United State of Women, powerful women united asking you to join them in an effort to bring equality overboard to women and girls, watch the organization’s influential video.
EASTHAMPTON, Mass.—The White House Council on Women and Girls invited Elizabeth Barajas-Román, CEO of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM), to participate in the United State of Women Summit, the first ever large-scale effort to bring together advocates of gender equality to highlight what they’ve achieved, identify the challenges that remain, and chart the course ahead.
On Tuesday, June 14th, Barajas-Román will join national partners during the main stage lunch plenary, which will be streamed live across the globe at www.theunitedstateofwomen.org. Expected speakers and presenters include President Barack Obama, Kerry Washington, and Opera Winfrey. A full list can be found here: www.theunitedstateofwomen.org/summit-details/.
“We are eager to bring the voices of western Massachusetts to the global conversation on women and girls and the problems we can fix together, in our lifetimes,” Barajas-Román said. “Our Women’s Fund was founded after another historic gathering, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, almost 20 years ago. Being at the table when history was made had a profound impact on local women and their families then, we expect to return from the upcoming summit with equally game-changing innovations, connections, and a framework for change.”
The WFWM is a public foundation that connects donors with women and girls through strategic grant making and leadership development. Their signature, non-partisan program, the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI) is designed to provide women with the tools, mentors, and confidence they need to become powerful and effective civic leaders and elected officials.
WFWM board members Michelle Theroux, Executive Director of Berkshire Hills Academy, Carol Campbell, President and CEO of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, Inc., and Leigh Rae a non-profit consultant based in Franklin County, will attend the event with Barajas-Román, and participate in expert-led workshops on economic empowerment, health and wellness, education, violence against women, entrepreneurship and innovation, and leadership and civic engagement.
The summit is a collaboration of the White House Council on Women and girls, the Department of State, Department of Labor, the Aspen institute and Civic Nation. Thousands of women from around the world applied to attend the conference using videos and social media to make the case for their participation. Registration is now closed, but the public can watch live via the summit website, and show their personal commitment to fight for women everywhere by uploading their photo and statement of support at www.theunitedstateofwomen.org/pledge-generator.
[From a News Release]
