Mission

Working in emerging democracies and post-conflict regions around the world, Women’s Campaign International advances opportunities for women to actively participate in public advocacy and political processes.  In providing the requisite skills, knowledge and culturally-sensitive support, we develop leaders who transform the lives of everyone they serve.

WCI All the Difference in the World from Women's Campaign International on Vimeo.

Values

WCI’S work promotes and is guided by the following principles:

• Self-determination for all women worldwide
• Men and women are universally equal and should have access to the same rights, education and opportunities
• The meaningful inclusion of women’s voices will enhance democratic processes worldwide
• Those in power should work to support the least advantaged members of society
• Sustainable, community-driven programs that promote local participation and ownership

History

Women’s Campaign International was founded in 1998 by Pennsylvania Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies. After serving in Congress, Ms. Margolies led the United States delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. At the conference, 189 countries signed a Platform for Action that pledged to further the rights of women around the world. Inspired by these commitments and the astounding attendance of thousands of women participants from around the world, Ms. Margolies founded WCI to help women achieve the goals laid out in the Platform for Action. WCI’s programs help women find their voices by giving them tangible skills in areas such as leadership, public speaking, media relations, grassroots organizing, campaign strategies, voter outreach and mobilization, polling, policy analysis and fundraising. WCI has worked with political leaders, activists, advocacy groups and non-profit partner organizations to ensure that women have a legitimate opportunity to participate in the development of public policy, and that women’s issues are placed on local, national and regional agendas. With the help of local civil society organizations (CSOs), WCI is able to tailor its programs to fit the needs, culture and abilities of women in each country.

Board of Directors

Hether Smith, Acting Co-Chair

Ms. Smith is a Senior Vice President and Branch Manager at Studley Inc., a commercial real estate firm. Ms. Smith has been recognized six times as one of Studley’s top brokers nationally. Previously she worked with Interspace Incorporated and The Fantus Group, where she specialized in developing long-range real estate strategies. Regarded as an industry expert, she is a past president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Network of Commercial Real Estate Women (NNCREW). Ms. Smith holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sara Nichols, Acting Co-Chair

Ms. Nichols currently works as an environmental and political activist in Los Angeles. Before running for Congress in 1994, she worked as an international flight attendant for TWA, a public defender, and a staff attorney for a public interest environmental organization in Pennsylvania. Ms. Nichols holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of New Hampshire and a JD from Villanova Law School.

Jon Stiklorius, Treasurer

Mr. Stiklorius is a principal partner of Marvin & Palmer Associates Inc., a global equity management firm. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Vice President at the First Boston Corporation. He also served in the armed forces as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Stiklorius holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Barbara Baumstein

Adelaide Ferguson

Adelaide Ferguson is an international education and development consultant based in Philadelphia, PA.  Prior to her work as a consultant, Ms. Ferguson worked at Temple University for over 20 years and founded the university’s first comprehensive Office of International Affairs.  In this position, she managed Temple’s extensive international portfolio, including campuses in Japan, China and Italy. As Temple Law School’s Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs, she led the team developing a rule of law program in China.  She is a contributing editor on a book on the International Human Rights of Women, the recipient of three awards for her social justice work and a frequent speaker at national conferences. Ms. Ferguson holds a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University and a masters degree in Human Rights Law from Oxford University.

Amy Gavin

Amy Gavin is a dedicated, seasoned professional committed to the organizational and financial development of non-profit, philanthropic and cultural organizations engaged in community service. Amy has worked professionally and as a volunteer in fundraising, grant writing, event planning and development in both the private and government sectors. She has devoted her time, talents, ideas, and resources to charitable organizations as a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. Amy has worked with leaders from a wide range of organizations in the fields of Education, Art, Politics, Women’s Issues, Health, Social Services, Legal Services, Community and International Organizations. Amy holds a B.A. degree from The State University of New York at Potsdam in Writing & Literature and Education. She is certified to teach both elementary education and secondary English education.

Lynne Gold-Bikin

Lynne Z. Gold-Bikin is the former chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) family law section.  In her career as an attorney, she spearheaded the development of a relationship education course called PARTNERS, which is now utilized in many high schools nationwide. She has spent a good part of her career working to save marriages and campaigning fiercely for women’s rights. The founder of the ABA’s Domestic Violence Committee, she served as ABA’s representative to Russia to address domestic violence issues for the parliament and its delegate to the Fourth Annual United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing.

Sue Goldstein-Rubel

Sue Rubel is the founding CEO of her own Interior Design Business. Her company is based in Philadelphia and has been running successfully for 40 years.   Her designs are known throughout the city as high-end residential and her work has been widely published, most notably in “Spectacular Homes of Philadelphia”. Sue is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design.  Sue is also an accomplished photographer, writer, sculptor and jeweler.  She is a mother of three and a grandmother of five.

Edie Hunt

Edie is chief operating officer of the Human Capital Management Division at Goldman Sachs, with responsibilities for the talent management activities of the firm, including recruiting, diversity and training.  She joined the firm in 1981 and has worked in the J. Aron Division, Precious Metals Sales/Trading, and Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities. Edie is a member of the Howard University School of Business Board of Visitors, the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women, the Advisory Council of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and St. Philip’s Academy Board of Trustees. Edie earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1974 and BA and BS degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972.

Kate McGinley

Kate McGinley has been a psychotherapist for more than twenty years and is now in private practice in St. David’s, PA. Prior to that, Ms. McGinley worked as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. Ms. McGinley is active with many charitable organizations and foundations.

Kathleen Murphy

Pete Retzlaff

Malena Ruth

Born and raised in Mozambique, Malena Ruth has spent her life developing projects with the goal of inspiring and empowering women in all parts of the world. Malena joined the United Nations Fund for Women as a researcher focusing on women’s issues and women’s rights in Africa. She later became the President and Co-Founder of the African Millennium Foundation (AMF), an organization which seeks to build strategic non-profit and non-governmental organizations committed to the social and economic empowerment of the people of Africa, particularly women.  As a social entrepreneur, Malena sees the potential of business enterprises to benefit communities most in need.  She has also developed the e-commerce website, Poverty Not, to create a global market for products produced in developing countries with 25% of the site’s net profit supporting community development and micro-credit programs in Africa.

Carol Scheman

Carol R. Scheman currently serves as the Senior Vice President for External Affairs at Northeastern University. In this position she directs the University’s outreach to its external constituencies including the media, community and governmental entities. Ms. Scheman has also served as the Vice President for Communications and External Affairs at The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. In this position she coordinated and directed the university’s relationships with the media, university publications and electronic communications, alumni, the Board of Regents, various communities as well as governmental agencies and the U.S. Congress. From 1994 to 2005, Ms. Scheman served as vice president for government, community and public affairs at the University of Pennsylvania.  Prior to coming to the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Scheman was deputy commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Ty Stiklorius

Ty Stiklorius is a manager and partner at The Artists Organization (TAO), a Los Angeles-based management company and home to a diverse portfolio of musicians including John Legend, Matisyahu, Counting Crows, and Lenny Kravitz. Ty supervises day-to-day management of John Legend and singer-songwriter Madi Diaz. Ty joined TAO in 2008 after forming JL Ventures with Mr. Legend in 2006. At JLV, Ty was responsible for developing and launching The Show Me Campaign in partnership with Prof. Jeffery Sachs’ Millennium Promise organization, which aims to fight extreme poverty through sustainable development. Ty earned an MBA from The Wharton School of Business as well a BA from The University of Pennsylvania.

Staff

You’ll find a full list of WCI’s staff on the Contact Us page.