Ruth Bader Ginsberg, affectionately known to many as “The Notorious RBG”, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for “being a trailblazer, contributing to gender equality and supporting women’s issues” at Diane von Furstenberg’s awards ceremony Wednesday night.
The DVF Awards were created in 2010 by von Furstenberg to honor extraordinary women who are making an impact on other women’s lives. Former Secretary of State and Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had the honor of presenting the award to Justice Ginsberg. “Advancing the rights of women and girls is the great unfinished business of the 21st century and no one has done more to push it into reality than Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” said Clinton “Every step of the way throughout her career, she has sent a clear message that women belong in all places that decisions are being made.”
Ginsberg used this platform to urge working dads to play a larger role in raising their kids before “fleeting moments” with their young children are gone. Justice Ginsberg iterated that “Caring for children is no easy job. There are undoubtedly burdens, but there are also great joys…If you live as long as I have, you see that that time that you are very much engaged with your children is fleeting”.
When asked what advice she had for women who want to make a difference today, Justice Ginsberg stated that we are “stronger together”. She made clear that if “you want to put women’s rights on the human rights agenda, you want men to be involved too. To have men and women working side by side to pursue this goal was what I decided to be the best course”.
At 86, Justice Ginsberg has had a long career of trailblazing and fighting for women’s rights. When approached by a woman wishing to thank her for “everything she has done”, Justice Ginsberg had one thing to say back: “There is still much to be done.”
The Hill 2/20/20; USA Today 2/20/20; W Magazine 2/20/20