Issue 11 (April)

Celebrate a Woman in Your Life by Supporting Women’s Empowerment in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East

This Mother’s Day (May 8), make a special dedication on behalf of a loved one or remarkable woman in your life by sending a donation that supports empowerment programs for women and girls! Your donation will enable women to develop the critical leadership and technology skills to help them lead the way to a more just and equitable world. With your dedication you may send an eCard with a special message. Your gift will help our efforts to advance women’s rights and freedoms around the world. You can make a difference! To make an online gift, click here or please send a check payable to Women’s Learning Partnership.

"Before attending this workshop I believed that only men could be successful leaders and heads of countries. The WLP workshops helped me understand that women also have the ability to be effective leaders and should be equal partners in our society." —WLP workshop participant in Afghanistan

"After this workshop I regained confidence in myself and will turn my vision of serving disadvantaged women and children into reality." —WLP workshop participant in Zimbabwe

WLP President Participates in Madrid Summit on Democracy, Terrorism, and Security

In March, WLP President Mahnaz Afkhami joined security experts, heads of state, and democracy activists at the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism, and Security in Madrid. Ms. Afkhami participated in a panel discussion on “Women, Terror, Religion, and Democracy,” where she spoke on the impact of fundamentalism and extremism on women in the Muslim world, and how women’s rights and civil society organizations are acting to counter these effects by empowering women and promoting egalitarian societies. She pointed to the experience of women who suffer from fear, helplessness, and lack of control over their lives as another face of terror, concluding that societies where women have fewer rights and choices are less likely to develop social tolerance, inclusiveness, and equitable practices. One area in which work needs to be done to counter the root causes of terrorism is to encourage legislative and socio-political change aimed at improving the status of women through building the capacity of women's and other civic and human rights organizations that support women's participation in decision-making. The panel was one of many sessions organized by the Club of Madrid on the occasion of the anniversary of the terrorist bombings in Spain on March 11, 2004.

Audio Proceedings of “Leading to Change” Symposium Available on CD Rom

The audio proceedings of WLP’s international symposium “Leading to Change: Eliminating Violence Against Women in Muslim Societies” are now available on CD Rom. Panelists discussed major challenges to eliminating violence against women and girls and grassroots, national, and regional measures needed to raise awareness, initiate reform legislation, and create synergy for efforts to prevent violence and to promote women's human rights. The published proceedings will be available at the end of May. Purchase the CD at WLP’s online store or listen to the proceedings online.