s the power. What I’ve learned is to not get triggered, but to say, ‘Let me hear you.’ There’s a lot of work to do.”
Earlier in the evening, WMC co-founder Jane Fonda introduced Whitfield: “Throughout her award-winning career spanning more than 30 years, Fredricka Whitfield has brought her own lived experience, values, and empathy to her reporting. Who tells the story is important, and we are so fortunate that this insightful, assertive journalist is telling ours. In honoring her, the Women’s Media Center wishes to recognize her impact, tenacity, and pursuit of truth in her work to report and highlight issues of key importance.”
Whitfield returned the compliment to Fonda by sharing with the audience what Whitfield experienced the first time she met Fonda years ago, when they were going through a security checkpoint at CNN. “Let me tell you what really stood out the most to me,” Whitfield said of her first impression of Fonda. “Your elegance. … You were so gracious. You exuded a confidence and intelligence, just by your being. … I just thought to myself, ‘I want all of that.’”
Whitfield added, “What an incredible honor it is to receive this award, this distinction, the meaning behind it, this organization and what it represents that you co-founded. … I thank you for being the symbol of strength through your intellectual contributions that you’ve made, your artistry, and your athleticism.”
Whitfield also acknowledged WMC co-founder Gloria Steinem’s impact on her life: “She helped reaffirm how important it is to be called a feminist.” Whitfield mentioned that when she was growing up, three of the magazines that were constants in her family’s household were Jet, Ebony, and Ms., the periodical co-founded by Steinem. “Thank you for being a champion of women in all forms of media,” Whitfield said of her gratitude to Steinem.
Born in Kenya, Whitfield spent part of her childhood in Somalia, before her family moved to the United States when she was a kid. She mentioned her international background in her speech. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be a journalist, to be exactly who I set out to be as a kid, a kid growing up as a global citizen,” Whitfield said. She added, “This lifetime achievement award is more than an honor for me, but really, it is for the many, many who have helped me, embraced me, who have corrected me, who uplifted me, who have elevated me.”
Just like many of the honorees, Whitfield credited strong female family members for being chief inspirations. “My mom epitomizes femininity, feminism, and she is pro-woman all the way. She raised me and my sister to be strong, independent, self-sufficient women, and in so doing, helped raise [my] strong, independent, self-sufficient brother. That is who we are as a family.” Whitfield talked about her own career journey in her speech. She concluded her remarks by saying about the award namesake, Pat Mitchell, the first woman to be president/CEO of PBS: “Both she and this honor symbolize a commitment to being responsible with words and your actions, helping to inform and enlighten … It also represents that there’s more to come.”
WMC board of directors member Rebecca Adamson introduced Emily Ladau, the first of three WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award recipients. This award recognizes leaders who have participated in WMC’s Progressive Women’s Voices program, which offers advanced media and leadership training to diverse women with a range of expertise, to position themselves as effective media spokespeople in their fields.
In her introduction, Adamson said, “Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights advocate who lights up a room with her warmth, forthrightness, and approachability. She offers actionable guidance on how non-disabled people can be better allies to disabled people. Emily coaches audiences on ways to think, talk, and ask about disability; why it’s important to recognize disability history and identity as a natural part of the human experience; and how to understand and break patterns of discrimination toward disabled people.”
Ladau began her speech by saying that when she attended the 2022 Women’s Media Awards with her mother, “I leaned over to her and said. ‘I hope in 10 years’ time, I have done something that might make me worthy of recognition in this room.’ It was not my own recognition that I cared about though. I actually want disability to have a place at the table.” She added. “Every issue is a disability issue, because every issue impacts disabled people.”
The numbers of disabled people are growing because of various factors, including COVID-19, climate change, and war, according to Ladau. She remarked, “Even as we hold these hard truths, I also want to be clear about what is giving me hope: this beautiful, diverse community of disabled people, who never settle for the status quo and who refuse to keep quiet when rights and lives are on the line.”
Ladau admitted that although there are times when she feels insecure and wants to “take up less space and reject my disability as a part of me. What I actually reject is the notion that disability makes anyone less than whole.” She thanked her parents and boyfriend (who were all at the ceremony) and described them as “so unwavering in their love and their patience in a world that is not always welcoming to me.” She concluded, “Here’s what I know to be true: Every single human being is worthy of living in an inclusive and accessible world. And that is what drives the work I do each day.”
WMC board of directors chair Janet Dewart Bell introduced Koritha Mitchell by saying, “These are dark times for the truth-tellers, historians, academics, and cultural critics like Dr. Koritha Mitchell and her brave colleagues. Right-wing leaders and organizations are actively working to repress Black history by banning books, erasing and whitewashing African-American experiences, and targeting outspoken champions who articulate these truths. The politics of this moment cry out for the courage, insight, and analysis of the brilliant scholar Koritha Mitchell. Her evocative books and speeches refuse to allow Black voices to be silenced.”
Koritha Mitchell began her speech by describing her childhood as a “poor country girl” from Texas. “I grew up on a dirt road that wasn’t paved until the year 2000. That was my reality, even though we were a community of hard workers who paid taxes. I share this tidbit to emphasize that my standing before you today is not what the country of my birth had in store for me. In the United States, poor Black girls like me don’t slip through the cracks. The United States doesn’t have cracks for us. It has big, gaping holes with suction.”
Koritha Mitchell also talked about two of the most influential women in her life: her mother (who supported Koritha’s love of magazines, because she knew that Koritha wanted to be a journalist) and a woman of color professor, who “approached the work of women authors as a rich tradition, not something you read to be inclusive, but something worthy of serous study.” Koritha Mitchell commented on being in this professor’s life-changing academic class: “That class set me on the path to earning a Ph.D. and becoming a professor.”
Koritha Mitchell said that unlike many professors, she doesn’t bow to peer pressure to have her work accessible only to other highly educated people. Instead, she wants her work to be accessible to as many people as possible. “And that led me to seek out the Women’s Media Center’s Progressive Women’s Voices training,” she commented. “I have consistently put my ideas into the public sphere, not just in scholarly books and articles. [WMC] president Julie Burton says these awards honor champions for speaking out for marginalized groups, advocating for those who are unjustly diminished by the normal workings of society — that is exactly why I always do public-facing work.”
Erica González Martínez, vice chair of WMC’s board of directors, introduced Radhakrishnan, by saying: “Throughout her influential career as a kick-ass international human rights lawyer, Akila has tirelessly advocated for sexual and reproductive rights for women and girls who are victims of rape. … Akila’s courage and passion in viewing international law in creative, unconventional ways has led to impactful wins for reproductive rights around the world. Rightfully so, her expert analysis is often sought after in popular media.”
Radhakrishnan remarked, “All around the world, we have seen a serious regression on women’s rights.” She cited examples of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan; government-sanctioned sexual violence against women in Myanmar; and misogynistic attacks on abortion rights in the United States. “But, of course, women aren’t taking these challenges sitting down.”
Radhakrishnan added, “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the incredible feminists in my life, who have paved the path for me and supported me: my mother, my sister, my mentor [human rights attorney] Janet Benshoof, and so many others on whose shoulders that I stand. I’m so thankful to be a part of a feminist community that is not just about the fight but about care and joy. … I do believe that with women leading the way, we will find a more just and peaceful world.”
WMC founding and former president Carol Jenkins gave her WMC namesake award to Lincoln Michel, after introducing Lincoln Michel with these remarks: “A proud member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Karen Lincoln Michel is a nationally recognized leader in advancing diversity — both in newsroom coverage and in newsroom staffing. I have long admired her work as a voice for Indigenous people throughout her distinguished career as an editor, publisher, writer, and reporter. … The first female president of the Native American Journalists Association, and a two-term president of UNITY: Journalists of Color, Karen is a highly influential voice in national media, and in elevating Native American stories onto the national stage.”
Lincoln Michel thanked WMC for helping advance women in the media and added, “I come from a bloodline of strong women.’” She said of her mother: “She shared ancestral wisdom with her daughters. She showed my sisters and me how to live our Ho-Chunk values and how to serve others. I thought of my mother when I heard I was to receive this award. Like me, she would’ve been awestruck that the notification letter was signed by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem — three women I look up to and consider role models.”
In her closing remarks, Lincoln Michel commented on IndiJ Public Media: “We are trying to build a different company — one that not only serves people with Indigenous news but also one that’s built on Indigenous values.” She concluded, “I’d like to say congratulations to my fellow award recipients. I am fortunate to be surrounded by trailblazing women — not only on this podium tonight but also within my family, in my Ho-Chunk community, and at work. I want to say that you all inspire me.”
WMC co-founder Robin Morgan introduced Hargitay, by saying: “For her unwavering commitment to healing the mind, body, and spirit of survivors of sexual and domestic violence and child abuse; for dramatically shifting how the public responds to these survivors; and for leveraging her powerful platform to ensure that thousands of rape survivors get justice, I am deeply honored to present this award to Mariska.”
During her speech, Hargitay got teary-eyed and emotional — unapologetically, which is something that she said women should not be afraid to do. She shared an experience where she comforted a female friend, who was upset but didn’t want to cry out fear of being seen as weak. Hargitay recalled, “I said to her, ‘You cry. You stand up there and cry.’ That’s a big part of us. … We are all in pain, in deep hurt now.”
Hargitay remarked, “I too come from a strong family of women,” and said the ceremony’s red carpet section for arrivals was “probably the most loving, cozy [red carpet]” she’s ever experienced. “I was feeling the love,” Hargitay added.
She also revealed that she had an emotionally moving moment on the red carpet before the show, when she was standing next to Fonda and the photographers were calling out, “Mariska! Jane!” Turning to Fonda, Hargitay said during her speech: “I thank you for that moment. And I thank you for being able to stand next to you, And I also feel that you invoked my mother here tonight. And I bring her in here, in this moment, because I think she would love this night.” Hargitay’s mother, actress/singer Jayne Mansfield, died in a car accident in 1967 at age 34.
Hargitay got fired up when she talked about the feminist movement’s ongoing fight for gender equality and human rights: “What haven’t we said already? … Change comes slowly, so maddeningly slowly. Yes, we’ve made progress … but I want change to come faster. I want violence against women and children to end completely.” She also spoke about the need for better training in the neurobiology of trauma and fractured memories that many survivors of violence experience and which cause people to misunderstand survivors and not give survivors the care that survivors need.
Hargitay commented that if she could find the right words to say to end these crimes and injustices, she would say those words. “I know it doesn’t work like that. I know it’s not about finding the words to say … but it doesn’t make me want to find the words less. While I don’t know what to say … I do know how we’re going to do it. We’re going to do it the way we’ve always done it: in sisterhood.”
