When I met Rebecca Lolosoli, I was immediately struck by her strength, perseverance, and her pride in her culture. Rebecca was one of the 20 women who participated in Vital Voices’ Women’s Leadership in Public Life program, held in Washington DC and New York in April 2008, and her aim was to increase the participation of Samburu women in Kenyan politics. Rebecca is Samburu, and throughout her time she wore her traditional dress and beaded necklaces with pride.

Rebecca shares everything she learns and gains with the Samburu women. After participating in our training program in the U.S., she returned and shared the information with others. She not only supports those in her own Umoja village, but women leaders from surrounding villages throughout the district as well. Her follow-up project was to organize trainings at Umoja and two surrounding villages, and our visit to Umoja was to provide trainings in leadership, advocacy, and artisan craft development. Continue Reading »

I’ve just returned from an amazing trip to Africa where I participated as a trainer in four incredible training programs focused on increasing the role of women in public life. These four programs were all developed in conjunction with African alumnae of past Vital Voices programs. All of them inspired me and reminded me of the very real power of women as agents of change.

Nigeria

I started my trip in Lagos, Nigeria, where two alumnae of the April 2008 Vital Voices Women’s Political Academy held in Washington, DC, Meeme Ekanem and Olutoyin Obaseki, planned and organized a 3 day training for 30 women who have told their political party that they want to be party backed candidates in the upcoming Lagos State Council election. These women were from different parties but shared the same objective of being elected to the Lagos State Council.

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After an overnight flight from Douala in Nairobi, Raychelle Najimesi met us at Kenyatta Airport. A recent FORTUNE mentee, Raychelle met us as we sleepily exited visa control. “Jambo! Karimbu!” she exclaimed. Our weariness evaporated as we drove toward the hotel and past Nairobi’s national park, which envelops the city.

There was little time for rest as I quickly connected with Abby Muricho of Ripe for Harvest, a non-governmental organization focused on working with youth to unlock their full potential. We met up and departed for Nyeri, a town two and half hours out of Nairobi, where Abby is managing a mentoring program for young women. Focused on preventing gender-based violence, particularly human trafficking, the mentoring program will include 100 mentors working with 500 mentees in several regions. Girls will be recruited from schools, IDP camps, and community organizations. Continue Reading »

Memories of a small woman with a huge voice leading hundreds of women in singing ‘Bread and ‘Roses’.
They were celebrating women who lived in a time when women’s rights had no name. Women whose names will never be known who had fought the shadow of injustice so that their daughters and granddaughters could live in the sun.

Memories of warmth and laughter as women of different traditions and communities in Northern Ireland stepped outside their own worlds, exchanged stories and discovered the pleasure in each other’s company

Memories now of watching a play in New York which honored the courage and determination in the lives of all such women across the world.

Through telling the stories of seven women who had embarked on journeys for which there were no footprints, the women playrights and actresses resonated the strength and determination of women around the world who make these lonely choices.

Humbled at being one of the seven, honored by the company I am keeping, marveling at the ingenuity
of the women in vital voices who used their space and power to insist that such voices be heard as of right and respected as the necessary pre condition for the health of our world.

Memories of a night of strength, of pain but most of all memories of a night of love and laughter in good company.

The second day of the Vital Voices Summit is referred to as Human Rights Day, with a longer official title of “Women Safeguarding Human Rights: A Necessary Foundation for a Stable and Prosperous Society.” It began with a keynote address from the Honorable Jolanta Kwasniewski, Former First Lady of Poland. She delivered a very moving and personal address about her feelings with regard to human rights and candidly shared some of her experiences as First Lady over the past decade. She admitted to having an epiphany with regard to relating to those in need and now has a true sensitivity to those around her who have less money and less mobility and those who exist on the fringes of society. She is committed to being a catalyst for change. One of the most poignant beliefs she shared was her firmly held belief that every single human being is entitled to the same rights and the most important right of all is the right to dignity. She touched us all with her candor and her ability to connect with everyone in the audience. Continue Reading »