The Women in the World Stories and Solutions summit hosted by the Daily Beast and Newsweek kicks off in New York City Thursday night with a VIP dinner with Bill Clinton and keynotes by Christiane Amanpour and Melinda Gates. But before the penguin suits and ball gowns emerge, summit attendee Kirsten Gillibrand participated in a live chat on the Daily Beast’s website about the need for more women in power. 

The New York senator explained why she thinks women may shy away from careers in politics, writing: “… some of the hesitation is due to the vitriol and negative atmosphere, some is the difficult lifestyle/demands, etc.”

She said that her call to step up and serve came straight from her family: “i was inspired by my grandmother who got involved in politics when she was a young women [sic] …”

Gillibrand also cited Hillary Clinton as a guiding light. She wrote: “i was especially moved to action when she gave her [human rights] speech in beijing … it made me realize that by her participation she was changing the world for the better and if i sat on the side lines i was not going to make a difference.”

Before she signed off, Gillibrand expressed her deep concern about women making up only 17 percent of Congress. She also gave the secretary of state and her own grandma one last shoutout, writing, “the more young girls see women in politics, the more they will imagine themselves in those roles — Hillary's leadership certainly had an effect on me — my grandmother certainly taught me that my voice mattered.”