I think most would agree that Ben Affleck's speech on Sunday was a breath of fresh air, and an honest representation of what life's journey to an Oscar entails. Ben so brilliantly reminded us all that life is a dead end when you hold grudges, and although it is difficult,...

Stop a woman on the street today -- anybody from a CEO to a high school student -- to question when International Women's Day is celebrated, and you may very well receive an indifferent shrug of the shoulders. The approaching holiday, intended to celebrate women's accomplishments and progress, still remains...

Jean Harris first became known to the world as a hotheaded headmistress that murdered her longtime boyfriend, Dr. Herman Tarnower, the well-known Scarsdale diet doctor. But when I opened The New York Times in late December to find that Jean Harris had passed away, her crime of passion...

When I was in Rwanda last, I asked a five-year-old girl what she would like to be when she grows up. She enthusiastically responded, "President!" The response was so surprising, and a true testament to the type of country Rwanda has become -- a country where women have...

It's time for the holidays, when millions of Americans head out to malls, eager to overspend for themselves and their loved ones in the name of holiday spirit. Our fervent interests in how big of a flat screen we can buy, or which boots are on sale, seems to remain...

It was dusk when we arrived at Jacqueline's Rwandan village -- an uphill spread of endless mud homes. Stepping out of the car, I was greeted by children coming from all directions, barefoot and wide-eyed; they all seemed excited to see me. Jacqueline took my hand, carved a...

At the artisan market in Nairobi, Kenya, Rebecca Lolosoli stands vibrantly, showcasing her traditional African Masai headdress, intricately beaded collars, necklaces and bracelets. Rebecca, in her quintessential African garb, is the living example of what women's empowerment looks like -- the beadwork she so proudly drapes herself in is the...

Nobody can make a positive out of a negative quite like Mary Fisher. Few people believed that Mary Fisher would live to publish her sixth book, Messenger: A Self Portrait which is out this week, be a successful artist benefiting AIDS victims and research, and attend...

Death By China, Peter Navarro's documentary that opens this weekend in New York, starts with a clip from Black Friday in which hundreds of people eagerly await cheap electronics at a Best Buy. The filmmaker questions various customers on the origin of their purchased products, and every person responds with...

I grew up in an atmosphere of intensity. Every night, my sister, brother, Peppy the dog, and I would hear the sound of a whistle approaching the front door of our family's home. That sound signified my father, Samuel J. LeFrak's, return from work. We would stand up...

Every Mother's Day I share dinner with my mother, who, at 92, continues to defy expectations. We take the day to celebrate the glass-ceilings that have been broken by women (especially since her generation) and the great benefits that mothers give to the world. But this Mother's Day, after attending...

The Lady, directed by Luc Besson, is the extraordinary story of the Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi that opened this week in New York theaters. The film emphasizes the many characters one woman can play: a prisoner of war, a politician, a mother, a lover...

Imagine walking into your local department store, picking out a shirt and eyeing its tag, which says "This product was made in Rwanda by Consolee." What if you could then go to the company website, read about Consolee and learn about how your shirt was made and how it might...

Let's face it, our world has seen better days. Take a look at the newspaper on any given day and you'll find enough tragedy and disaster to send you scrambling for the nearest mound of sand in which to stick your head. The planet and its inhabitants have sustained some...

It's time once again for the Oscars, when millions of Americans plunk down in front of their televisions to watch Hollywood's starlets and veteran actresses walk together down the reddest Red Carpet of them all. This Sunday evening, like so many years prior, our shared fascination with seeing female stars...

It's time once again for the Oscars, when millions of Americans plunk down in front of their televisions to watch Hollywood's starlets and veteran actresses walk together down the reddest red carpet of them all. This Sunday evening, like so many years prior, our shared fascination with seeing female stars...