Women are simply not represented in leadership positions in government or corporate America. Nor are we adequately represented on the airwaves or the Op-Ed pages of our top newspapers. If Women Ruled the World aspires to right the imbalance by giving women a platform to voice their opinions, priorities, hopes, and ideas for change. The book includes over 200 short experiences, stories, thoughts or meditations written and shared by women around the world. Some will be first person accounts, others in interview or story form. Contributors are women of all ages, racial, economic and social backgrounds. Authors, celebrities, experts and politicians are included as well, creating a book that is a humorous, moving, questioning, take-action, opinionated, warm and informative as it examines the many ideas, solutions and directions women would choose if they had a chance to rule the world. A portion of proceeds will be donated to The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) and The White House Project. FMF is a cutting edge organization dedicated to women's equality, reproductive health, and non-violence. The White House Project is an influential organization dedicated to advancing women's leadership by fostering the entry of women into positions of leadership, including the U.S. presidency. I received hundreds of essay submissions for this book from women of every background--with and without kids, old and young, from those who had a humorous experience with the issue they wanted to address, to those whose words screamed of injustice, inequality, and world problems so big that I would set the essay aside and stare at my computer screen, unable to move, unsure if the world was actually ready to hear the truth. What moved me most was how alike we are. Regardless of upbringing, economics, or education, underneath the skin of women is a wild, protective, nurturing strength that knows we're in trouble. We know somehow we have to rise together and take a stand. We may disagree on the direction society needs to move in, but we all agree it needs to get moving. Women's voices fill these pages--women who see a new world rising from the ashes of mistakes, poor choices, and lack of direction. The intent of this book is to engage your mind, heart, and imagination to the point where you feel uniquely called to participate. Change is about movement, and movement in any direction is impossible without an idea—If Women Ruled the World is full of ideas. How can we support work and family balance, improve our health-care system, and protect the environment? What could be different in our schools and communities? How can women everywhere stand up for compassion, peace, and equality? "If Women Ruled the World" shines the spotlight on women s opinions and ideas and suggests concrete calls-to-action, challenging women to be true participants in leading the world. With poignant personal essays from more than 150 women, this visionary book invites women to take on today s issues from the personal to the political0-0and asks that we all rise to the occasion to create a world of grace and humanity. SHEILA ELLISON is the author of How Does She Do It? 101 Life Lessons from One Mother to Another, The Courage to Be a Single Mother, The Courage to Love Again, 365Ways to Raise Great Kids, 365 Days of Creative Play, 365 Games Babies Play, 365 Games Toddlers Play, 365 Afterschool Activities, and 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat. She is the founder of the nonprofit organization Single Moms Connect, a parenting expert on radio shows across the nation, and a mother of four and stepmother of two. She has appeared on Oprah!, and her work has been featured in O: The Oprah Magazine, Parenting, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Glamour, Self, the New York Daily News, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Oakland Tribune. MARIE C. WILSON is founder and president of The White House Project, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women’s leadership across sectors and fostering the entry of women into all positions of leadership, including the U.S. Foreword by Marie C. Wilson Often in my work, I hear people say that the lack of women in leadership is an issue that pales next to world crises global terrorism, fragile economics, inadequate health care, access to quality education, corporate greed. They see no connection between the frightening situations we re in and the fact that few women sit at the table to determine the solutions. No wonder we re where we are today. This fundamental imbalance, with men running the world and women mostly spectators (or victims), is not a trivial detail. It is the problem. It is also the one solution we have not tried and the one most likely to work. First of all, to counter those who think women actually do run the world, I offer a few statistics from my own backyard: The United States is 57th in the world in women s political representation (behind Slovakia and tied with Andorra); the pipeline to political lead