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Erlina Edwards Wins This Years Marian Goetze 21st Century Award
A close-up look at the winner
“I WAS SHOCKED,” says Erlina Edwards when advised that she was the winner of the 2007 Marian Goetze 21st Century Award, “For me working with The International Alliance for Women is such a rewarding experience, you actually feel such a sense of satisfaction you're not looking for anything else. Of course, I am most appreciative for the experience and recognition.”
Networks sharing information and as Northern Mecca for Women on Boards
Diane Morris, 1st VP and President elect of TIAW kicked off the conference moderating a panel of network president’s in a closed door session on Wednesday September 26, that shared challenges, opportunities and best practices, using her knowledge as immediate Past President of City Women’s Network in London to guide the discussion. Patience Allen ( Oslo) represented EuropeanPWN and Cristina Vinci ( Brussels) and Caroline Miller ( Geneva ) were amongst the attendees. Also, on the panel were Ania Jakubowski, Geneva Women in Trade, Kristin Engvig, the founder and CEO of WIN, and Stephanie MacKendrick, President of Canadian Women Communications and President of The International Alliance for Women ( TIAW ).The session focused on key concerns, such as succession planning and communicating with members, as well as an exploration on the ways in which network s can work more closely together while fulfilling their own organizational mandates.
IFC - World Bank Group - considers TIAW a major global organization in their recent publication " Women's Networks -- More than business""Why Women Need a Network of their own"
The Global Summit in Berlin was well attended with 1,000 women and a few men, from 95 countries. Fifty-three women Ministers from a variety of countries and a variety of ministries were in attendance.
TIAW Atlanta Area Reception
with Maxine Westaway Executive Director
For the Board Members and guests of
Atlanta Women's Network
Board of Directors Network
Executive Women of Goizueta
Georgia Executive Women's Network
GlobalEXEC Women
Women's Commerce Club
Skills Development for Self Reliance - Kenya
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Maxine Westaway
Wendy Kinney
Linda Schmidt
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Peggy Espinda
Lee Dees
Linda Schmidt
Maxine Westaway
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Myra McElhaney
Sarah O'Brien
Marilyn Mobley
Maxine Westaway
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Catherine Mugo Muna
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Sarah O'Brien
Vicki Gordon
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Myra McElhaney
First Balkan Business Women Associations
News Release:
Representatives from 18 Business Women Associations from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey, met in the end of March in Bucharest for the 2nd Conference of the Coalition of Balkan Business Women Associations.
The conference was the final step in the project aiming to build a viable regional coalition of Business women associations in South East Europe.
The mission of the Coalition is to create a transparent and competitive business environment in the Balkan region, to empower women and integrate them into business life and the decision –making process, in order to increase their visibility in the region.
The Goals are to increase communication among businesswomen in the region providing the setting for their networks to share experiences and best practices, to find common ground for cooperation and to raise the profile of businesswomen association in the Balkan region.
The Coalition representatives elected its first governing body – the Board and its members. With the majority of the votes Mrs. Nina Noeva was elected as 1st President of the Coalition. Nina Noeva is founder and President of International Association of Professional and Business Women in Bulgaria -TIAW member association and TIAW Regional Representative for EMEA.
Beijing & Shanghai: A Tale of Two Very Different Cities
By Avil Beckford
Having never ventured outside of North America and the Caribbean, going to China
was a very bold step for me. But, sometimes being bold is just what a “ life doctor” would order to shake up your life and force you to step out of your comfort zone.
My niece Camile and I made an agreement that each year, together, we would travel to somewhere that we’ve never been before, and this year was China
. We signed up for the 4-Day
Beijing Tour Package organized by Tour East Holidays, the recommended Travel Agency for the International Trip.
Being in
Beijing reminded me of how much I take for granted. A normally simple task such as ordering in a restaurant became a major event because we did not speak the language. I felt like a “fish out of water.” Later that night while lying on my bed in the hotel room, I was reminded of what it feels like to not be included, and I suddenly truly appreciated The International Alliance for Women for organizing the International Trips, which help to foster cultural harmony by exposing us to many different cultures.
“Connecting to Make All The Difference in the World” By Maxine Westaway, Executive Director of TIAW
Thank you to all who worked so hard to present the fantastic European Women in Management Development (EWMD) conference in Shanghai with a very special thanks to Waltraut Ritter of
Hong Kong.It was great to meet so many EWMD and TIAW members there for the first time, along with our long time friends and colleagues.
TIAW in London in March – Women on Boards
and Building Ties in the Middle-East
While the crocuses were in bloom and the daffodils just beginning to open, London was the scene of an important series of meetings for TIAW in early March. TIAW President Stephanie MacKendrick and 1st Vice President Diane Morris represented the organization during the week at events that ranged from a formal dinner at Mansion House to a series of meetings on Women on Boards and a City Women’s Network wine and cheese party. It was a whirlwind of activity, connecting and sharing important information.
Center for Women's Business Research News release February 2007
Firms Owned by Women of Color Outpace All Firms
in Growth in Numbers
Yet Revenues and Employment are Lower Than Average
Washington, DC – Firms owned by women of color are growing at five times the rate of all privately-held U.S. firms, according to estimates released today by the Center for Women’s Business Research. Between 1997 and 2006, the number of privately-held firms that are 51% or more owned by women of color grew at 120%, while all privately-held firms grew by 24%.
Donna Heivilin Receives The Mandy Goetze 21st Century Award
TIAW Global Partnership Forum 2006
Each year, TIAW presents The Mandy Goetze 21st Century Award to a member who personifies its mission of “Connecting to make all the difference in the world.” This year, that award was presented to TIAW past president, Dr. Donna Heivilin at our recent Global Partnership Forum held in Atlanta.
........ Or Simply Someone Who Lives The TIAW Mission?
During the past 20 years, TIAW long time member Peggy Espinda has attended about 15 annual conferences. For her, each conference was jam packed with fascinating speakers with an abundance of timely knowledge to impart, and the 2006 Atlanta Global Forum didn’t disappoint. A "junkie for learning," the best part of the conferences has always been the people who Peggy meets. Living in Atlanta, and having some available time, she assumed the role of chauffeur and host.
Reflections on the Business & Trade Mission, Atlanta, GA
First Impressions by Dr Diane Kline, Palm Desert, CA
Exhilarating, powerful, dynamic, inspirational, caring, collaborative, knowledgeable, friendly and fun are all adjectives that would describe the events and people that I met during my four day stay at this outstanding global convention. The first evening meal provided introductions to the powerful women behind the convention and provided an opportunity to meet and get to know Haifa Al-Kaylani. This amazing woman is bringing Arab countries together to provide a “world without borders”, providing a forum for cross cultural dialogue, and focusing on commonalities rather than conflicts within and among the Arab nations. Haifa believes in “building bridges to businesses” for women; however, she believes that there are still three impediments to accomplishing these goals: freedom, empowerment of women, and unequal citizenship. The solution is to educate and train women for jobs.
Through The Eyes of a Fourteen Year Old by - Srebriana Noeva - London, UK. & Sofia, Bulgaria
Three months ago my when my mom told me that the TIAW annual meeting was coming up, I wasn’t surprised because she travels to the U.S.A. a lot. What surprised me was that she said that I would be coming along. When I was little (about 11) my mom told me that some day when I grew up she would take me with to America to one of TIAW conferences that she attends every year, but I had no idea that it was going to be so soon. I was so excited! I mean, the U.S.A., TIAW - wow I thought. I know TIAW since I was small child. My mom is so deeply involved with the organisation. She contributes a lot of time and effort to work for TIAW.
CENTRE FOR INNOVATION, ENTERPRISE & TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMEN (CIET FOR WOMEN) IN WEST AFRICA
Support for inventive and innovative micro, small and medium sized women owned businesses across West Africa have received a boost as a result of a new alliance between Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network (GWIIN) based in the United Kingdom and Doregos Private Academy based in Lagos, Nigeria. Starting from September 2007, GWIIN will open its first innovation centre – CIET For Women and is now calling for strategic partners to work in collaboration. GWIIN is expecting many Africa friendly organisations to join them in developing this new facility into a leading edge resource centre for women with great ideas across West Africa.
Doregos Private Academy recently made available to GWIIN, a 3 storey building currently under construction scheduled for completion by September 2007. The building which is described by Bola Olabisi, GWIIN’s CEO, as a regional educational tool will consist of a reception area, training rooms, an ICT room and 14 residential single apartments. This new centre is located within Doregos Private Academy’s new Campus also under construction and will serve towards building of opportunities for creative, inventive & innovative women with a particular focus on the workplace, the business environment, education & learning institutions and all areas covering the introduction of new products, technologies, engineering, services & processes.
Myrna Yao, Chief Operating Officer of Richwell Trading Corporation, a company that imports & distributes toys, shoes, apparel, tires and baby products in the Philippines, became a member of TIAW in 2002 when she attended the Women’s Leaders’ Network in Mexico and got actively involved during the International Meeting in Hong Kong in May 2002.
Recap of the 11th APEC Women Leaders Network Meeting
Recap of the 11th APEC Women Leaders’ Network Meeting & SME Business Forum,
Hanoi, Viet Nam, September 18 – 22, 2006
By Maxine Westaway, Executive Director, TIAW
The Women Leaders’ Network (WLN) launched in Manila in 1996 is a public-private network of women leaders representing all sectors of business, government, academia and civil-society from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) economies. WLN plays an important role by contributing women leader’s perspectives and expertise to the APEC region.
A Conversation With Vicki Gordon, InterContinental Hotel Group
Women in the hospitality industry face the same challenges that women in other industries face. Coming up through the ranks of human resources and sales and marketing, they often lack the front line operational experience they need to get the coveted positions often occupied by men
Not so for Vicki Gordon, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the Americas at InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), who progressed through positions of increasing responsibilities over her 17-year stint at the company. A 30-year industry veteran, Vicki started out in marketing & sales, demonstrating capability in every area she was assigned to. Now in her current role for six years, she is responsible for government relations, community outreach, corporate social responsibility, meetings & special events and facilities management. At this stage in her career, as she thinks about professional growth opportunities, Vicki would welcome greater international responsibilities.
If you’re in the hospitality industry - or any other industry for that matter - Vicki’s story could very well be your story. She was very strategic about her career. She not only mastered each role that she was assigned to, but also developed fluency in the “operations language” to get a deeper understanding of that aspect of the business. In addition, she worked from within the organization to facilitate change.
If you want to progress in your organization, Vicki offers this advice: “Be a continuous learner, learn as much as you can and choose good mentors. Create a “board of mentors,” which consists of people with various areas of expertise, and who can help you with different aspects of your career and professional development. I think that’s absolutely essential.”
Programs, products and services are often created because of an existing need. Having worked for International Planned Parenthood for seven years, and consulted to the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for another three years in the capacity of Communications Program Officer, TIAW member, Catherine Mugo-Muna noticed that when people received funding for projects, they seldom achieved self-sufficiency – they took the money, used it and expected the same funders to give them additional funds to continue with their projects.
Catherine knew there had to be a better way. It was clear to her that what was needed was a program that provided the initial seed money for the projects, as well as provide training to the recipients to help them develop innovative ways to raise additional funds, helping them to become self sufficient.
During her travels in Kenya and all over Africa, she noticed that there were many people who made the most beautiful crafts – carpeting, bed covers, clothing, handbags, accessories, you name it – but lacked the “know how” about making quality products. Catherine’s idea generating machine went into full gear, and the idea born was to establish a group whose motto would be “breaking the cycle of poverty.”
In 2001, Skills Development for Self Reliance Inc. was born! With funds from the European Union, Catherine and her team provided seed money to various groups, as well as help them to build on their existing skills by bringing in skilled artisans to teach them how to make quality products, not just beautiful products. They then taught them how to market their products locally and internationally. The funding recipients were also encouraged to train their children to acquire the same skills so that they would have a family business.
The National Women's Business Council will host a Web Cast
September 12 Web Cast to Focus on Policy Priorities of Women Entrepreneurs
The National Women's Business Council will host a Web Cast on September 12 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to discuss the policy priorities of women business owners.
During the event, Council members and other policy leaders will address public policies affecting women-owned businesses and the outlook in Congress. This event, being held in Washington, DC, will also be broadcast live over the Internet. NWBC Tami Longaberger will moderate the event, and panelists will include: Rebecca Boenigk, Neutral Posture, Inc.; Anne Crews, Mary Kay Inc.; Kathryn Eshelman, Grade A Notes; and Patricia Soldano, Cymric Family Offices Services.
Visit the NWBC web site for additional information, including time, location and log-in instructions. Please contact the National Women's Business Council at 202-205-3850 or mailto:info@nwbc.gov with any questions about the upcoming Web Cast.
TIAW World of Difference Award Winner is Named
Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders
There are women throughout the world whose actions, efforts and inspiration truly do make a "World of Difference" in supporting the advancement of women. Whether it is a small village project in a developing country that has ripple effects throughout the community, or an event or initiative on a global scale, the TIAW World of Difference Award recognizes the power within every individual to change the world we live in for the betterment of women. Each year, TIAW bestows the TIAW World of Difference Award at the annual TIAW Global Partnership Forum to recognize one woman who has truly made a difference in the lives of women. This year, the award will be proudly bestowed upon Laura A. Liswood, the Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders, of which she is a co-founder.A nationally recognized speaker, author, and advisor, Liswood has contributed to leadership in the women’s community for more than twenty years.
Here are a few more of Laura's specific achievements:
She has worked to change the cultural message in the about women as leaders by co-founding The White House Project.
As director of the Women’s Leadership Project, Liswood interviewed 15 current and former women presidents and prime ministers, which is chronicled in her book and video documentary, Women World Leaders. This also led to the creation of the Council of Women World Leaders.
TIAW announces InterContinental Hotels Group (ICHG) as a Platinum sponsor. We caught up with Sue Morgan, Vice President Franchise Food & Beverage at ICHG to find out more about the hotel, her role, and women in general in the hospitality industry.
ICHG was attracted to TIAW and wanted to become a sponsor because it’s not only a smart business alliance, but also because they have a global presence and a sense of community, which provides a great cultural fit with TIAW.
InterContinental is concerned about women! It provides, “Rewarding performance in an inclusive and diverse corporate culture is exemplified from the top down... Half of the direct reports - to Steve Porter, President of the - are women.This is a powerful indication of ICHG's commitment to the opportunities for women,” explains Ms. Morgan.
Ms. Morgan whose background is in the restaurant industry, is fairly new to the hospitality industry. Prior to switching to the hospitality industry, she held Chief Marketing Officer positions, specifically, as it relates to national fast food and casual dining brands. She is excited about the opportunity to maximize the guest experience at ICHG, by evolving the brand value of the food and beverage.
Cairo, Egypt June 10 – 12th, 2006 By
Maxine Westaway
Executive Director, TIAW
To visit
Cairo, is exciting any time, to do so with over 900 academic, business and political leaders from 89 economies at the 16thGlobal Summit of Women was an incredible experience.Also at the summit this year were 44 female ministers from a host of different countriesThe theme, “Redefining Global Leadership,” which underscored the impact women have on the institutions they lead – whether in government or business - seemed so appropriate.By holding the conference in Egypt, non-Arab participants had a chance to see the “Business excellence” of women from Egypt as well as other Arab and African countries, and they in turn had thechance to network with their counterparts from other countries along with Corporate executives from a number of multinationals
TIAW held its first Web Conference regarding the upcoming International Business & Trade mission to be held November 9, 2006 in Atlanta, GA. in conjunction with the Global Partnership Forum 2006.
To listen to this conference call please click on the link below
If you don't have Flash installed, you may be prompted to install Flash before reviewing the archive. To replay it, select this link:
L to R Stephanie Mackendrick, Diane Morris, Linly Lord, Curtin Business School, Perth, Australia, Professor Susan Vinnicombe, Cranfield School of Management, UK
On May 24, 2006, one of Britain’s best-known addresses was the scene of a gathering of local and international leaders who met to discuss “Next Steps in Gender Equality.”
TIAW was represented by both of its Vice Presidents: Stephanie MacKendrick, President of Canadian Women in Communications, who is 1st VP and Chair of the Women on Boards Committee and Diane Morris, President of City Women’s Network, who is TIAW’s 2nd Vice President. They were among the 75 who attended a special session at No. 11 Downing Street, (with the kind permission of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at whose official residence it was held) presented by the Smith Institute featuring the Rt. Hon. Ruth Kelly, MP (Minister for Women) as opening speaker, followed by Professor Laura Tyson, Director, London Business School. A panel discussion, moderated by BBC Radio 4 presenter Carolyn Quinn, included Dr. Katherine Rake of the Fawcett Society, Jenny Watson of the UK Equal Opportunities Commission, Tom Riordan of Yorkshire Forward, Sara Harvey of Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and Sarah Bond of KPMG.
NWBC Chair Tami Longaberger Receives Leadership Award
On May 2 in New York City, NWBC Chair Tami Longaberger received one of three "Leading by Example" awards from the Center for Women's Business Research during the organization's 12th Annual Executive Roundtable. Longaberger, who is Chair & CEO of The Longaberger Company, was honored for her commitment to enlarging the possibilities for women business owners and setting the standard for others by demonstrating courage and leadership as a role model for other women. Other awardees were Sheila Johnson and Linda Kaplan Thaler.
TIAW Global Partnership Forum 2006
Save The Date!
TIAW Global Partnership Forum 2006
“Excellence in Leadership – Women Setting the Pace”
November 9th – 11th
TIAW, The Executive Women of Goizueta (EWG) and Georgia Executive Women’s Network (GEWN) invite you to attend “Excellence in Leadership – Women Setting the Pace,” this year’s Global Partnership Forum.
A visit to Chile An Interview with Diane Morris President, CWN, London
interview by Sue Sheen, editor CWN Connections
A trip to Chile, even for such a well-traveled person as Diane Morris, cannot help but be memorable. And indeed Diane has come back full of her memories of this amazing country, squeezed between mountains and sea, and stretching over 2,600 miles from arid desert to frozen south.
Chile was, she says, an exciting place to be, particularly given the recent victory of its first woman president, Michelle Bachelet. Over the past few years Chile’s economic success has been outstanding, and it enjoys political consensus and policy stability. Ms Bachelet, however, has strong challenges ahead of her — improving the education of the poor, pensions, and ensuring the country’s power supply.
The primary purpose of Diane’s visit was TIAW’s International Conference, but she also fitted in a trip to Patagonia (‘distinctly chilly, wonderfully pure air, and scenery that is just stunning’) and a visit to the coast (‘damp and cloudy’). In Santiago itself the temperature was 30o, so packing was, Diane says, quite a challenge!
When you are part of an organization like TIAW, you ask yourself, “What does success look like?” Today I witnessed success in the faces of three women who after marriage, children, and in one case grandchildren, have just come into their own.
We (17 altogether) started our day by visiting Isabel Infante, the Executive Director of FINAM, at her office in Santiago. FINAM, TIAW’s microfinance enterprise partner in Chile, manages, selects, and administers micro-loans to qualifying women in Santiago. FINAM has 15 employees - 8 women, 7 men.
FINAM was set up at the beginning of good times for Chilean economy to address the access to capital needs of poor women. Banks typically do not lend money to people without a good credit history. With no credit history at all, women found it especially difficult to qualify for loans.
How The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) Can Help You
By Lea Chambers, VP Marketing and Communications, TIAW
Once upon a time there was a woman who woke up one morning and decided to take a risk and move closer to her life’s dream. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it, she had no idea where the money was going to come from, and she didn’t even know who to talk to about the most logical next step for her to take. It was a quiet morning, the city was just waking up around her, and she lay in bed for a few quiet moments, looking at the ceiling, feeling very small as she contemplated what she was going to do next.
She let herself feel small for a moment, and then took a deep breath and swung her legs out of the bed and started with her day. She was suddenly silent inside, all the chaos of her mind wondering “Should I do this? What’s going to happen? Will I fail?” seemed to have finally dissipated now that she had made her decision. She was at peace with herself because she had finally, finally honored that little voice in her head that for years had been saying to her “Why not?” And she was simply using her courage to move forward, step by step.
This is the story of women all over the world and it happens every day. What that little voice is saying has more variations than there are grains of sand on a beach. Maybe for a woman in Santiago it’s making the decision to get a loan from a micro-enterprise bank and start her own hair salon. Maybe for a senior executive at a bank in New York it’s making the decision to retire and go traveling with her husband. Maybe for a Bulgarian woman who’s recently widowed it’s the decision to move back to her hometown and run for politics.
Impressions of the TIAW International Conference in Chile
By Stephanie Boyles, VP Technology, TIAW
It was a week of ideas, a week of visions, a week of seeing dreams come true. It was also a week of great food, interesting people and on one magical night – Rumba! I love the opportunity to get to know people from different cultures anyway, but to be able to meet them with the intention and the possibility of creating together a better world quickens the heart.
We started with the Board Meeting, working together to refresh and sharpen our shared goals. Normally I work mostly with men, so having the opportunity to work with and see this group of powerful women strive to come up with actionable, measurable goals focused on the economic empowerment of women worldwide was a gift. I brought my 15 year old daughter with me, so this gift was magnified by her being able to experience it as well.
The next day we visited TIAW’s Microfinance partner for Chile, Filial Chilena Banca De La Mujer (FINAM), and three of the women who received micro-loans through the grant TIAW provided. Of the entire week, I’d have to say this was the highlight for me. Just witnessing what these women have been able to do in their lives was worth the 30 hours of travel from Denver to Santiago and back.
When my mother first popped the question, “Do you wanna go to Chile on Spring Break?” the first thing I saw in my mind was the flashing sign of all the different things I could be doing that week. Then I thought about the actual question Chile … It was a new place to go, there would be new people to meet, and it would be a chance to practice my lethargically progressing Spanish. Then Mom told me about TIAW, which I had heard little about in her previous spouts of joy. I soon learned that TIAW is an umbrella organization for women’s networks worldwide dedicated to the economic empowerment of women, a cause in which I believe whole-heartedly. Needless to say, I agreed to go.
So the weeks went by and finally it was time to fly. In the rush of packing, I hurriedly snatched a book off the chaos that was my desk; it just happened to be the book my mom had been soliciting me to read, and it just happened to be one of the best books I’ve ever read (with the exception of Harry Potter of course). The book is Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende, set partially in Chile; it talks about the history of the isolated country through the eyes of some very strong women. Through this book I was able to compare many of the women we met with those of the novel. But I’m getting ahead of myself…first we meet Maxine.
A report finds women still lag in the number of startups, but these entrepreneurs have important success stories to tell
Cary Marsh sold streaming video in the business-to-business environment in Britain. Then she went on maternity leave, and her career path changed forever. After four months of changing diapers and snuggling with her first son, she got the itch to go back to work. That's when she came up with the idea for Mydeo.com, a service that allows home moviemakers to upload their films to a streaming network. She launched the business in 2004 and had teamed up with Microsoft (MSFT) by August, 2005. Her business, located in Kingston Upon Thames near London, is growing.
International Women’s Day, now celebrated on March 8th, is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. Its roots in other countries are as varied as how it is celebrated.
Socialist women in the United States organized the first National Women's Day in 1908 and helped inspire the international event. Fifteen thousand women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. On February 28, 1909, the Socialist Party of America observed the first International Women’s Day (IWD) in the United States following a declaration.
The first IWD in Germany, Austria, Denmark and other European countries was held on March 19, 1911. German women selected this date because in 1848 the Prussian king had promised the vote for women.
In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled thereafter. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.
In 1975, designated as International Women’s Year, the United Nations gave official sanction to and began sponsoring International Women's Day. And, in 1977, The General Assembly of the United Nations passed Resolution 32/142, and officially called on all countries to set aside a day to recognize women's advancements.
In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in California began a "Women's History Week" celebration. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day. Three years later, the United States Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women's History Week.
In 1987, the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the national celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women's History Month Resolution has been approved with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. The month long observance is in recognition of women's many accomplishments throughout history. A variety of agencies, schools, and organizations observe the month by focusing on the “consistently overlooked and undervalued” role of American women in history. Libraries and communities promote special events. This year the theme of Women’s History Month is "Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams."
In 2005, the Congress of the British Trades Union Congress overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for IWD to be designated a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
Rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on equal footing with men, IWD honors the achievements of women and promotes women's rights. Around the world, IWD marks a celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political achievements for women. Its symbols, adopted from the labour movement at the turn of the century, are bread to represent the struggle for economic equality and roses to represent continuing efforts for a better quality of life.
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By Avil Beckford
like a “fish out of water.” Later that night while lying on my bed in the hotel room, I was reminded of what it feels like to not be included, and I suddenly truly appreciated The International Alliance for Women for organizing the International Trips, which help to foster cultural harmony by exposing us to many different cultures.
To visit
A trip to Chile, even for such a well-traveled person as Diane Morris, cannot help but be memorable. And indeed Diane has come back full of her memories of this amazing country, squeezed between mountains and sea, and stretching over 2,600 miles from arid desert to frozen south. 
