REENTER THE WORK FORCE IN THE
PANDEMIC.
I BEGAN BY ASKING HER ABOUT THE
EVENTS IN WASHINGTON.
WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND AS
YOU WATCHED THOSE IMAGES UNFOLD?
>> I JUST SIMPLY COULDN’T
BELIEVE IT.
YOU KNOW, MY SON WAS HOME FROM
COLLEGE.
HE’S STUDYING POLITICAL SCIENCE
AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
WE WERE GLUED TO THE TV.
I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT
WAS OUR CAPITOL IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> AND YOU’VE SEEN NOW THAT SOME
OF THESE BIG TECH COMPANIES LIKE
TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK,
HAVE BANNED THE PRESIDENT.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
DO YOU THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT
CALL?
>> I DO AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO
RECKON WITH THE FACT THAT THIS
PRESIDENT INCITED THIS MOB.
THAT IS NOT US AS AN AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
THAT IS NOT US AS A DEMOCRACY.
A PROTEST IS ONE THING.
A MOB IS A DIFFERENT THING.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF WHAT
WE SAW WITH AN OUTGROWTH OF
CONSPIRACY THEORIES.
THIS IS SOMETHING,
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT YOU AND YOUR
HUSBAND HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH
OVER THE YEARS.
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT
DISINFORMATION AND JUST THE
ERODING OF TRUTH?
>> I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE TRUTH
AND FACTS TO HAVE A GOOD, SOUND
DEMOCRACY, AND THAT’S WHY I
THINK THERE IS TIME NOW FOR
REGULATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN
AROUND THESE SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
PANDEMIC.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, THERE’S A
VACCINE.
THE BAD NEWS IS, IT’S NOT
GETTING INTO PEOPLE’S ARMS FAST
ENOUGH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE HOLDUP IS?
>> WELL, DISTRIBUTION OF A
VACCINE IS NEVER AN EASY THING,
BUT IT TAKES PLANNING.
THE CDC NEEDS TO BE FRONT AND
CENTER WITH GUIDELINES, WITH
HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN EVERY
STATE.
THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE SET UP TO
DO.
AND WITH A FEDERAL PLAN.
>> WHERE DO YOU THINK THE
BREAKDOWN IS?
>> SO WHEN YOU HAVE A NATIONAL
EMERGENCY, IT’S THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO
MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S GOOD
COORDINATION ACROSS ALL 50
STATES.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO
STEP UP AND HAVE A COORDINATED
RESPONSE, JUST LIKE THEY SHOULD
HAVE HAD FOR TESTING.
THAT CAN BE DONE, AND YOU WILL
START TO SEE LOTS MORE VACCINE
GETTING OUT THERE AND FOR PEOPLE
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT.
>> ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE
ARE STILL HESITANT ABOUT GETTING
THE VACCINE?
>> WELL, WHAT WE’RE ALREADY
STARTING TO SEE IS THAT PEOPLE’S
MINDS ARE STARTING TO CHANGE.
IN FACT, VACCINE HESITANCY HAS
GONE DOWN.
YOU’LL ALSO SEE SOME PEOPLE WHO
SAY THEY WANT TO WAIT.
THAT’S NORMAL IN VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION.
SO YOU’RE GOING TO SEE SOME OF
THAT, BUT MORE WHAT WE’RE SEEING
IS AMERICANS SAYING, "WHEN CAN I
GET MY VACCINE?"
>> YOUR BOOK, "THE MOMENT OF
LIFT," CAME OUT TWO YEARS AGO.
YOU WROTE ABOUT THE GENDER
INEQUALITIES WORLDWIDE, AND THAT
WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
>> WHEN I WROTE THE BOOK IN
2019, I REALLY ON AN ACCELERATED
PATH FOR WOMEN GAINING GENDER
EQUALITY IN THE WORLD.
SO MUCH OF THAT HAS BEEN SET
BACK BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC.
EVEN LET’S TALK ABOUT THE UNITED
STATES.
OF ALL THE JOB LOSSES, ALL OF
THEM IN DECEMBER, THOSE WERE
WOMEN.
>> HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
>> HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT IS
YOU LOOK IN OUR HOMES.
WE SEE WHAT’S GOING ON.
WOMEN ARE TELLING YOU, THIS
UNPAID WORK, THE CARING FOR THE
CHILDREN, CARING FOR THE
ELDERLY, THAT IS FALLING ON
WOMEN.
>> DO YOU WORRY ABOUT WOMEN WHO
HAVE LOST JOBS OR LEFT THE WORK
FORCE DURING THIS PANDEMIC JUST
NOT BEING ABLE TO GET BACK IN?
>> YES.
YES, I THINK THE DELAY FOR WOMEN
GETTING BACK INTO THE LABOR
FORCE WILL BE LONG AND HARD,
UNLESS WE GET GOOD POLICYMAKING
HAPPENING ON THE HILL.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GOOD
MATERNITY OR FAMILY LEAVE
POLICY, WOMEN WILL LEAVE THE
WORKFORCE PERMANENTLY.
>> YOU SAID YOU LIKE THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN TO
APPOINT A CAREGIVING CZAR.
IS THAT A JOB YOU WOULD LIKE?
>> NO, THAT’S NOT A JOB I WOULD
LIKE.
I LIKE MY CURRENT JOB AT THE
FOUNDATION.
>> WHEN I THINK ABOUT
CAREGIVING, IT IS SOMETHING
WOMEN DO, BUT IT IS ALSO SO MANY
OF US FEEL IT IS WHO WE ARE.
IF WE DON’T DO IT, WHO IS GOING
TO DO IT?
AND SHOULD ANYONE ELSE DO IT?
HOW DO YOU COMBAT THAT?
>> THIS UNPAID LABOR WE DO AT
HOME IS ABSOLUTELY KIELDCHILDCAR
AND IT IS LOVING THINGS WE WANT
TO DO AS A MOM.
THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF TASKS.
MAKING SURE THE HOMEWORK GETS
DONE, THE LAUNDRY GETS DONE, THE
LUNCHBOX GETS FILLED.
THAT CAN BE SHARED MUCH MORE
EQUALLY WITH ANOTHER PERSON IN
THE HOME.
QUITE OFTEN, THE HUSBAND.
>> YOU GOT A LOT OF HEADLINES
WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR OWN
HOME.
WHEN YOUR KIDS WERE LITTLE,
SAYING TO YOUR HUSBAND, BILL,
"HEY, I COULD USE SOME HELP
HERE, TOO" OR "LET’S HAVE A
LITTLE MORE EQUAL DIVISION OF
LABOR."
HOW IS THAT WITH THE PANDEMIC?
>> NEITHER OF US ARE VERY GOOD
AT COOKING, SO WE ARE BOTH DOING
A LOT OF MICROWAVING.
YOU KNOW, BOTH PEOPLE CAN SET
THE TABLE.
BOTH PEOPLE CAN DO THE
MICROWAVING AND THE CLEANING UP.
SO WE’RE TRYING TO, AGAIN,
CONTINUE TO ROLE MODEL THAT IN
OUR HOUSE FOR OUR CHILDREN, WHO
ARE BOTH GIRLS AND A BOY.
>> SHE TELLS AN INTERESTING
STORY IN HER BOOK, "THE MOMENT
OF LIFT," ABOUT WHEN THEIR KIDS
WERE LITTLE, ABOUT HER SAYING,
THE DAUGHTER WAS GOING TO GO TO
THIS PRIVATE SCHOOL, AN HOUR’S
DRIVE AWAY, AND BILL REALLY
WANTED THE DAUGHTER TO GO THERE.
HE WAS LIKE, HOW CAN I HELP?
SHE SAID, DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE?
HE WAS CEO OF MICROSOFT.
WANT TO DRIVE A FEW DAYS A WEEK?
HE SAID, OKAY.
IT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WOMEN
IN EVERY SITUATION, YOU KIND OF
HAVE TO SAY, LET’S HAVE A BETTER
DIVISION OF LABOR.
IT’S INTERESTING, THE BOOK IS
CALLED "THE MOMENT OF LIFT."
IT’S IN PAPERWORK NOW, AND SHE’S
GOT SOMETHING SHE WROTE, AN
AFTERWORD, THEY CALLED IT.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE CAN
HELP.
>> FASCINATING.
>> SHE CONJURED UP ALSO AN IMAGE
OF BILL GATES POPPING IN A
MICROWAVE DINNER THERE.