Lucy Liu, Elizabeth Banks, Billie Jean King, Katie Couric and more empowering glass ceiling breakers joined forces with Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker for Human Rights Day to celebrate women breaking boundaries and to inspire & support others on the journey to a monumental first. In an Open Letter, issued by Jane Walker in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, the brand called to celebrate 2020’s boundary breaking moments for women and the continued journey for a more equitable future in collaboration with the ERA Coalition and its Fund for Women’s Equality. The letter was signed by Lucy, Elizabeth, Katie, and Billie, as well as Elaine Welteroth, Halle Berry, Katie Sowers, Lilly Singh, Rita Moreno, and Salt-N-Pepa.
“As an actress and filmmaker, I understand the importance of putting women at the center of a story. It’s not just an opportunity, it’s a responsibility, and that’s why I’m so proud to partner with Jane Walker for its First Women campaign,” Charlie’s Angels director Elizabeth Banks told HollywoodLife.com, exclusively. “Together, we are telling women that their stories matter.”
Lucy Liu added to Elizabeth’s empowering words, telling HL, “Being first means change, and change does not happen overnight. It takes decades, even centuries, of Good Trouble for doors to be broken down. I’m grateful to be a part of this phenomenal collection of door-kicking-women, and I’m proud to be a part of the Jane Walker First Women campaign, which is not only empowering women to face change, but to seek it out.”
The letter, titled To Future First Women, details the “firsts” achieved by females throughout this tumultuous years. These triumphs include the first state of real women installed in NYC’s Central Park, the first woman was named the CEO of a major U.S. banking institution, the first woman lay in state at the Capitol, and the first woman was appointed General Manager of a U.S. profession men’s baseball team. Of course, who could forget the recent most major first — the first woman in our country’s 244-year history was voted into the office of Vice President-elect!
“You can’t have a second, third, or fourth without a first,” the letter concludes. As part of the First Women campaign, Jane Walker has partnered with women-owned business funding marketplace IFundWomen to help create more opportunities for women to achieve their goals. The partnership will provide grant funding to 15 businesses identified in collaboration with the network of powerful icons, supporting those on their journey towards a monumental first. More details can be found at ifundwomen.com/janewalker.