Women In Public Service (audio)

As a young law graduate of Tamil descent, Navanethem Pillay was subject to the racial discrimination of South Africa's apartheid regime. When no other firm would hire her, she became the first woman in Natal Province to open her own law practice. For the next 28 years, she defended civil rights activists, torture victims, battered women and political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Under apartheid, she was barred from even entering a judge's chambers. In 1995, she became the first non-white woman to serve on the High Court of South Africa, appointed by President Mandela. She has made major contributions to the development of international law as a judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where her rulings established rape and sexual assault as war crimes for the first time. Hailed as the "voice of victims everywhere," in 2008, she was chosen to serve as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In 2007, Americans were shocked to discover the conditions in outpatient facilities of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Hundreds of wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were living in dilapidated buildings, infested with cockroaches, rodents and black mold. The reporter who brought the scandal to light was The Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning national security correspondent Dana Priest. Within weeks of her expose, the Secretary of the Army and the Commander of Walter Reed had been fired, and the Army's Surgeon General had resigned. In her 20 years at the Post, Dana Priest has traveled with Special Forces units in Asia, Africa, and South America, and covered U.S. military actions in Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. She has been attacked from both ends of the political spectrum, by those who believe her reporting undermines national security and by those who fault her for not taking a public position on the stories she covers. Since 2001, she has depicted the transformat

In 2007, Americans were shocked to discover the conditions in outpatient facilities of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Hundreds of wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were living in dilapidated buildings, infested with cockroaches, rodents and black mold. The reporter who brought the scandal to light was The Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning national security correspondent Dana Priest. Within weeks of her expose, the Secretary of the Army and the Commander of Walter Reed had been fired, and the Army's Surgeon General had resigned. In her 20 years at the Post, Dana Priest has traveled with Special Forces units in Asia, Africa, and South America, and covered U.S. military actions in Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. She has been attacked from both ends of the political spectrum, by those who believe her reporting undermines national security and by those who fault her for not taking a public position on the stories she covers. Since 2001, she has depicted the transformat

When Vaira Vike-Freiberga was a small child, her family was forced to flee the Soviet occupation of their native Latvia, and she began school in a refugee camp in Germany. After World War II, her family moved to Morocco and young Vaira completed high school in Casablanca, far from her captive homeland. As a Professor of Psychology at the University of Montreal, she became a leader in her profession, serving as President of the Canadian Psychological Association, of the Social Science Federation of Canada, and of the French branch of the Royal Society of Canada. Despite this success, she never forgot the land of her birth. She remained active in the expatriate community and worked tirelessly to preserve the endangered heritage of Latvian folksong. When her country once again won independence from the Soviet Union, Dr. Vike-Freiberga's work was honored with the Grand Medal of Latvia's Academy of Sciences.Dr. Vike-Freiberga finally returned to live in Latvia in 1998, and within a year was sworn in as President,

When Katie Couric joined The Today Show in 1991, the oldest of America's morning news programs was floundering in the ratings, but her cheerful personality and unpretentious charm quickly made it the most popular morning show in America. Couric soon proved she was more than a mere television personality. Behind the contagious smile and down-to-earth-manner was an experienced journalist and producer. A former producer and political correspondent for CNN, she won an Emmy Award reporting for the local NBC station in Washington, D.C. As Co-Anchor of Today, her in-depth interviews with U.S. Presidents and other world leaders became news events in their own right. The millions of Americans who started each day with Katie Couric and The Today Show came to see her as a member of the family. When her husband died of colon cancer in 1998, the whole nation grieved with her. This heartfelt connection with the American public has made her an invaluable spokesman for cancer research and detection. Her multi-part documentar

"You mean to tell me that me, Toni Novello, the little kid from Puerto Rico who has been in the National Institutes of Health all her life has been picked?" When President George H.W. Bush tapped Dr. Antonia Novello to be Surgeon General from 1990 to 1993, she could hardly believe her ears. She was both the first woman and the first Latin American ever to serve as the nation's number one public health officer. She had come a long way from the little town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, where her widowed mother had struggled to raise a child who was sick from birth. Overlooked in the public health system of her native island, Antonia waited 18 years for the operation that allowed her to live a normal life. Undaunted by illness, discomfort or hardship, she excelled in school and embarked on the study of medicine, determined to spare other children the neglect she had suffered for so long. Dr. Novello has specialized throughout her career in the health problems of children and adolescents. It was her work in pediatric

A devout Muslim, Shirin Ebadi has long argued for an interpretation of Islamic law consistent with democracy and equality before the law. The first woman to serve as a judge in Iran, she was President of the City Court of Tehran from 1971 until the revolution of 1979, when the new Islamic regime barred women from serving as judges. For many years, the theocratic government would not even permit Dr. Ebadi to practice law. When she was finally granted a license to practice law, she courageously took on a series of human rights cases that set her at odds with the conservative authorities. She has championed writers and journalists in freedom of expression cases, and exposed conspirators behind the murder of dissident students and intellectuals. In one of her most famous cases, she represented a mother whose child was taken from her and died of abuse in the home of the custodial stepmother. Against fierce resistance, Dr. Ebadi led a successful campaign for the passage of Iran's first law criminalizing violence ag

"When I went to the movies with other black children, we had to sit in the balcony while the white kids got to sit in the better seats below. We had to walk to school while the white children rode in school buses paid for by our parents' taxes. Such messages, saying we were inferior, were a daily part of our lives." Young Coretta Scott's gift for music and enthusiasm for education led her far beyond the segregated world of her childhood, but when she met the young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the two resolved to return to the Deep South together and pursue the cause of justice in her own home state of Alabama. The Montgomery bus boycott thrust the young couple to the forefront of a revitalized civil rights movement, even as it exposed their growing family to the retaliation of those who opposed any change in the old system. Braving death threats and surviving the bombing of their home by white supremacists, Coretta Scott King stood by the cause and her husband, from the Birmingham jail to the steps of the Lin

Benazir Bhutto (1953 - 2007) was twice elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first woman ever to serve as prime minister of an Islamic country. But the road that brought her to power led through exile, imprisonment and devastating personal tragedy. Only days after young Benazir Bhutto returned to her native Pakistan from university studies abroad, the country's elected government was overthrown. Her father, Prime Minister Ali Bhutto, was imprisoned and hanged. Young Benazir too was repeatedly arrested, then imprisoned, and finally forced into exile, but she never abandoned the hope of restoring democracy to her homeland. She returned to lead a pro-democracy movement, and when free elections were finally held in Pakistan in 1988, Benazir Bhutto herself became Prime Minister. She made hunger and health care her top priorities, brought electricity to the countryside, and built schools all over the country. Although she was herself a devout Muslim, her reforms frequently brought her into conflict with the same

Benazir Bhutto (1953 - 2007) was twice elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first woman ever to serve as prime minister of an Islamic country. But the road that brought her to power led through exile, imprisonment and devastating personal tragedy. Only days after young Benazir Bhutto returned to her native Pakistan from university studies abroad, the country's elected government was overthrown. Her father, Prime Minister Ali Bhutto, was imprisoned and hanged. Young Benazir too was repeatedly arrested, then imprisoned, and finally forced into exile, but she never abandoned the hope of restoring democracy to her homeland. She returned to lead a pro-democracy movement, and when free elections were finally held in Pakistan in 1988, Benazir Bhutto herself became Prime Minister. She made hunger and health care her top priorities, brought electricity to the countryside, and built schools all over the country. Although she was herself a devout Muslim, her reforms frequently brought her into conflict with the same

Young Coretta Scott's gift for music and enthusiasm for education led her far beyond the segregated world of her childhood, but when she met the young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the two resolved to return to the Deep South together and pursue the cause of justice in her own home state of Alabama. The Montgomery bus boycott thrust the young couple to the forefront of a revitalized civil rights movement, even as it exposed their growing family to the retaliation of those who opposed any change in the old system. Braving death threats and surviving the bombing of their home by white supremacists, Coretta Scott King stood by the cause and her husband, from the Birmingham jail to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, from the March on Washington, to a stage in Oslo, Norway where he accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace. After his assassination, she inspired the world with her courage, dignity and tireless devotion to preserving Dr. King's legacy. As founding President, Chair, and Chief Executive Officer of The Martin

The philanthropist, art collector and education advocate Agnes Gund is President Emerita of New York's Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she fell in love with arts as a child and earned a master's degree in art history at Harvard. Beneficiary of a substantial inheritance, she has built an encyclopedic collection of modern and contemporary art, from the 1940s to the present. In 1977, when a budget shortfall forced New York City to cut art classes in its public schools, Gund founded Studio in a School, a non-profit organization that recruits professional artists to lead classes in drawing, printmaking, painting, and sculpture, and works with teachers to link art with other academic subjects. Forty years later, Studio in a School has reached more than 600,000 students in 120 schools throughout the city; an estimated 90 percent of all children who participate in Studio programs come from low-income households. Gund first joined the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in 197

As First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, Barbara Pierce Bush became one of the most admired women in America. She was only 16 when she met her future husband, George Herbert Walker Bush at a Christmas dance. The couple corresponded throughout his service overseas in World War II and married in 1945. Although she had worked in defense plants during the war, after her marriage she devoted herself to her home and raising her children. Although both George and Barbara Bush had deep roots in the Northeast, they moved to Texas in 1950, where George Bush made a career in the oil industry. Barbara Bush enthusiastically supported her husband's political career, as he advanced from the United States Congress, through diplomatic service in Washington and Beijing, to election as the 41st President of the United States. As First Lady, Barbara Bush won the affection of the American public with her grace, candor and down-to-earth manner. Throughout her life, she has devoted much of her formidable energy to huma

The 1995 Miss America, Heather Whitestone lost her hearing, at 18 months of age. Doctors told her mother that a normal life for Heather was impossible. As a child, she learned to read lips and use a hearing aid. She spent six months re-learning to pronounce her own name. Assisted by special education teachers, she excelled in school, but had few friends. She became involved in pageants to earn scholarship money for college, but fared poorly at first, because she was unable to understand questions or directions. She eventually mastered the situation. Her positive attitude and inner drive eventually culminated in her victory in Atlantic City, when she became the first disabled person to win the storied contest. This role model in courage personifies triumph over adversity. Heather Whitestone addressed the Academy of Achievement at its 1995 gathering in Williamsburg, Virginia. In this audio podcast, recorded on that occasion, she tells the Academy's student delegates her story, from her struggles to communicate

Rosa Parks, the "mother of the civil rights movement" was one of the most important citizens of the 20th century. Mrs. Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama when, in December of 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was tried and convicted of violating a local ordinance. Her act sparked a citywide boycott of the bus system that lasted more than a year. The boycott raised an unknown clergyman named Martin Luther King, Jr., to national prominence and resulted in a U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation on city buses. Over the next four decades, Rosa Parks helped make her fellow Americans aware of the history of the civil rights struggle. This pioneer in the struggle for racial equality was the recipient of innumerable honors, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her example remains an inspiration to freedom-loving people everywhere. Rosa Parks addressed the A

Lesley Stahl has been co-editor of 60 Minutes since March 1991. This season marks her 11th on the broadcast and her first season as anchor of 48 Hours Investigates. Stahl has had a remarkable year reporting for 60 Minutes. She made headlines last June with her interview of indicted terrorist Abdul Rahman Yasin, still wanted in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. In his first interview, Yasin told Stahl that New York Jewish neighborhoods were the original targets for him and his co-conspirators. Before that, Stahl interviewed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon about the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also made news with a report containing new information about notorious spy Robert Hanssen. Her interviews of Warren Buffett, Robert Rubin and Jack Welch about the economic prospects of America directly following the 9/11 attacks were quoted on the front pages of many newspapers. Prior to joining 60 Minutes, Stahl served as CBS News White House correspondent during the

When President George H.W. Bush tapped Dr. Antonia Novello to be Surgeon General, she could hardly believe her ears. She was both the first woman and the first Latin American ever to serve as the nation's number one public health officer. She had come a long way from the little town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, where her widowed mother had struggled to raise a child who was sick from birth. Overlooked in the public health system of her native island, Antonia waited 18 years for the operation that allowed her to live a normal life. Undaunted by illness, discomfort or harship, she excelled in school and embarked on the study of medicine, determined to spare other children the neglect she had suffered for so long. Dr. Novello has specialized throughout her career in the health problems of children and adolescents. It was her work in pediatric AIDS that led to her appointment as Surgeon General from 1990 to 1993. Her service to public health has continued in the years since. As representative of the

Marian Wright Edelman is the founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund and one of the most respected voices for children in the nation. The youngest daughter of a Baptist minister, she developed a sense of mission while growing up in a small segregated South Carolina town. Edelman later entered Spelman College and became involved in the civil rights movement and realized that "helping others would be the very purpose of life." After being arrested for her activism, she decided to study law and enrolled at Yale Law School. Edelman became the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi bar. In 1968, she moved to Washington, D.C. and helped organize the Poor People's Campaign of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1973, Edelman founded the Children’s Defense Fund as a voice for poor, minority and disabled children. She single-handedly championed the cause of children and expanded Head Start and Medicaid coverage for children and helped to combat hunger among

Barbara Walters made history in 1975 when she became the first woman ever to anchor a network new broadcast. She had already earned the respect of the television public as co-host of the Today Show, where her professionalism as an interviewer broke new ground for women in broadcasting. She has won international fame for her exclusive interviews with world leaders and is today widely regarded as "the most influential woman in television."

Faye Wattleton was the first African-American, first woman, and the youngest President & CEO ever elected to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Her father was a factory worker and her mother was a seamstress and a Church of God minister. Wattleton entered Ohio State University at age 17 and, after graduation, taught at a nursing school. She went on to earn her master’s degree in infant care from Columbia University. She is known for her advocacy of family planning and reproductive health, as well as the pro-choice movement. Wattleton was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and she has received 14 honorary degrees. She served as Co-Founder and President of the Center for the Advancement of Women before becoming Managing Director of Alvarez & Marsal, a business advisory firm in New York City. Faye Wattleton addressed the student delegates at the 1990 Achievement Summit in Chicago while serving as the leader of Planned Parenthood.