It was an impressive lineup of beautifully poised and classy trailblazers, but what truly stood out—and felt priceless—was their dignity and integrity; all the speeches were awe-inspiring and emotional, often moving the audience to applause and standing ovations. Introduced by American television journalist Gayle King, Jacinda Ardern highlighted the challenges faced by female leaders, striking a powerful chord in today’s political climate.
“To be a leader in politics, we’ve been told that to show emotion is to be weak, to seek consensus is to compromise, to not have every answer to every question is to lack confidence,” she said. “But I firmly believe that people are demanding a different kind of leadership—a leadership that is more humane. The world is so cruel these days,” she continued. “We’re facing the biggest challenges in climate change; children are growing up in regions with wars raging around them, with all the terror and hate they bring. Democracy is at risk, people are worried about their jobs. All of that — there’s little we cannot solve when we focus on our shared humanity.” Ardern is writing a book to share her experience, and she has started a fellowship on empathetic leadershipm “not because I was a perfect leader—I was not. But because we demand from our leaders the same empathy, kindness, generosity and curiosity we teach our children. I believe it’s possible to lead differently, and I’m on a mission to help others do the same.”
One of the highlights of the evening, which was opened by a soulful performance by British singer and songwriter Freya Ridings, was the speech of Oprah Winfrey, who introduced her longtime friend, Her Excellency Mrs. Graça Machel.
Backstage before the ceremony, Winfrey, clad in a form-fitting bright orange DVF number, shared her thoughts on her first-ever visit to Venice, which clearly left her awe-struck. She also reflected on the particular relevance of the DVF Awards at this moment, emphasizing their significance: “This award is about shining a light on the work many women do, women who have, in the heat and heart of the struggle, held onto themselves in a way that builds strength over time. They build a power within them that just exudes, and you can feel it—when powerful women gather and come together, we draw strength and power from each other, and we are lifted by each other.”
Winfrey emphasized that women need to be seen and heard, and to understand that what they say truly matters. She believes this is what has happened with Kamala Harris, whom she endorsed at the Democratic Convention.
“Kamala has literally shed her skin and stepped into her calling, her purpose, in a way we hadn’t seen before. It feels to me like she was hiding behind a veil, almost living in the shadows, making herself smaller, dimmer. But now, what has happened is that she has done what everyone, especially women, hopes to do—she’s stepped into the light, stood tall, and embraced the power within herself.”
This is one of the reasons, enthused Winfrey, why more people are feeling hopeful, why they sign up to volunteer and donate, because they see something in her that’s authentic—and attractive. “She’s inspiring because women often suppress themselves, they make themselves a little dimmer to be able to walk into the office to make somebody else feel they’ve the right to outshine them, feeling a little smaller to make others big enough to shine. That’s what happened with Kamala—she dropped that veil.”
