On April 4, 2011 the WCI team attended UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s lecture at The University of Pennsylvania. The talk was the kickoff event for the Fifth Annual Global Colloquium of University Presidents and was entitled: “Empowering Women to Change the World: What Universities and the UN Can Do.”

In his speech, the Secretary-General reminded the audience of the importance of promoting women’s development worldwide, and also discussed the role of academics and students in that process. While sitting in the balcony in awe of the distinguished company around me, the message was surprisingly familiar, reminiscent of Michelle Bachelet’s speech to commemorate the launch of UN Women and to celebrate, and draw a road map for, continued progress towards the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. But the message resonated as familiar, I realized, because under the Secretary-General’s leadership during the past five years, much has been done to make this message familiar. The UN’s strategy has transformed this once simple message regarding women’s empowerment into a familiar, less refutable given.

Through the efforts of the UN, NGOs, private firms, and political leaders worldwide, we are much closer to achieving this goal. In fact, in the last five years, the number of women in top leadership positions at the UN has risen to 40%. Over one-third of senior posts at the UN are now held by women. The Secretary General emphasized that these are posts that even 10 years ago were seen as too aggressive, too dangerous to be held by women.

It is thanks in part to the steadfast commitment of the UN to women’s rights and gender equality that we are at a point where some of us may be able to stop asking why women’s empowerment is important and start asking how we can help. At the same time, we cannot forget that while some of us sitting in the audience may think one way about women’s rights, there are billions of people who are yet to be convinced. For example, Mr. Ban pointed out that even in university settings, where women participate in higher numbers than men, women are still under-represented in the science and technology sectors and at the professorial level in general.

Working to correct such imbalances is not only good for women, but Mr. Ban implied that it is also good for democracy. Throughout his talk, the Secretary-General frequently referred back to the Egyptian and Tunisian protests, ostensibly an odd move given that he was speaking to University presidents about the role of the academy in promoting women’s leadership. Little by little, however, it became clear that Mr. Ban was, implicitly, hinting at the fact that we cannot see democracies emerge in any part of the world if women are not considered full, participating members of their communities. Promoting women’s leadership, therefore, will promote the spread of human rights, equality, dignity and democracy worldwide.

Mr. Ban ended his talk by once again applauding the advances women have made over the past century, lauding their tenacity in fighting for increased opportunities. But, he urged, it is not enough to just get a job. Instead, women need to be serving in leadership positions, in government or NGOs, in education. In any field in which they work, women must strive to be decision makers.

Women’s Campaign International, believing in this creed, works with women worldwide to equip them with the skills they need to become decision makers. WCI President, Marjorie Margolies, often says, “In helping to support women leaders, we can’t really say it’s going to make things better or worse, but we can confidently say it will make a difference.” It is this difference that we have seen over and over again in the twelve years WCI has been in operation: women emerging to make decisions that include their needs, and the needs of their children, to shape healthier and more fulfilling societies.

Enemies of Happiness closes with Ms. Joya’s victory, but reveals the complexities inherent in that victory. In the final two scenes of the film, we see Ms. Joya verbally sparring with her more conservative parliamentary colleagues. We also see President Karzai’s emotionally charged, sentimental speech to open the first parliamentary session in Afghanistan in nearly thirty years. In so doing, the film engages the tension between the hope inherent in securing a leadership position in an emerging democracy, and the continued challenges and setbacks women leaders face upon entering office.

Malalai Joya addressing an audience at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House in Philadelphia

On Wednesday March 30, Ms. Joya made two stops in Philadelphia as part of her U.S. speaking tour. At one of these events, I asked Ms. Joya about the ending of Enemies of Happiness, specifically what it suggested about her ability, or any woman’s ability to be effective in Afghan Parliament. She answered: “I wish the film didn’t end the way it did.” She said that ending with the Karzai speech left the viewer feeling that goals were accomplished and change easily made.

Instead, she wished the film showed her ongoing struggles after victory—the threats made against her by her colleagues, the times they turned off her microphone when she stood up to speak, the times she was thwarted in enacting her ideas. Ideas, she points out, that are as natural as asking that Afghan people be supported in accessing the most imperative of needs: education.

Women’s struggles do not end the minute they enter political office. Once there, they are faced with a number of hostilities as their presence, unfortunately, represents a threat to the old order. Ms. Joya, however, handles these pressures not only with dignity, but also with the hard skills needed of political leaders, including knowledge of the political system, a well-communicated platform, and strong negotiation skills.

In an excerpt from her recently published book, A Woman Among Warlords, Joya makes her determination clear, paralleling her fight with that of another brave Afghan woman who struggled against injustice in the early twentieth century, Sarwar Joya, from whom Malalai takes her alias. Malalai states:

“I know that because I refuse to compromise my opposition to the warlords and fundamentalists or soften my speeches denouncing them, I, too, may join [Sarwar] Joya on the long list of Afghans who have died for freedom. But you cannot compromise the truth. And I am not afraid of an early death if it would advance the cause of justice. Even the grave cannot silence my voice, because there are others who would carry on after me.”

As we collectively mourn the passing of Geraldine Ferraro, it is striking to remember that it was not long ago when here in the United States, women were not seen as viable political leaders. While women leaders in the U.S. have made great strides to move away from that perception, they are still working towards the goals of equal representation and equal decision-making power. What Ms. Joya helps us to remember is that each nation’s trajectory for women’s political participation will be distinct. It will take on the tenor of that particular nation’s history and culture, replete with unique challenges and opportunities. It will be an ever evolving, ongoing process. A process that benefits from the sharing of experiences and best practices of women leaders around the world.

A note from WCI: After conducting pre-election, campaign skills training for Afghan women in May of 2010, last week, Women’s Campaign International conducted a 5-day post election training for the 67 women parliamentarians in Afghanistan. Stay tuned for updates about these successful trainings.

View of Kruje, on the outskirts of Tirana

The conference was attended by a remarkable audience of over 200 young teenage girls (and boys!) from across Albania, Conference panels and talks focused on Human Rights, Economic Empowerment, and Political Participation. What follows are reflections on Marion’s inspirational experiences during the Conference, as well as some thoughts on what she learned about the work of promoting women’s leadership worldwide.

Ernesta Redi attended the Clinton Global Initiative in 2010. There, she was stunned to find that among all of the public-private partnerships formed and all the commitments declared to furthering women’s empowerment, there was little to no attention given to the Balkan region. Undefeated, Ernesta leveraged her connections and her grasp of the power of public-private partnerships to spearhead an initiative that tackles the slew of challenges preventing young women from participating in decision-making processes in all sectors and levels of Albanian society.

"She Is the Key" on Facebook

The first of its kind in Albania, this “She is the Key” website will provide a networking and mentorship platform connecting influential women leaders in business, politics, media and other sectors with up to 1 million young girls across the Balkan region. The hope is that with time, girls who have completed the mentoring program will then grab the torch and share the ideas, knowledge, and skills they’ve acquired with their peers. The website will also provide a space to document these mentorship experiences, creating a wide collection of stories which will later serve as an inspiration that encourages more girls and women to participate in the future.

Just as the “She is the Key” website is designed to do in the digital world, the conference provided a safe space in physical reality for participants to interact, learn from, and exchange thoughts and ideas with influential, inspiring women speakers and panelists. A remarkable enthusiasm and dynamism pervaded the conference as the audience and panelists spoke frankly with one another.

Young audience members sought from speakers the tangible advice and information needed to make a difference, be it in the field of politics or otherwise. Panelists and speakers, in turn, provided these inquisitive minds with helpful, informative answers, sometimes even going so far as to commit their full support.

Cathy Zurbach, panel member, "Strengthening Women's Empowerment in the Region"

In one particularly moving exchange, a young woman stood up to ask the Albanian MP Valentina Leskaj a question. The energy in the room was tense, both hopeful and hopeless. A number of young women had been expressing a shared sense of helplessness with a political world that seemed all too inaccessible for them. Then, this audience member brazenly, forthrightly asked MP Leskaj, “When I come to you and tell you I want to enter the sphere of politics, and I want to become a politician, can I count on you to help me and give me guidance? Will I have your support?”

The Hon. Leskaj leaned into the microphone, smiled, paused a moment, and answered simply but firmly, “Yes, of course.” The entire audience erupted in cheers and applause. We were, I felt, not just applauding the MP, but applauding the resurgence of hope into the room, applauding the tenacious belief that yes, we can make a difference and yes, our elected officials are here to serve us.

This remarkable energy lasted beyond the conference itself. That very evening, Ernesta had already received over 70 emails from young women not only thanking her for an inspiring day, but asking what actions they can take to move “She is the Key” forward. In just one day, the interactions of influential, powerful women and Albanian youth engendered an enthusiasm and desire to act; it’s exciting to think of what this initiative can accomplish in the long term.

I think for me, one of the most striking things about this conference was its sheer pragmatism, how in touch the discussions were with realities on the ground. Every panel and participant in one way or another emphasized that working towards the inclusion of women has to be an inclusive process in itself. That is, this process will require the efforts of men as well as women, artists as well as politicians, private firms as well as non-profits, and global as well as local communities.

At the same time, participants stressed the challenges that yet remain in promoting gender equality in the Balkans, challenges such as the decrease of foreign aid in the region, the persistent nature of cultural and gender stereotypes, lack of evaluative measures and resources, and the limited capacity of the program which means that rural girls may not be able to benefit from the program’s services.

Activist Valdete Idrizi (2nd from left) - 2008 International Woman of Courage honoree; Margarita Xhepa (far right) - revered Albanian film and stage actress; with aides, greeting the crowd

We at WCI fully believe in the power of women leaders to create change in communities and continents. Kaylynn expands upon this idea by asking: how can women be most effective as change agents? Which women? Where should they enter? What might their paths look like? Should we even be asking these questions? (Most advocates feel that women will have equal opportunities when we stop assessing their individual ability to help women as a whole). At WCI we do not have all the answers, but we are certainly interested in, and empowered by, raising these questions. We welcome you to join the conversation.

Sandra Torres de Colom, first lady of current President of Guatemala, Álvaro Colom, chose March 8th 2011, the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, to officially announce her candidacy for president. Although this piece of news didn’t make major headlines in the U.S., WCI followers will be interested to know that Ms. Torres could become Guatemala’s first female president.

"...And they will be united until elections separate them."

Controversy surrounds her declaration, however. The Guatemalan constitution bans close relatives of the president running to replace him. Ms. Torres and President Colom both believe the constitutional ban only applies to relations by blood, not by marriage. Critics, on the other hand, claim nepotism and the creation of a dynasty. This criticism has gained ground as of late with the surprising announcement that Mr. and Mrs. Torres filed for divorce, a move motivated by Sandra Torres’ love of country, as she describes it, and her desire to lead said country.

If the legality of Ms. Torres’ candidacy (and divorce) is sorted out and she can stand for election this September, she hopes to build upon the positive changes her husband has brought to the nation. Many believe, however, that President Colom has failed to live up to his most important promises to decrease the levels of violence and insecurity that Guatemalans face. Nevertheless, in Prensa Libre, a leading news source in Guatemala, Ms. Torres said she wants to ensure that social programs will continue and fears they may not under the rule of opposition parties. The First Lady also believes she is in touch with the needs of Guatemalan citizens as she has visited all 333 municipalities several times and was born in one of the poorest municipalities in the nation.

It remains to be seen how much of a difference Sandra Torres can make in the lives of Guatemalans, especially women. Following directly in her husband’s footsteps, she runs the risk of leading a presidency dominated by other mostly male members of the political party or simply being the figurehead of a continuance of her husband’s policies. On the other hand, Ms. Torres’ involvement in and stated commitment to social programs would seem to bode well for Guatemalans.

In any case, a tough road lies ahead for Sandra Torres were she to be elected president, as real change for Guatemalans is not as simple as implementing social programs from an executive position. Having visited the country and interacted with citizens from mostly rural areas, significant progress in all areas of development remains to be achieved. Ms. Torres needs to also address the vast number of citizens leaving the country in search of opportunities only available in Mexico and the United States.

Given approval by the Constitutional Court, Sandra Torres will face an uphill battle in the coming months in her efforts to overcome machismo cultural attitudes. Not only does she face the rigors of any political campaign, Ms. Torres must also fight to convince the majority of men in Guatemala that they can have confidence in the work and leadership of women. Overcoming this hurdle would be a momentous victory for women in Guatemala.

First Lady Sandra Torres on Campaign Trail

Candidate Eduardo Suger on Campaign Trail

The monopoly of strong male leaders in Latin America has endured for far too long. Even if we look at these two photos of Ms. Torres and Eduardo Suger on the campaign trail, it’s clear there are differences in their approaches, in who they reach out to, and in what’s expected of women in contrast to what’s expected of men. A further contrast can be observed in the depiction of The Patriotic Party portrayed below. This image adorned many walls in Guatemala, a firm-fisted call for new leadership, but a call that is at odds with the more soft-natured images of Torres.

Iconic symbol of the major opposition party, The Patriotic Party

So even if the constitutionality of Ms. Torres’ candidacy is up for question, it is clear, as research has shown, that women in positions of power bring attention to issues and people otherwise ignored. Regardless of who wins the presidency, hopefully in the future of Guatemala will emerge a new generation of women leaders who will bring about fresh approaches to dealing with the contemporary challenges that face Latin American countries.

These are just my thoughts, but to get the real scoop about what Guatemalans think about Sandra Torres’ candidacy, check out Prensa Libre, or Quetzalteco. A good news source in English is The Guatemala Times.

– Kaylynn Palaio

Throughout both election years, the women campaigning have had to face unique and troublesome challenges. These include battling everyday prejudices and insecurity along with threatening phone calls and death threats. Despite such occurrences, women won 27.3% of seats in the Afghan Parliament in 2010, surpassing the 25% constitutional quota.

One woman in particular, Malalai Joya, won a seat in parliament in 2005. She served until being suspended in 2007 after openly criticizing fellow parliamentarians. Despite this setback, Malalai Joya continues tirelessly and courageously to promote human rights in Afghanistan. Her story is so compelling and inspiring, that she was recently the subject of an award-winning documentary film Enemies of Happiness, profiling her daunting experiences campaigning for the 2005 election.

Malalai Joya was recently included in the Time 100, a list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. Ms. Joya is also a contributor to The Guardian, a leading British new source. The brief profile below was produced by Time as part of their Time 100 series.

Women’s Campaign International (WCI) supports Ms. Joya and her fellow female change agents. Over the past few years, WCI has been involved in a series of programs in Afghanistan. We’ve conducted 8 to 10 day training workshops with women addressing issues like leadership, self-awareness, gender power and corruption power dynamics, communication and conflict resolution.

Next week (March 28th), WCI staff will travel to Afghanistan to conduct a comprehensive training program for newly elected, women Members of Parliament. This workshop aims to develop the MPs’ leadership, communication and advocacy skills and provide them with the necessary tools and knowledge to enact legislative change and govern effectively.

To further explore these complex dynamics and intricate stories, we invite you to join us at a screening of Enemies of Happiness on Thursday March 24th. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring WCI President, Marjorie Margolies, and former PA State Representative, Lois Hagerty.

What: Enemies of Happiness Screening and Panel Discussion
When: Thursday, March 24, 6 – 8 PM
Where: Marathon Grill, 40th and Walnut St. (Upstairs)
Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served!

Read the full story here.