News from Global Women's Leadership Network

The Global Women's Leadership Network (GLWN) is an international network of women leaders who dare to transform their organizations, their communities, and the world. Worldwide, women represent the largest untapped source of leadership. Through training, community building and in-country mentorship programs, GWLN is liberating women leaders to create a new world, built on human rights, gender equality, sustainable development and global integrity.

The News from Global Women's Leadership Network highlights the efforts and successes of women leaders participating in these programs. To receive these regular updates by email, join our mailing list

News from GWLN : September 2008

Creating a Space for Women's Voices to Be Heard

We are grateful for everyone's support of our recently concluded Women Leaders for the World (WLW) program. You make it possible for WLW's successes on both a local and a global basis. It is always with a bit of sadness that we bid adieu to the participants. However, we know that they are returning home to do the work that will "ignite a new world for humanity." We also know that they carry our hope, our prayers, and our voices to remote parts of the world.

So, here is a brief report on what has transpired to-date with this year's WLW participants.

First and foremost, the twenty-three committed women leaders from fourteen countries expanded their thinking and learned new approaches to overcoming their daunting challenges. They have returned to their homes, enrolled their teams, and launched their breakthrough projects. Here are a few results reported during their initial coaching calls after their return home:

• Sizani Ngubane of South Africa - During August, women's month in South Africa, Sizani was interviewed on two radio programs about her vision of securing legal rights for women to own and control property. One of these programs reached 6 million people.

• Sandhya Puchalapalli of India - During Sandhya's first two weeks back in India, she welcomed 14 new baby girls to her orphanage. This event underscored her resolve that providing food and shelter for baby girls was an insufficient strategy. She has started meetings with all the other NGOs in her state to transform the conversation that female infanticide is inevitable. As she said while here, "Enough is enough."

• Bedy Yang of Brazil and the U.S. - Bedy traveled to Brazil and met with three potential partners. One of them, Instituto Meio (a major design and income- generation NGO), is ready to work with her on an eco-tourism program and pilot project.

Second, this year WLW utilized technology to go "global" with the Voices of Global Leaders conference, which was held in conjunction with the WLW program. If you did not have a chance to attend the conference or log-on on Saturday, July 26, please go to www.voicesofgloballeaders.org and click on the webcast. Once again we want to thank our sponsor, Cisco Systems, for making this webcast possible. From the feedback we received about the Voices conference, we know that the women leaders inspired you and that our keynote speaker, Supriya Banavalikar of the Hunger Project, brought new meaning to the words "women's empowerment."

Third, this year we discovered that public relations media have changed substantially. We participated in two Internet radio programs. Dee McCrorey interviewed me on her "Big Dreamers" radio program. You can listen at: www.blogtalkradio.com/BigDreamers/2008/07/21/. Three of our WLW participants, Gloriana Guillen, Awa Ndiaye, and Jackie Mwaba, were interviewed about microfinance by Beth Wilson on her program, Quantum Leaps. You can hear that 7/24/2008 interview at: www.modavox.com/voiceamericacms/WebModules/.

During the enrichment program following the WLW formal training session, some participants visited LINK TV. In LINK, Kate Daniels, another WLW participant, found a burgeoning partner for her Women's International Perspective (WIP). (See www.theWIP.net) More about the WIP and GWLN's plans will be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

Featured Women Leaders : Margo McAuliffe

It was Joseph Campbell who introduced Margo McAuliffe to the idea of following one's bliss. It took her husband's death and a lot of inner questioning before she discovered exactly what was her bliss. It was not an easy journey.

In September 2005, at age 69, Margo made her first trip to Africa with the intention of teaching math to girls. That experience has morphed into raising the money to build a high school for girls in Naivasha, Kenya, and establishing a foundation, Kenya Help, to facilitate that goal.

In the process Margo has learned that truly "in giving, there is receiving." Please join her as she outlines the path of her journey. She will talk about her inner journey, about what she has learned of the need for girls' education in Kenya, and about trusting that the right thing will happen.

Margo will be joined by Father Daniel Kiriti, parish priest of Naivasha, where they are building St. Francis Xavier Secondary School for Girls, also known as St. Francis Girls.