July 2012

The Santa Clara University-based program aims to fortify, coach and create a power network for women who are changing lives, sometimes in some of the least-hospitable regions for women.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 12, 2012 — Numerous studies and polls this year have put a spotlight on the worst countries for being born a woman. Starting July 22, one group of 24 women organizational leaders — some from countries that rank poorly on such lists—will gather for a week in Santa Clara, Calif., to celebrate, uplift and support their collective dedication to the theme Gender Equality:  A Promise to Girls.

The eighth annual program, sponsored by Global Women’s Leadership Network, a part of Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, is called Women Leaders for the World (WLW). It is partly a practical workshop, part leadership-development, and part motivation-building for women leaders. Attendees have created thriving businesses and non-profit institutions devoted to bettering the lives and prospects of women, children and underserved clients in their home countries or around the world. 

Reporters and the public will have the unique opportunity to meet and learn more about the women leaders attending WLW 2012, at a July 26 celebration and community fair taking place at the local headquarters of EMC Corp, 2421 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, California, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

"Our leaders come from all over the world – from Swaziland to Jordan — with one thing in common," said Linda Alepin, founding director of GWLN and Dean’s Executive Professor of Leadership at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business. “And that is their desire to take themselves and their organizations to the next level through shifts in their thinking as leaders, and by creating bonds with other strong women of the world.”

Other features of the Women Leaders for the World gathering:

*This year’s cohort includes women from Brazil, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Swaziland, Uganda, and the U.S. The work aims to better the lives of women and children in those countries as well as those in India, Mexico and Pakistan.

*The organizations run by the WLW women include a gamut of services including caring for and educating needy children (Kenya); building and mentoring startups or up-and-coming women leaders (Pakistan and Swaziland); counseling war-ravaged women and children (Nepal); and helping malaria-ridden communities protect themselves (Uganda) .

* The women are chosen through a competitive process, and those who are chosen must have a proven potential to impact their communities.

 *The women have established businesses or programs in their home countries, but also have identified one project or issue they pledge to complete as a result of WLW.

*The nearly 140 women who have been through WLW in years past have forged many cross-national partnerships and support systems with one another.

*Alumni of the program become members of the Global Women’s Leadership Network’s Graduate Community, which is made up of over 150 graduates, coaches and faculty who provide support and opportunities to each other by sharing best practices, innovative conversations and acknowledging achievements.

*The July 26 event will also celebrate the inaugural Leader of Impact Award recipient, Sandhya Puchalapalli and her organization, Aarti Home. More than 8,000 members and affiliates of the Global Women’s Leadership Network voted for Puchalapalli as the most impactful alumna, for having spent 20 years working to end female foeticide and infanticide in India. More on her story is at http://www.scu.edu/business/gwln/makingnews.cfm. 

Information and registration for the July 26 event can be found at http://www.acteva.com/go/gwln. 

 About the Global Women’s Leadership Network and Women Leaders for the World
Founded in 2004 as a program of Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) supports leaders who dare to transform the future of their organizations, communities and the world. With nearly 140 graduates at work in 34 countries, the GWLN’s weeklong program – Women Leaders for the World (WLW) — brings together women from multiple sectors including business, government, civil society organizations and academia. WLW equips participants with the coaching, support and development they need before and after the program to implement a visionary project. The curriculum is focused on sparking innovation, creativity and breakthrough thinking; launching women into global leadership roles; and expanding women leaders' capacity and capability for creating networks, coalitions and alliances. More information can be found at http://www.scu.edu/business/gwln/programs/women-leaders-world.cfm. 

Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Relations | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121