Priorities for the Future: Promoting Human Rights and Women's Leadership Around the World

Promoting Human Rights and Women’s Leadership Around the World

Solutions to fundamental problems confronting women around the world are straightforward: develop and enforce the human rights of women and children, educate both girls and boys, and empower women to help improve their lives—and those of others—in a world where inequities still abound.

• Sixty percent of the world’s working poor are women¹.
• Only one percent of titled land in nations across the globe is owned by women².
• Despite sanctions on child marriage, millions of girls, some as young as eight, are forced into marriage each year³.

The Wellesley Centers for Women’s NGO (non-governmental organization) status at the United Nations has facilitated strong ties with U.N. agencies. We also work with the U.S. Department of State, legal advocates, and numerous NGOs around the world. We have built broadly actionable programs across Asia that are grounded in human rights frameworks and standards. These use law, policymaking, research, and reporting to advance the rights and welfare of women, children, and persons with disabilities.

What your support for the 35th Anniversary Fund will do:

International work at the Wellesley Centers for Women will widen the circle of women leaders who can work collaboratively to effect global social change by…

… expanding on all we have learned from our active Asian networks to develop initiatives to bring these leaders together with new networks and partners from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.

… enabling women to learn from one another and spearhead meaningful change in their nations through a variety of programs focused on social entrepreneurial activities, policy development, and political engagement.

… strengthening WCW by contributing new knowledge to—and suggesting innovative approaches for—our work in the U.S.