I spent last week at the Pennsylvania Woman's Conference, where nearly 5000 women gathered to discuss issues about women's rights, listen to insightful remarks made by powerful women, and network with other women from across the state.

Television journalist Lisa Ling started the day by relating her experiences reporting, at Oprah's behest, on the tragic practice of bride burning in India and ritualized rape in the Congo. At lunch, Madeline Albright shared with us her experiences as the first woman Secretary of State. Sandra Day O'Conner, the first female Supreme Court Justice, concluded the day. In between these riveting speeches, I hopped from breakout session to breakout session, absorbing the insights of corporate, political and social leaders from around the country.

I always enjoy the energy I feel when I'm surrounded by powerful women--and the energy in the convention center that day was palpable.

All day long, I jotted notes in my notebook, hoping to retain all the wisdom that wafted through the air.

One main theme permeated all the sessions: that women are undervalued and underdeveloped in all parts of the world and we must continue to bolster each other up. Listening to Lisa Ling's description of the horrors in India may not compare to the challenges of a woman in the U.S. corporate system, but they have the same foundation.

When Madeline Albright was appointed Secretary of State, she pulled together an alliance with the 13 other female foreign ministers at that time in power. At the time, the general feeling was that the mistreatment of women was a soft issue, one to be concerned about but not focused on. Her answer to that: Afghanistan. One has only to look at the Taliban's treatment of women, she said, to realize that the culture they created was not a side issue, it was a symptom of the whole issue.

She went on to say that a country that doesn't allow women to reach their own potential will never realize its own.

That rings true in the U.S. as well. While inequities here may not be as stark as in other parts of the world, many women here remain marginalized. Perhaps we don't see it in the board rooms of Charlotte, but you don't have to go far to find it. And for those of us who are fortunate enough to find ourselves in leadership positions, it's up to us to do what we can to help others along.

In her speech, Madeline Albright said "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."

Women helping women can be a powerful tool in helping to obliterate injustices and inequities of all kinds. And you don't have to be a Supreme Court Justice or Secretary of State to make a difference.

I find myself surrounded by heroes every day in Charlotte--giving, compassionate women who see a need and make something happen.

Jeannie Faulkner, Publisher of the Business Journal, has used her many resources to celebrate the accomplishments of women in business. Joan Zimmerman started the Southern Women's Show in the 70s and became a role model for aspiring businesswomen across the state. Molly Barker founded Girls on the Run in order to help young girls find self-esteem. Liz Hair broke ground as the first woman to chair the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners. Dale Halton inherited a fledgling bottling company and turned it around to become one of the most successful Pepsi franchises in the world.

All of these women--in fact, most of the women I know--at one time or another have mentored younger women and served as an inspiration to many others. I know they are an inspiration to me.

We are fortunate to be partnering with Wachovia to start the first North Carolina Conference for Women, set for October 2006. An advisory board made up of some of the most powerful women in our state has agreed to help create something of the magnitude that Pennsylvania has. They've agreed to help start a conversation.

When we planned the Forum for Corporate Conscience, the CEO-level conference on corporate sustainability and ethics, people asked what the outcome would be. They wanted a clear conclusion to come from the two-day meeting where CEOs talked about the environment, family, justice and community. There was an outcome, of course: a set of collective intentions drafted and adopted by the participants.

But more palpable for me was the energy buzzing through the Ballantyne Resort as these important corporate leaders shared their concerns, their thoughts and their dreams about issues beyond the bottom line. The point is, sometimes just shining the light on important issues is enough.

Like Madeline Albright said, "Having found my voice, the one thing I refuse to do is be silent."

Everything starts with conversation, the spoken word. And once it's out there, it can't be taken back.

During Desmond Tutu's recent visit to Charlotte, he was asked if he thought we would ever have female president. His answer was that women in the U.S. need to be more ambitious. He said women here need to stop trying to be like men and should start trying to be more like ourselves. Then, he said, we will rule the world.