“Meeting and working with women from all over the world over the past twenty years, I have had the opportunity to trace their life path. Difficult, confusing, fictional lives. Lives that have survived violence, war, inequality, marginalization and are called to survive, create and stand out among obstacles that seemed insurmountable. This book was born out of a need to invite them to share the truth they have never spoken.” The book referenced by journalist and social entrepreneur Elisabeth Philippouli is her latest work.

Women to Humanity: Stories of Survival and Success is a rendezvous, as she describes it, with all these women she has met. In its pages, “everyone shares an important part of her life, and among the corridors of her memories we find mirrors reflecting our own life. Like a story and like a novel. This book is an exchange of life paths, paths that magically intersect.”

We have all gone through trauma, in our childhood or adulthood. They are like inner voices of doubt that prevent us from finding inner balance.

It contains thirty-eight letters from women, politicians, writers, actors, activists, entrepreneurs, journalists from nineteen countries who share their personal stories. The original edition was released internationally in July 2021 by Bloomsbury – the Greek edition includes letters from Marianna V. Vardinogiannis, Eva Kailis, Sias Kosionis, Mimi Denisis, Vicky Kurmuzis-Price. Among others, award-winning writer Elif Shafak sends a letter to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, British TV presenter and activist June Sarpong addresses her role model, renowned fashion designer Diana von Furstenberg, Princess Sumaya of Jordan to her two grandmothers, an English businesswoman. Annabelle Carmel talks about her pain over the loss of her first child.

“We all experienced trauma in childhood or adulthood,” says Elisabeth Filippouli. “These traumas are like inner voices of doubt that prevent us from finding inner balance. Like the black holes of the Cosmos, they are wounds in our souls that suck us in. We are often tormented by feelings of guilt, shame, failure, belief that we are doing something wrong. And yet it is not so.

The book was written to convey the idea that none of us are alone in our insecurity, self-doubt, abuse or even oppression that we receive. We have an inexhaustible strength to stand on our feet and touch our dreams, breaking stereotypes and not allowing anyone to violate the boundaries of our dignity.

Feminism would have no reason to exist in a just world.

Elisabeth Philippouli, after a successful career as a journalist in Greek and international print and broadcast media, moved into the field of social entrepreneurship. In 2018, she launched Athena40, which has grown into an international platform that promotes innovative initiatives and engages women from different cultures to network and support each other. She identifies herself as a feminist. But how does he define feminism? “For me, feminism is an opportunity for every person to be treated equally, to respect him for who he is, so that his voice is heard and taken into account. Feminism fights for all genders and their right to self-determination and dignity. Feminism fights for mutual respect, for the freedom to cultivate independence of thought and self-determination. In a just and truly equal world, feminism would have no reason to exist.”

In the book, she argues that humanity is paying a high price due to the unfair treatment of both sexes, which she elaborates in our interview: “If we look at the statistics of the last decades, we will see that we have more women in decision-making centers. On the other hand, women receive lower wages and are the first to lose permanent jobs when economic crises occur. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately worsened their career prospects compared to men. Let’s also not forget that women around the world spend 2.5 billion hours on unpaid, unsafe daily jobs. This model underlies the world economic system. In addition, women’s entrepreneurship is still funded at much lower rates than men’s. The level of inequality reflected in the numbers offends the sense of justice in our democratic societies. There is a serious moral vacuum.” However, beyond ethical issues, she notes that there are important financial incentives for more women to rise to leadership positions. “Studies show that councils with a significant presence of women have been found to be much more effective. Businesses with a high percentage of women are more profitable. Women bring broader ideas, skills and communication to leadership models, as well as a deeper understanding of how our societies should become more cohesive.” She is convinced, she says, that “the dominoes of negative political and socio-economic events that marked the first decade of the 21st century — I mean the globalization of terrorism, popular uprisings, economic downturns and bankruptcies — would not have happened if our world had been more women driving. We are not infallible, but typically the female leadership model is characterized by three important values: empathy, dedication, cooperation. Undoubtedly, there are male leaders who show sensitivity and empathy, but women are inherently more warm-hearted, caring for those around them, and do not feed on a barren ego of power.”

The message of her book is clear: “The time to start changing things around us and within us is always and only in the present moment. If we want a more responsible and balanced world, we need to organize and involve more women in discussions and decision-making centers. Now, not tomorrow. We need to communicate more with each other, inspire each other, support each other. Join our voices, join hands, create what unites us and put aside what divides us. Without wasting time, let’s find solutions together for our societies, for the future.”