Talk show host sees range of benefits in ‘inclusion’
In terms of gender equality, Cynthia Hardy thinks society has a lot to lose.
“In this century, we cannot afford to waste the potential of half the world’s population,” she said.
Hardy, the host of the independently produced news talk show “OnPoint!” and guest speaker at the 2012 Andrenée Glover Freeman Lecture, addressed a modest crowd of about 25 people Thursday evening on the value of “inclusion” and how it empowers women to achieve.
The lecture was held in honor of Andrenée Glover Freeman, a Columbia attorney and champion of women’s rights, who died in 1992.
Hardy discussed the differences between diversity and inclusion, emphasizing that inclusion allows everyone to be represented for their diverse qualities, which she said provide unique perspectives.
Gender inclusion, she said, may be the key to revitalizing the economy.
“Inclusion ... draws people in, and the results can be astounding,” Hardy said.
Hardy regularly works with girls and women in the state of South Carolina, and her experience has led to some interesting findings.
One girl she met lost her mother at 12 years old and had her first child at 14. The girl, Hardy said, gave up on her dreams shortly after giving birth.
Many other girls were also not confident of their right to equality, she said.
“If they don’t think of themselves as worthy of inclusion, then why would anyone else?” Hardy said.
Part of her argument was based on “20 years of research” on teachers’ interaction with children in grade school. In the study, she said, teachers interacted with boys more and complimented girls on their neatness and appearance rather than their educational accomplishments.
Furthermore, teachers even assign more physically demanding work to boys despite the children’s physical equality at such a young age. Hardy said she believed these issues in the educational system could be a source of gender inequality.
The short lecture was followed by a discussion with the audience. The topics varied from individual rights to the presidential election.
“Progress for women is progress for all of us,” Hardy said.