NEW YORK (September 24, 2012)- Earlier this year, WEDO was proud and honored to have become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). Yesterday, the 2012 CGI Annual Meeting (23- 25 Sept) began in New York City, and WEDO ED Cate Owren is there, along with a number of other leaders for women’s rights and a sustainable future. Uniquely focused on its vision for a just world that promotes and protects human rights, gender equality and the integrity of the environment, WEDO’s work complements CGI’s own priority areas of women’s empowerment, sustainable natural and built environments and educating the next generation of leaders.

As a member of CGI, WEDO is joining with governments, private sector institutions and civil society from every corner of the globe to commit to action. In 2012, and as an official CGI Commitment to Action, WEDO is focusing on ensuring a particular aspect of its own 2011-2015 strategic plan becomes reality: creating a network of young women leaders for a more just, healthy and peaceful planet.

2012 Clinton Global Initiative, 2012 Commitment to Action

WEDO’s Commitment

Today, WEDO launches a new initiative, Young Women Leading toward a Sustainable Future, committing to expand our programmatic focus to mobilize young women around our priorities: women’s leadership, sustainable development, and good global governance. Incorporating human rights and gender equality, environmental sustainability and economic empowerment issues into existing programs and networks that promote and empower young women as leaders, both in the U.S. and worldwide, WEDO will conduct a mapping of current initiatives focused on young women’s empowerment, particularly in the area of STEM to identify methodologies for leadership development and highlighting gaps in knowledge and capacity building on sustainable development. A portfolio of practical tools for information sharing will be created for training and use in these existing programs.

We are very pleased to have the National Council for Research on Women (@NCRWorg) as one of our first official partners in this initiative!

Over the next few days, follow Cate at the 2012 CGI Annual Meeting at WEDO’s website and through Twitter @WEDO_worldwide with the hashtag #CGI2012 and Facebook facebook.com/WEDOWorldwide!

About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

Established in 2005 by U.S. President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI’s Annual Meeting is held each September in New York City. CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

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