Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Activist on Leading Edge of International Women's Issues and U.S. Foreign Policy Speaks, November 22

Chestertown, MD, November 9, 2005 — Washington College's Campus Events and Visitors Committee presents "The Role of Gender in Third-World Development," a talk by Ritu Sharma, co-founder and President of Women's Edge Coalition, Tuesday, November 22, at 10 a.m. in Goldstein Hall, Room 201. The talk is free and the public is invited to attend.

A first generation American of East Indian heritage and a distinct voice on international women's issues and U.S. Foreign policy, Sharma co-founded the Women's Edge Coalition in 1998 to advocate international economic polices and human rights for women worldwide. Sharma is an adept coalition builder, political strategist, and communicator who has led numerous advocacy campaigns to success. Her endeavors have resulted in a strong network of support from international aid agencies, domestic women's groups, human rights organizations, and local activists.

In 2002, the Coalition's advocacy increased by 30 percent the amount of U.S. money contributed to international programs to combat human trafficking, and it won more than $72 million dollars for programs to support Afghan women last year. The Women's Edge Coalition brings together more than 40 respected organizations and 15,000 citizen advocates to push the U.S. government for more effective international assistance programs that help women and their families escape poverty and become more self-sufficient.

For more information, visit http://www.womensedge.org.

No comments:

Post a Comment