This is what I'm talking about!

This is potentially a step in the direction out of the morass I referred to in my last post!  Led by Beyonce and sponsored by Gucci, the Chime for Change initiative was launched last night in London. It advertises itself as: "a community of people working to promote education, health and justice for every girl, every woman, everywhere."

I am not celebrity-watcher or a follower of  contemporary music. [I quit listening to the radio sometime in the early 1980's. I've probably heard Beyonce sing on some random car radio or TV show, but I wouldn't recognize her voice.]  I do recognize the power that celebrities have to focus attention on certain issues and to raise staggering amounts of money for charity and political causes.

Learning of this organizatiob made me want to stand up and cheer.  For too long young women have let the Sisters of the Sixties lead the women's movement. I don't know how much of that is a case of the youngsters not stepping up or the Sisters holding on to control. A combination of both, most likely.  In any case, for too long "feminists" have been mostly old ladies (and we're getting older by the day!). I think a lot of people think we are a bunch of old cranks and they pay as little attention to us as possible.

It is positively thrilling to have cool and beautiful young women step up ( as well as some cool, beautiful and young-at-heart-if-not-in-age women like Madonna) to use their forum and their money for the benefit of women and girls.  It's even cooler for them to bear public witness to the fact that you can be sexy and in love with a man or a woman, and still be a feminist. Special kudos to the Jay-Z and all other men who support this initiative.

It is also gratifying that a business woman like Frida Giannini, whose company caters to the wealthiest segment of the populace, is "leaning in" to give back to others. Check out the membership of their advisory board. They've certainly assembled a lot of the right people, and they've made some noise.

Now, let's see what we can all accomplish together.

Being more into country music than pop, all I am compelled to quote Martina McBride: "Let's hear it for the Girls!"