MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: Barbra Streisand was awarded the prestigious Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership award on Saturday, July 1, in Malibu. According to Dwight D Opperman Foundation’s website, “The prestigious award was presented to the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award-winning icon by the Honorable Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Dwight D Opperman Foundation Chair Julie Opperman in a private ceremony.” Before the 81-year-old iconic American artist, only three other remarkable women received the esteemed award.
According to the Dwight D Opperman Foundation, the prestigious Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership award is presented every year to "an extraordinary woman who has exercised a positive and notable influence on society and served as an exemplary role model in both principles and practice." Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg helped establish the award that pays tribute to exceptional women who are marked for their leadership.
The recipient list includes an eclectic mix of renowned names who have undisputed contributions to the betterment of society. While the inaugural award recipient was Agnes Gund, the award was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 and Diane von Furstenberg in 2022.
Agnes Gund
The social justice reform advocate and philanthropist Agnes Gund was awarded with the prestigious honor on February 14, 2020. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself awarded Gund for her exceptional contribution in the fields of arts, arts education, philanthropy and social justice advocacy.
The 85-year-old Harvard alumnus is not only the President Emerita and Life Trustee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) but also the Chairman of its International Council. She is also a board member of MoMA PS1. One of her notable contributions to the field of arts education is founding the ‘Studio in a School’ in 1977. During that time, New York City was suffering from a financial crisis leading to the elimination of art teachers from schools in order to save resources.
Gund is also the co-founder and Chair Emerita of the Center for Curatorial Leadership and is serving as an Honorary Trustee of YoungArts, Independent Curators International, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland. She has received several accolades throughout her career including the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton and getting inducted as Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts.
HM Queen Elizabeth II
HM Queen Elizabeth II accepted the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award in 2021, which marked it to be the first award the British Queen accepted during her 70 years on the throne that was not given to her by a nation. Queen Elizabeth was the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Countries till her death on September 8, 2022. Her 70-year-long reign is the longest by any British monarch. She was married to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. She was associated with more than 600 charitable organizations. According to the Charities Aid Foundation, the Queen helped in raising over $1.4 billion for her patronages during her reign.
Diane von Furstenberg
The immediate precedent of Barbra Streisand in receiving the award was Diane von Furstenberg. The Belgian-born-fashion designer revolutionized the female fashion industry by the introduction of wrap dresses. Born in 1946, she first came into the public eye during her marriage to Prince Egon von Fürstenberg in 1969. While the pair divorced in 1983, she continued to use the surname. She later launched her fashion house Diane von Furstenberg which is available in over 70 countries. From 2006 to 2019, she served as the chairwoman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). She was named the 68th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2014. In 2015, she was included as an icon in Time Magazine in Time 100. Diane von Furstenberg is also an inductee in the National Women's Hall of Fame.
