Vital Voices joins the launch of the Women in Public Service Project

The U.S. Department of State has partnered with the Seven Sisters Colleges of Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley on the Women in Public Service Project (WPSP) to provide vital momentum to the young women leaders, who will invest in their countries and communities, provide leadership for their governments and societies, and help change the way global solutions are developed. Vital Voices is honored to follow the lead of these partners to supplement these important goals, and to support the next generation of women leaders around the world. 

At today’s WPSP colloquium, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a call to action — challenges facing our world today require the robust participation of women in public service and political leadership to forge global solutions to improve governance, expand civil rights and combat corruption. “We are excited to see the benefits that will come when more women decide to serve their country,” she said.

Vital Voices is answering that call with a strategic investment in improving women’s participation in political and public life. Over the next five years, Vital Voices will design and implement programs that increase the number of women in leadership and decision-making in public life; strengthen the decision-making power and effectiveness of women political leaders and policy advocates; and increase public awareness and attitudinal change regarding the value of women’s leadership and participation in political and public life.

Two signature programs launched this fall to support these aims. In partnership with Paul Hastings LLP, Vital Voices initiated the Global Women’s Leadership and Public Policy program to enhance women representatives’ abilities to govern in alignment with the principles of transparency, inclusive representation and constituent accountability. A two-day strategy convened seven top-tier political leaders from Cambodia, Argentina, Morocco, Liberia, Nigeria, East Timor, and Haiti pinpoint the needs of women government leaders and to identify potential strategies and mechanisms to enhance the capacity of women government leaders to govern effectively in their home countries and communities.

The second initiative is the Emerging Pacific Women’s Leadership program launched this month in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and AusAID. The goal is to advance women’s advocacy efforts across the Pacific region. Starting off with 12 country delegations representing the nations of Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Vanuatu, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Cook Islands, and Niue, Vital Voices trained 48 women emerging and established women leaders in government, the private sector, and at non-governmental organizations to enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities to advocate for women’s economic opportunities and leadership in civil society throughout the Pacific Island region. 

“The Women in Public Service Project complements the core mission of Vital Voices Global Partnership,” said Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson. “We are honored to partner with our Founder, Secretary Clinton and the Seven Sisters Colleges, and look forward to close collaboration in grooming the next generation of women leaders around the world."

Follow updates about the Women in Public Service Project via Twitter at www.twitter.com/WPSProject.