“Equality is the goal. Equity is the means to get there. We can all play a part in this. Each of us can actively support and embrace equity within our own sphere of influence,” said Michelle Conway, president and CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau during her opening remarks at the chamber’s 2023 International Women’s Day Leadership Awards luncheon on March 8.

“Encourage and rally your friends, family colleagues and community to embrace equity,” Conway said. “Together we can work collectively to impact positive change. Will you embrace equity with me today?”

The 216 attendees stood up to embrace themselves with a self-hug, striking a pose to symbolize this year’s IWD message: Embrace Equity.

International Women’s Day, March 8, is a call to action for accelerating women’s equality by honoring their achievements, educating and raising awareness, lobbying for gender parity, fundraising for female-focused charities and calling for positive change in advancing women.

International Women’s Day has its roots in a 1909 event organized in New York City by the Socialist Party of America. An annual event was proposed at 1910 International Socialist Women’s Conference and promoted throughout Europe by labor unions and socialist movements, which set the date as March 8. The women’s movement of the 1960s added more prominence to the holiday until it was formally adopted by the United Nations in 1977.

“I value what this luncheon represents about Sedona, the achievements of local women, the enthusiasm of a community ready to honor these amazing individuals, our unique history and the generous spirit of our chamber partners,” Conway stated.

From the Sciences

The keynote speaker was Dr. Beth Baughman DuPree, a breast cancer surgeon and founder of the Healing Consciousness Foundation, who spoke about the differences between equality and equity in her career.

“I was born in a family that didn’t have a lot of resources,” DuPree recalled. “I learned about equity, and then equality is something that we strive for, but we have to strike this balance between the two. Because when we are trying to balance equity and equality, we have to make sure that we’re not so far out of balance that we forget about quality. At the end of the day, we’ve got to have integrity, and we’ve got to have quality, and there’s a way to have a balance between all of these.”

DuPree shared the trials and tribulations of becoming a doctor, and dealing with sexist remarks made by the chair of the Department of Surgery at Hahnemann University, where she attended medical school.

“When I graduated from medical school, back in 1986, there were very few female surgeons in the country,” DuPree said. “In 1986, the Association of Women’s Surgeons had just begun, and believe me, there was no equality at this point in my life.

“Statistically, if you look at the number of female surgeons even today, in 2022, the last statistics [indicate] only 22% of women are general surgeons in the United States of America and this isn’t all just about equity and equality. This is also about ability and desire. Because if you’re not willing to make certain sacrifices in your life, you cannot do some of the things that you want to do.”

From the Arts

Encouraging women is another important theme of the event. Linda Goldenstein, owner of Goldenstein Art at L’Auberge de Sedona and an alumna of Camp Verde High School, sponsored the attendance of students from her alma mater — Shane Navarro, Olivia Jones and Maysea Dupui.

“I wanted to give these girls an introduction into what we’re doing here with leadership and businesswomen in Sedona, and to share opportunities that they have available,” Goldenstein said. “I’m excited to share what I do and what all the rest of us do here in Sedona. What’s also nice is that a lot of the women have come forward to be mentors as well and that’s really touching.”

“I’m really excited about this event and being able to hear motivational speakers,” Dupui said. “I like seeing the fact of how far women have come from being housewives to now being able to get our voices heard.”

Leadership Awards IWD awards were presented to:

Woman’s Business Leadership Award: Ruth Ellen Elinski

Woman’s Emerging Leadership Award: Veronica Aguilera

Woman’s Philanthropy Leadership Award: Joanne Cacciatore

Woman’s Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award: Lisa Dahl

While the afternoon was filled with camaraderie among Sedona’s female leaders, several men also attended the event to honor women.

Patrick Schweiss, executive director of the Sedona International Film Festival, observed, “Women’s Day means empowerment. Seeing this room filled with so many women who make such a difference not only in our city, in our community, in our lives daily. It’s phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. I’m honored to be here. I’m honored to be one of the only men here.”

DuPree shared a message about her father, who was in hospice and died that evening: “My dad had six girls and one son, and he did not say, ‘Hey, listen girls, go get your hair done. Get your nails done. Keep a cute figure because you’re going to have to find a husband to take care of you.’ That was never dad’s message. He said, ‘Get a career. Love what you do. Be good at what you do, and the only limitations that you have in your life, or those that you place on yourself.’”