Press Center

Press Release: Education critical – but not a silver bullet – to ending child marriage

hfreitag — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

ICRW President Sarah Degnan Kambou today addressed high level roundtable on approaches to ending child marriage – moderated by UN Special Envoy for Global Education, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown – during World Bank Education Summit in Washington, DC.

PRESS RELEASE: Education for girls is crucial to end child marriage but must be part of a broader effort, urge NGOs

17 April 2013

Getting the world’s 32 million out-of-school girls back into education will be crucial to end child marriage, state a group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the eve of a high level roundtable on child marriage, but emphasise that there is no single solution to end a practice that denies an estimated 14 million girls a year their rights to health, education, choice and security.

Finance and education ministers from eight developing countries will gather in Washington DC this week for meetings at the World Bank on how to accelerate progress towards delivering quality education for children and youth by 2015. The meetings will be co-hosted by President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown.

Members of Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage invited to a parallel roundtable discussion on how to address child marriage welcome this week’s meetings and call upon the education community to recognise that progress on global education goals cannot be made without tackling child marriage.

Girls Not Brides members invited to the child marriage roundtable include World Vision, the World YWCA, as well as CARE USA, International Center for Research on Women, and the International Women’s Health Coalition representing the Girls Not Brides USA Partnership.

To end child marriage, education must be accessible, good quality, safe and girl-friendly

One of the clearest indications of our success or failure on international development goals will be the number of girls who have been married as children. The reality is that when girls are married young, their education and other opportunities to live a safe, healthy and empowered life, come to an end.

Girls Not Brides members invited to the child marriage roundtable emphasise that keeping girls in school is critical to delaying the age of marriage. However, if education is to be a successful tool to help girls avoid early marriage, they need to have access to quality education and schools that are safe and girl-friendly. This must be available at the critical transition from primary to secondary schooling, a time when school dropout rates for girls escalate.

Education initiatives that help girls to avoid child marriage must include awareness-raising campaigns for parents and community leaders on the benefits of girls’ education, scholarship programmes for girls, female mentors and teachers, equipping schools with sex-segregated toilets and providing training for teachers on how to ensure a safe environment for all students.

The NGOs also warn education ministers not to overlook the 400 million girls and women who have already been married as children, and who have often been forced to drop out of school, unable to complete their education. Governments should ensure re-integration of married girls, who may be mothers, into formal schooling and other non-formal educational opportunities.

Education alone is not enough to end child marriage. Cooperation is needed across government ministries and with civil society to end the practice.

“We know that child marriage is holding back progress in girls’ education and we welcome the education community’s growing interest in tackling this issue,” says Sarah Kambou, President of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). “We also know that the persistence of child marriage hinders our efforts to end gender inequality, poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, maternal and new-born deaths. We’ll struggle to make progress in all of these areas until we commit to addressing the harmful, cross-cutting effects of the practice.”

“To achieve long-term change on issues like child marriage,” adds Lakshmi Sundaram, Global Coordinator, Girls Not Brides, “we need to ensure that large-scale structural efforts aimed at other goals such as health and poverty reduction, as well as education, are making the connection with child marriage prevention.”

The NGOs invited to the child marriage roundtable will urge the education and finance ministers to cooperate with ministries across their government, including ministries of health, justice, and social affairs, to make sure that ending child marriage is integrated throughout their social programming. They also urge governments to enforce minimum age of marriage laws and to implement legal, policy, administrative and other measures to end child, early and forced marriage in a single generation.

The NGOs will urge participating governments to partner with the civil society organisations working directly with adolescent girls, men and boys, religious leaders and their wider communities to scale up this work across regions and countries.

“Changing cultural practices and attitudes that allow child marriage to continue takes years, and requires a deep and lasting commitment to work with families and communities to make change happen,” says Denise Allen, World Vision International.

“By reaching out to communities and empowering the girls vulnerable to child marriage, we can begin to counter the idea that girls are somehow of lesser value,” says Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, General Secretary of the World YWCA. “It will take time but we must address the root causes of child, early and forced marriage, including poverty and gender inequality.”

Substantial support needed from donor governments

Donor governments and institutions should also play an active role in efforts to end child marriage.

“Child marriage is not a problem that just affects the eight countries represented at this meeting. It is a global problem,” states Jennifer Redner of the International Women’s Health Coalition and co-chair of Girls Not Brides USA. “In countries where it is practiced, child marriage undermines efforts to alleviate poverty, reduce maternal and infant deaths, and tackle violence against women and girls. Donors, national governments, multilateral agencies and the private sector need to commit substantial resources to prevent and respond to child marriage.”

Child marriage must feature in post-2015 development framework

The needs and rights of adolescent girls were largely unaddressed in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), argue the group of NGOs. To rectify this in the new development framework currently under discussion, participating governments at the meeting are called on to advocate for rates of child marriage to be included as an indicator of the welfare of adolescent girls.

“There are few clearer indicators of how adolescent girls are faring in a country than its rate of child marriage,” says Lakshmi Sundaram, Global Coordinator, Girls Not Brides. “By ensuring that ending child marriage is included in the new development goals, we can keep track of how well we are all doing in ensuring that adolescent girls can thrive.”

MEDIA CONTACTS:

For media enquiries and interview requests please contact:

Laura Dickinson, Girls Not Brides: media@GirlsNotBrides.org +44 7500 864871

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of more than 250 non-governmental organisations committed to ending child marriage.

[ENDS]

Mission Statement:

ICRW's mission is to empower women, advance gender equality and fight poverty in the developing world. To accomplish this, ICRW works with partners to conduct empirical research, build capacity and advocate for evidence-based, practical ways to change policies and programs.

United States Senate Passes Legislation to Prevent Child Marriage

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:39:08 +0000

Fri, 05/25/2012

Twenty leading non-governmental organizations today commended the United States Senate for passing the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act. This is a critical step in upholding the rights of adolescent girls around the world, and in shielding them from the harmful practice of child marriage, which often has devastating consequences for girls, their families and their communities.

Under the leadership of Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), tireless
champions and lead sponsors of the bill, the Senate passed the bipartisan legislation yesterday
evening by a voice vote.

The legislation recognizes the practice of child marriage as a human rights violation, requires
the development of a multi-year strategy to address child marriage and integrates successful
interventions to prevent child marriage into existing U.S. development programs. The Senate’s
passage sends a strong message on the importance of prioritizing child marriage prevention as a
top U.S. international development priority. The Administration has the authority to implement
key provisions of the legislation and should do so immediately to support efforts to end child
marriage.

“Tens of millions of women and girls around the world have lost their dignity, freedom, and
health due to forced child marriage,” Senator Durbin said. “Not only does this despicable
practice deny these women and girls an education and economic independence, it is also the
root cause of many of the world’s most pressing development issues - HIV/AIDS, child mortality,
and abject poverty. This bill makes it U.S. government policy to end child marriage around the
globe, a policy which will change the lives of millions in some of the world’s forgotten places. I'm
pleased that the Senate has passed this important bill and I urge the House to quickly follow
suit.”

The latest data show that more than 60 million girls and young women – some as young as 10 –
in developing countries were married before the age of 18. If current patterns continue, 100
million more girls in the developing world will be married over the next 10 years. The costs of
child marriage are high, not only for the girls themselves, but also for communities and societies
as a whole.

Because their bodies are not fully developed, child brides are at a very high risk of facing
complications in pregnancy and childbirth – childbirth is the leading cause of death for girls ages
15-19. Young brides are more likely to experience gender-based violence, to drop out of school
and to contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

“I am grateful the Senate recognized the critical impact this legislation will have on the
estimated 100 million girls in developing countries who are at risk of being married as children
over the next decade,” said Senator Snowe. “The harmful practice of forced child marriage –
which is often at the root of and exacerbates many of the problems the international
community is working to prevent - has deprived vulnerable girls in developing countries of their
human rights; denied girls of certain education and employment opportunities; significantly
expanded the risk of maternal and infant death; and increased the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases like HIV and AIDS. This legislation will help maximize U.S. investment in
foreign assistance programs and it is absolutely vital that this bill be approved by the House of
Representatives and go to the President’s desk at the earliest date possible.”

Media Contact:

Jennifer Abrahamson, (202) 742-1250

Mission Statement:

About the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
ICRW's mission is to empower women, advance gender equality and fight poverty in the developing world. To accomplish this, ICRW works with partners to conduct empirical research, build capacity and advocate for evidence-based, practical ways to change policies and programs.

About Girls Not Brides
Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of over 100 organisations working to end child marriage all over the world. Together, we aim to give a voice to girls at risk of child marriage, to defend their rights to health and education, and to give them the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential. ICRW is a member of Girls Not Brides. For more information, www.girlsnotbrides.org.

Hillary Clinton, ExxonMobil Foundation, Solar Sister and Thunderbird School honored at ICRW Gala

smarfil — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:02:22 +0000

Wed, 05/23/2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) will tonight honor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her lifelong dedication to advocating for the rights, protection and prosperity of women and girls everywhere during its 2012 Champions for Change Gala at the Ritz-Carlton.

The greatest challenges we face as a nation, whether building stability and peace around the world or countering violent extremism or promoting democracy and freedom, depend on the full participation of women and girls. That’s why I’ve put women and girls at the center of what we do at the State Department,” said Secretary Clinton, ICRW’s 2012 Champion for Change Leadership honoree in a pre-recorded video speech.

That means enhancing women’s civic and political participation, strengthening the role of women in their economies, bolstering their efforts in peace and security issues. It means taking on discrimination and marginalization and cultural attitudes that treat women and girls as second-class citizens. It also means building the partnerships and supporting the innovations that will help women around the world live up to their own God-given potentials, whether that’s developing new irrigation tools for women farmers in Tanzania or making clean cook stoves available to mothers in Indonesia. Much of that work begins with the research going on every day at ICRW," she added.

ICRW, the world’s leading research institute on the many challenges faced by women and girls across the globe, presented its 2012 Champion for Change Vision award to the ExxonMobil Foundation for its deep commitment to helping women prosper and drive economic and social change in their communities. The ExxonMobil Foundation was also a key partner in Bridging the Gender Divide, a 2010 ICRW research study. It examined the ways in which technological innovations in fields like energy and agriculture can economically advance women around the world, from Indonesia to Uganda.

Champion for Change Innovator awards went to clean energy social enterprise, Solar Sister, and the Thunderbird Emerging Market Labs of the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Thunderbird collaborated with Solar Sister to help optimize its groundbreaking, market-based initiative in which rural women sell safe, energy-efficient solar lamps to other rural women as a means to boost their income and savings, benefiting families on both sides of the transaction. ICRW researchers have studied the scheme in Uganda and have provided guidance on how to monitor and evaluate its performance.

“It is a great privilege to work with people who devote their skills to ensure that evidence – not intuition, not ideology – informs policy and funding, and provides solutions to problems that others have yet to identify," said ICRW President Sarah Degnan Kambou. "This evidence has helped innovators from a broad spectrum of backgrounds – development, government, corporate, academic and media – in their own efforts to advocate and work on behalf of – and alongside – the world’s poorest women and girls."

MEDIA CONTACT: Sandy Won, (202), 742-1216, swon@icrw.org

Mission Statement:

About ICRW
The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a global research institute with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and New Delhi, India. We also have a project office in Mumbai. ICRW is comprised of social scientists, economists, public health specialists and demographers, all of whom are experts in gender relations. We are thought leaders driven by a passion to alleviate poverty and rectify injustice in the world. And we believe that women and girls – in collaboration with men and boys – are essential to the solutions. We know that when their quality of life improves, families are healthier and economies are stronger. ICRW's mission is to empower women, advance gender equality and fight poverty in the developing world. To accomplish this, ICRW works with partners to conduct empirical research, build capacity and advocate for evidence-based, practical ways to change policies and programs. Learn more at www.icrw.org.

About ExxonMobil Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in the United States. Globally, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation provide funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalysts for development, and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2010, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $237 million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

About Solar Sister
Solar Sister eradicates energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity. We combine the breakthrough potential of solar technology with a deliberately woman-centered direct sales network to bring light, hope and opportunity to even the most remote communities in rural Africa. Investing in women is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Solar Sister creates sustainable businesses, powered by smart investment in women entrepreneurs. When you invest in a woman, you invest in the future. Join us by making an investment in a Solar Sister Entrepreneur today. For more about Solar Sister, please visit: www.solarsister.org.

About Thunderbird
Thunderbird is the world’s No. 1-ranked school of international business with more than 60 years of experience in developing leaders with the global mindset, business skills and social responsibility necessary to create real, sustainable value for their organizations, communities and the world. The Thunderbird Emerging Markets Laboratory (TEM Lab) is a six-week, full-time class guided by Thunderbird faculty. Teams of Thunderbird student consultants work with clients on-location to solve a specific business problem. TEM Lab targets areas with high growth potential in the emerging markets of Latin America, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia because they account for 80 percent of the world’s population and are experiencing significant social and economic infrastructure changes. For more about Thunderbird, please visit: www.thunderbird.edu.

New Study: Indian Women Still Massive Untapped Market for Mobile Industry, Economic Growth

ggaynair — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:51:44 +0000

Fri, 02/24/2012

New Delhi/Mumbai/Bangalore – Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have enormous untapped potential to spur economic growth in low-income societies if they were tailored to meet women's needs, according to a new report released today as the annual GSMA Mobile World Congress was underway in Barcelona.

The study, "Connectivity: How Mobile Phones, Computers and the Internet Can Catalyze Women's Entrepreneurship," examines four innovative ICT projects that target just a few thousand women in several rural areas of India, and shows that mobile phones and applications in particular have the power to catalyze female entrepreneurship. The London-based Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and Washington, D.C.-based think tank, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), jointly published the report and stressed the urgent need for more investment in such initiatives that put critical communication tools into women's hands.

Cherie Blair said: "There are still huge numbers who have yet to benefit from the mobile phone revolution in a country with half a billion women. There has been some progress but many more Indian women could use mobiles to boost their businesses, become financially independent and have a stronger voice in their societies."

The report shows that the number of men who own mobile phones in India exceeds women by nearly 90 million. Translated into global terms, almost one-third of the 300 million-strong gender gap in mobile phone ownership worldwide can be found in India, one of the world's fastest growing economies. Researchers saw firsthand how ICTs can catalyze women's enterprise far from the hum of the country's technology center in Mumbai, but also noted an enormous opportunity for growth could be missed without more public-private commitment.

A new mobile phone application designed by Sasken Communications Technologies, for example, is helping members of rural women's savings and credit associations ("self help groups") who sell products like honey reach larger and more distant markets than ever before. Mobile phones hold so much potential because they enable women to manage business ventures from their homes while also taking on family responsibilities like childcare.

Sarita, an entrepreneur in Chattisgarh State, said: "Now with all our business converging onto the mobile, and with the mobile making life so simple, I can think of growth without getting stressed. My markets, my vendors … they are all just an SMS away."

After co-authoring a 2010 report on female global mobile phone ownership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, GSMA launched its "mWomen" program, which aims to close the gender gap by harnessing the collective power of the private, public and nonprofit sectors to improve women's lives through mobile technology. The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) has in recent years examined a number of ways in which technology and innovation can help economically empower women, and as a result, the societies they live in.

ICRW President Sarah Degnan Kambou said: "Closing the technology gender gap could lead to tremendous economic advancement. Everyone wins when women have access to innovative apps and other tools designed specifically to help them run and grow businesses. Households earn more, parents have more money to spend on their children's education and women lead more empowered lives."

For more information about the report and its findings, or for an interview, please contact:

Sasken Communications Technologies: Setlur Raghavan Raja, in Barcelona attending the GSMA Mobile World Congress, rajaraghavan.setlur@sasken.com, or Syed Mehdi in India, +91 (0) 9880 575 712, pr@sasken.com

Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in London: Jillian Convey, +44 (0) 7818 533 065, jc@cherieblairfoundation.org

InternationalCenter for Research on Women (ICRW) in Washington, D.C.: Jennifer Abrahamson, +1 202 742 1250 or +1 202 290 7975, jabrahamson@icrw.org

Mission Statement:

Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. Program Recognized by Former President Clinton

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:30:16 +0000

Wed, 09/21/2011

San Francisco, CA – September 21, 2011 – (GPS) –Today former President Bill Clinton recognized Gap Inc. for its commitment and model approach to addressing challenges in Economic Empowerment through the Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) program. The recognition took place during Wednesday’s closing plenary of the Clinton Global Initiative, held in New York City. Bob Fisher, son of Gap Inc. founders Doris and Don Fisher and a Gap Inc. Board Member, accepted the honor on behalf of the company.

P.A.C.E. is a comprehensive workplace education program that provides life skills and technical training for female garment workers, and is currently implemented in six countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The program asks both workers and management in garment factories to view the welfare, potential, and success of female line workers as keys to business success.
“We are deeply honored by this recognition. Investing in improving women’s lives is a natural fit for Gap Inc. and our company values,” said Bob Fisher. “The program is innovative, scalable and sustainable. Thousands of women across six countries have already participated.”

Launched in 2007, Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. program creates opportunities for women to advance in their careers and personal lives. The garment industry is one of the world’s largest employers of low-skilled women workers. Despite their large numbers in the workforce, relatively few female garment workers advance to management positions, as many do not have access to the education and training that will propel their professional advancement. Research shows that P.A.C.E. graduates are more productive, have lower rates of absenteeism, and advance faster in the workplace than factory workers who do not participate in the program. Not only do the women participating benefit from the program, but the factories also benefit by developing a more skilled and reliable workforce.

P.A.C.E. was designed and developed in partnership with Swasti Health Resources and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). CARE International is a key implementing partner. Gap Inc.’s vendor partners also play a critical role. One of these vendors in India that employs more than 60,000 workers has committed to extending P.A.C.E. to all workers by the year 2020. To date, more than 7,500 female garment workers have participated in the program.

“Education of female garment workers is a distinct way our company can support positive, lasting benefits for workers and their communities. Our deep knowledge of the apparel world, our partnerships with manufacturing vendors and local NGOs have allowed us to help make meaningful impact on the lives of thousands of women,” said Gap Inc. Chairman and CEO, Glenn Murphy.

Media Contact:

Angela Leung Wasmer, Gap Inc. 415.427.2577

Mission Statement:

About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, children, and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, and Athleta
brands. Fiscal year 2010 net sales were $14.7 billion. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase in over 90 countries worldwide through about 3,100 company-operated stores, about 200 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites. For more information on Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. program and other community investments, please visit www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility

About ICRW
ICRW's mission is to empower women, advance gender equality and fight poverty in the developing world. To accomplish this, ICRW works with partners to conduct empirical research, build capacity and advocate for evidence-based, practical ways to change policies and programs.

ExxonMobil Foundation Funds Study by Cherie Blair Foundation for Women on Mobile Phone Use by Women Entrepreneurs

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:29:09 +0000

Tue, 09/20/2011

Groundbreaking study part of commitment to create economic opportunities for women through technology
ExxonMobil grant to help women entrepreneurs enhance business through mobile technology
Investment of nearly $50 million on women’s economic opportunities by ExxonMobil and ExxonMobil Foundation programs has helped tens of thousands of women

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2011 – The ExxonMobil Foundation today announced a $1.5 million grant for research into how mobile phone technology can enhance women’s economic opportunities and entrepreneurship in the developing world. The grant to the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women will be highlighted at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.

The study, to be conducted in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Indonesia, aims to identify various mobile services that can help women entrepreneurs enhance their businesses, and what barriers exist to expanding access to these services.

“We know that mobile technology has great potential for placing women in low-income countries on a higher economic trajectory,” said Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. “Mobile phone use doesn't just help women earn more money, it can also bring great benefits to businesses and therefore to the wider economy as well.”

Mobile phone services are often cited as a significant tool in economic development.There are 300 million fewer female than male subscribers worldwide, and a woman is 21 percent less likely to own a phone than a man in low- and middle-income countries.

“Studies like this will help us understand how technology can best support women in the developing world," said Suzanne M. McCarron, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. “Success of women entrepreneurs is vital to building strong communities. Expanding the use of mobile technology for women will help raise living standards, leading to more prosperity for them, their families and their countries.”

"Our research shows that technology can be transformative for women, if we engage them in the process," said Sarah Degnan Kambou, president of the International Center for Research on Women. "This partnership does that and will help take women entrepreneurs farther, faster, as a result."

The announcement builds on commitments made by ExxonMobil at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in 2009 and 2010 that were focused on accelerating women’s economic advancement through technology. In the last six years, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation have invested more than $47 million to support the economic advancement of women. As a result, tens of thousands of women have benefited. Initiatives include:

Providing new irrigation technologies to women farmers in Benin which enable farming throughout the country’s six-month dry season.
Training women in Ghana to use agricultural technologies to increase crop yields.
Helping Ugandan women access solar energy for their communities while growing their own businesses.
Offering business training, mentoring support and networking opportunities to more than 11,000 women in the developing world.
Providing Indonesian women access to solar lanterns which enable them to be more productive after sundown.

In addition to investing in high-impact programs, ExxonMobil partners with leading academics and think tanks to support research and advocacy efforts that raise awareness about the critical role women play in building strong, stable communities.

###

Media Contact:

ExxonMobil Media Relations 972.444.1107

Mission Statement:

About ExxonMobil Foundation

ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in the United States. Globally, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation provide funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalystsfor development, and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2010, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $237 million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

About Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women provides women with the skills, technology, networks and access to finance that they need to become successful small and growing business owners, so that they can contribute to their economies and have a stronger voice to their societies. Research by the OECD shows that women tend to invest 90 percent of their income back into their families, so their success is critical to the ability of their children to escape poverty too. And yet, women find it harder to obtain access to finance, the right training and good advice. The foundation is a response to these challenges. www.cherieblairfoundation.org

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI annual meetings have brought together more than 125 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 2,000 commitments valued at $57 billion, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. The 2011 CGI Annual Meeting will take place from Sept. 20-22, 2011, in New York City. www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

About International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

Parliament’s Smt. Supriya Sule Attends Meeting on Promoting Gender Equality in Schools

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:01:41 +0000

Mon, 08/01/2011

NEW DELHI, Aug. 1, 2011 – The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), together with the Committee of Resource Organizations for Literacy (CORO) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), on Aug. 5-6 in Mumbai will convene educators, nongovernmental organizations and government officials – including Honorable Member of Parliament Smt. Supriya Sule – to discuss how to incorporate lessons on gender equality in Maharashtra schools.

The meeting, “Encouraging Gender Equality,” also will showcase new evidence from ICRW’s Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) program in 45 Mumbai municipal schools. Findings show that boys and girls who participated in the program became less tolerant of gender discrimination, more supportive of girls pursuing an education and of boys and men contributing to household work. GEMS targets 8,000 12- to 14-year-olds in Mumbai municipal schools and is implemented in partnership with CORO and TISS.

GEMS and the “Encouraging Gender Equality” gathering come at a critical time, as girls continue to be devalued in Indian society and their presence dwindles: The 2011 census revealed 914 girls to every 1,000 boys – a significant decline from 927 girls in the 2001 census, and the lowest since India’s independence.

“Schools are unquestionably the most critical settings to foster changes around inequitable gender norms and to improve the value of the girl child,” said Ravi Verma, director of the ICRW Asia Regional Office in New Delhi. “We need to intentionally work against gender stereotypes that are formally and informally reinforced within the Indian school settings. GEMS is an attempt in that direction.”

Launched in 2008, GEMS champions equal relationships between girls and boys, dissects social norms that often define men's and women's roles in society and addresses how to intervene to stop violence. The program tackles such serious topics in an engaging way, through extra-curricular activities, role-playing and games lead by facilitators from CORO and TISS. In the 2012-2013 school year GEMS will be expanded into 250 Mumbai municipal schools, reaching some 80,000 students.

Representatives from ICRW, CORO and TISS will be present for the two-day meeting, where GEMS students will share their experience with the program and panelists will discuss how school systems can integrate the principles of GEMS into curriculum and teacher trainings. Other participants include Shri Abasaheb Jadhav, education officer at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Smt. V. Radha, state project director of school education for the government of Maharashtra, among others.

Smt. Radha and Honorable Member of Parliament Smt. Sule will give keynote addresses on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, respectively.

Media Contacts:

New Delhi:
Pranita Achyut, Poverty, Gender & HIV/AIDS Specialist
Mobile: 09.91.0483554
pachyut@icrw.org

Washington, D.C.:
Jeannie Bunton, Vice President, External Relations
Tel: 202.742.1316; BB: 202.384.0679
jbunton@icrw.org

Mission Statement:

About CORO
Established in 1989, the Committee of Resource Organizations for Literacy (CORO) is a community-owned organization working on holistic community development in the Chembur-Trombay region of Mumbai. CORO’s mission is to work with marginalized groups to achieve gender equality and eradicate caste-based discrimination.

About TISS
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was established in 1936 as India’s first school of social work. Its mission is to be an institution of excellence in higher education that continually responds to the changing social realities through the development and application of knowledge, towards creating a people-centered and ecologically sustainable society that promotes and protects the dignity, equality, social justice and human rights for all, with special emphasis on marginalized and vulnerable groups.

Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. Program Honored with the ICRW Innovation Award

rmanix — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:53:47 +0000

Wed, 03/09/2011

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2011 – Gap Inc. received the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) Champions for Change Award for Innovation in recognition of the company’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement) program. This workplace program was developed by Gap Inc. in 2006 to provide life skills and enhanced technical skills education to female garment workers to help them advance in the workplace and in their personal lives. The program currently operates in India and Cambodia, with plans for expansion to other countries. Bobbi Silten, Chief Foundation Officer, Gap Inc., accepted the award last night during the ICRW ‘Passport to Progress’ event held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Sarah Degnan Kambou, ICRW President said, “Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. program is a pioneering business model that leverages its aspirations as well as its assets. We are delighted to recognize Gap Inc. for the way it is transforming women’s lives at work, at home and in the community.”

The global garment industry is one of the largest employers of women workers. Despite their large numbers in the workforce, relatively few female factory workers advance to positions in management. Gap Inc.’s research shows that P.A.C.E. graduates are more productive, have lower rates of absenteeism and are promoted faster than factory workers who do not participate in the program.

“We are honored to receive this award for P.A.C.E.,”said Bobbi Silten. “Investing in improving women’s lives is a natural fit for us. Approximately seventy percent of Gap Inc. employees and 80 percent of garment workers around the world are women. Our company culture, our knowledge of the apparel world and our partnerships with manufacturing vendors and local non-government organizations have allowed us to help make meaningful impact on women and the communities where they live and work,” she added.

One female garment worker who participated in the program in India said, “The P.A.C.E. training has changed me as a person. It has helped me decide the direction in which I want to go. More importantly, it has helped me set my priorities.”

Another program participant noted: “The P.A.C.E. training has given me the opportunity to express my aspirations with confidence. My outlook has changed and I no longer believe that my aspirations are unattainable.”

More than 3,500 female garment workers have participated in the program. At one facility, women who completed the program were promoted nearly five times the rate of other female factory workers in the same factory. P.A.C.E. has proven scalable and sustainable because of a clear business case that participation is not only good for the women, but it is also good for vendors.

The ICRW Award for Innovation celebrates and salutes organizations that are working to advance the health, well-being and economic progress of women and girls through their policies, programs and partnerships.

Media Relations:

ICRW
Jeannie Bunton
(202) 742-1316
jbunton@icrw.org

Gap Inc.
Renate Geerlings
(415) 427-4695
renate_geerlings@gap.com

Mission Statement:

About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta brands. For more than 40 years, Gap Inc. has supported communities where we live and workthrough grants, in-kind donations, community outreach and employee volunteer programs. Gap Inc. strives to make a long-term impact in communities by focusing on creating opportunities for underserved youth and women through innovative social solutions. One example is Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement) program, which provides life and technical skills training to advance the careers and lives of women factory workers. For more information on Gap Inc. community investment, please visit www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility.

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah to Speak on ICRW Panel

tbucci — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:34:50 +0000

Mon, 02/28/2011

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2011 - USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah on March 8 will participate in an International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) panel discussion on breakthrough innovations that have the potential to transform the lives of women in developing countries.

Shah will be joined by Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Tim Hanstad, president and CEO of Landesa, and Bobbi Silten, chief foundation officer at Gap Inc. The discussion will be moderated by Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent.

The event, to be held on International Women’s Day, will kick off ICRW’s year-long 35^th anniversary discussion series, Passports to Progress. Subsequent gatherings will address investments in ending violence against women, how to advance women’s economic potential and how to measure global progress on gender equality.

Event details:

March 8, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
National Press Club
259 14^th Street N.W., 13^th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20045

Media Contacts:

ICRW: Jeannie Bunton, Vice President, External Relations
Tel: 202-742-1316, BB: 202-384-0679, jbunton@icrw.org

USAID: Press Office
Tel:202-712-4320, usaidpressofficers@usaid.gov

Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: Jillian Convey, Business and Communications Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7563 5059, jc@cherieblairfoundation.org

Gap Inc.: Renate Geerlings, Gap Inc. Corporate Communications
Tel: 415-427-4695, renate_geerlings@gap.com

Landesa: Amy Low,Chief Communications Officer
Tel: 206-257-6141, amyl@landesa.org

Mission Statement:

About USAID
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead U.S. government agency providing economic development and humanitarian assistance to people around the world for nearly 50 years. For more information about USAID please go to www.usaid.gov.

About the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women helps women entrepreneurs to build businesses by offering access to technology, networks, finance and business development support. Programs are in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, where there is potential for women in business to become self-sustaining in the longer term. By supporting women entrepreneurs, we not only help the women themselves to improve their quality of life, but also their families, communities and economies who benefit from their success. For more, visit www.cherieblairfoundation.org.

About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta brands. For more than 40 years, Gap Inc. has supported communities where we live and work through grants, in-kind donations, community outreach and employee volunteer programs. Gap Inc. strives to make a long-term impact in communities by focusing on creating opportunities for underserved youth and women through innovative social solutions. One example is Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement) program, which provides life and technical skills training to advance the careers and lives of women factory workers. For more information on Gap Inc. community investment, please visit www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility.

About Landesa
Grounded in the knowledge that having legal rights to land is a foundation for prosperity and opportunity, Landesa partners with governments and local organizations to ensure that the world’s poorest families have secure rights over the land they till. Founded as the Rural Development Institute in 1967, Landesa has helped more than 100 million poor families gain legal control over their land. With secure land rights, these families can eat better, earn more, educate their children, practice conservation and achieve dignity for generations. For more, visit www.landesa.org.