You’ve read about our grant partners, but now we want to share with you these powerful videos of grant programs in action. Follow the link below to hear testimonies from participants in programs from Doma International, CATCO-Pheonix and Rwanda Women in Action.
Doma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLs2bR0Raa0
CATCO-Pheonix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSTofN6l0dE
Rwanda Women in Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ttknpOq4tw
“Teach a woman to fish, she’ll feed the whole village.”
-Hillary Rodham Clinton
Put a woman in power, she’ll feed the whole world.
That is what Josette Sheeran is striving to do. In her role as Executive Director of the World Food Programme (the food aid branch of the United Nations), Sheeran oversees more than 80 of the world’s poorest countries, providing food to 90 million people last year alone. She is one of the individuals featured in the 10 Most Powerful Women at the United Nations, a list leading up to Forbes’ The 100 Most Powerful Women 2011 due to be released in August.
Also included on that list are Valerie Amos, Judy Cheng-Hopkins, and Helen Clark, equally high-ranking and prominent officials, essential to the operations of the UN. There is Angela Kane, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, who supports tasks of the UN Secretariat, and Susana Malcorra, who directs field operations in her role as the Under-Secretary-General and Head of the Department of Field Support. Michelle Bachelet and Radhika Coomaraswamy work to protect the rights of those too oft-forgotten and mistreated: women and children. Together, Patricia O’Brien and Navanehtem Pillay direct the legal concerns of the UN in their positions as Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs and the UN Legal Counsel and The High Commissioner for Human Rights respectively. All ten of the women are members of the UN Senior Management Group.
And all ten of the women use their positions in power to feed, rescue, care for, and protect those in the world. Just imagine what ten million in power could do.
Click on this link to read the article, The 10 Most Powerful Women at the United Nations, written by Avril David: http://blogs.forbes.com/avrildavid/2011/05/02/the-10-most-powerful-women-at-the-united-nations/
Written by: Eleanor Rooke
We send you our many thanks for the inspiration, celebration, and success experienced at Keyholder with Goldie Hawn!
Your generosity raised $400,000 to further positive social change for women and girls in central Ohio. How awesome?!
And to everyone who made a tribute – wow! We love hearing your stories. If you missed it or want to see that fabulous video one more time, you can do so by clicking the image at the top of this page.
If you weren’t able to make a donation at the show, there is still time to double your money and have your contribution matched dollar for dollar. Just click here.
Until we see you next, stay connected with The Fund on Facebook and Twitter for other news and upcoming events.
“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”
With these words spoken in Akron, Ohio at The Women’s Convention in 1851, Sojourner Truth paved the way for great advancements in the lives of women and African-Americans. Although she was not the first African-American woman to stand up for her beliefs, she was certainly one of the most impactful. Her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech embodies her bravery; she publicly stated simple facts that not many others dared to whisper. A former slave, Truth saw American culture hold white women above black women for no reason other than skin color. She used this and other points through her work as an abolitionist. Her message: Women, regardless of ethnicity or economic standing, are just as capable as men. And honey, ain’t that the truth!
Madame C.J. Walker was another woman out to turn the world right. Born to former slaves and raised on a cotton plantation in Louisiana, Walker became a self-made business woman, millionaire, and philanthropist. After losing most of her hair due to a scalp condition, Walker set out to cure her hair loss and help other women, too. She founded her own hair product company, paid for land and constructed a factory, and still had money left to fund the building of a “colored” YMCA in Indianapolis. A savvy business woman and a generous philanthropist- sound familiar?
The advancements made by African-American women didn’t stop in the business world. In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress. During her college years, Chisholm was involved with many campus organizations and the NAACP. It was here that she found her voice. Chisholm finished school and went on to be a teacher before getting involved in the New York State Assembly, her stepping stone to Congress. She won her Congressional race and held her seat from 1969-1982, a position which allowed her to be the voice for many during a turbulent time in American history. Chisholm continues to be an inspiration for women politicians today.
February is Black History Month- a compilation of stories that should play a major role in all our lives. The reach of African-American history spans generations and has also helped to shape American as well as women’s history. These women mentioned, as well as many others demonstrate that where we stand today doesn’t have to be the same place we will stand in the future, and that history doesn’t have to repeat itself. In fact, many such women live and work in our community. We can make today a place where everyone has a voice at the table, an opportunity to achieve, and the support to reach their full potential.
Written by: Hallie Kloots
Liz Shirey of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University shared her thoughts on the recent conclusion of this year’s NEW Leadership Ohio program:
It’s been almost five days and I’m still buzzing from the emotional high I get from participating in the NEW Leadership Ohio Program. It is by far my favorite time of the year, and this year’s class did not let me down. I was amazed at the diversity in the room. The 2010 class consisted of 29 women ages 19 through 40+, from 17 different colleges and universities and seven different countries, and majors ranging from biological sciences, international business and environmental pre-law to psychology, political science and organizational leadership.
Some of the highlights from the week include a $tart $mart salary negotiation workshop facilitated by the founder of WAGE (Women Are Getting Even), aimed at eliminating the gender wage gap for every woman in America; a very intimate and inspiring session with Supreme Court Justice Eve Stratton; a panel discussion about the ups and downs of campaigning and serving in office with Democratic and Republican women currently running for local and statewide elected office; and a speed networking event with women working in the public and non-profit sectors, co-sponsored by Ohio Women in Government. Speaking of “networking,” that seemed to be the unofficial theme of the week. We heard over and over again from our speakers, panelists and facilitators that professional success depends upon the strength of your network, and that it is especially important to build and nurture a network of positive, passionate and supportive women. One of our participants described it as a “Sister Circle.”
We were so honored this year to have Anne Kornblut, Washinton Post political correspondent and author of Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and What it Will Take for a Woman to Win, as a guest on our panel for our keynote dinner. Joining her were Janet Carson, Geauga County Democratic Party Chairwoman, and Traci Saliba, former candidate for State Representative in the 2nd House district. It was an engaging and enlightening discussion about what is being done to identify and cultivate women to run for office and what it will take for a woman to be President in the near future.
The week came to a very emotional end on Friday. We started out with time for the women to reflect on their experiences. Many of them responded by saying that they had never been part of such a diverse, supportive, and close-knit group of women. Some shared personal stories of overcoming shyness while learning to network with women throughout the week; others talked about the ways in which they will take their newly formed leadership tools back home and use them to affect positive and lasting change in their community. We had more than half of the group announce that they were running for office and the other half volunteering to manage their campaigns. We also heard an impassioned plea from one woman for everyone to stop and think about giving a financial contribution to support NEW Leadership instead of buying that next cup of coffee from Starbucks or that pair of shoes they don’t need. As we walked to our closing luncheon featuring guest speaker TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney, founder and CEO of The Women’s Book, the women were exuding confidence and camaraderie, the likes of which I did not expect to see.
Words can’t describe our gratitude to the Women’s Fund for continuing to fund and believe in this program that literally changes lives. It changed mine, and one of the greatest gifts in my life is being able to share it with other women. Thank you WFCO for being part of the NEW Leadership Ohio Sister Circle!
Written by: Liz Shirey
