Globe Women Summits: 2010; 2011 & 2012

Hi Everyone, Last month, the annual Globe Women Summit celebrated its 20th anniversary in Beijing, China, with 1,040 delegates attending (the largest number in the Summit's history), from 80 countries.  This was an impressive achievement and a credit to both the Summit's longevity and to the Summit's President and key spokesperson, Irene Natividad. 

For those of you interested in reading more about this year's summit, please see below some extracts from the Globe Women newsletter today.

For those of you interested in attending future summits, the 2011 Globe Women Summit will be held in Turkey (dates to be advised) and the 2012 Summit in Greece.

Best wishes for your day/evening! Andrea

Extracts From The Globe Women Summit Newsletter

"At the Opening Ceremony, Summit President Irene Natividad reminded participants of the uniqueness of this global forum – its focus on advancing women’s economic status worldwide; its program emphasis on exchanges of solutions and strategies forged by women; its insistence on having business, government and civil society leaders present at each forum – the three ‘legs’ of change, according to Natividad.

The Honorable Chen Zhili, Vice Chair of China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chair of the All-China Women’s Federation, extended her country’s welcome and was joined by Vietnam’s Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister Maud Olofsson and the First Lady of Tanzania Salma Kikwete in greeting women leaders from around the world. A spectacular display of Chinese cultural music and dance capped the opening of the Summit in the Great Hall of the People, the venue for visiting heads of state over the years, whose doors China opened to women from around the world at the Summit."

"...How business can work together with government and civil society was the theme of the Ministerial Roundtable preceding the Summit. Thirty women government ministers of various portfolios and special high-level government officials including U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga shared with each other examples of such partnerships. Corporate leaders as well were invited to present programs they have developed with various governments to improve women’s lives.

ITT’s President for China and India Mike Kuchenbrod spoke of the water program they initiated in China that enabled women and girls in rural areas to secure water through water pumps they learn to put together. Qiagen’s President for Asia Pacific Victor Shi announced the provision of one million test kits that his company is making available to ensure early detection of cervical cancer among Chinese women and those in other developing economies. Wing dar Ker, Microsoft’s General Manager in the Asia Pacific and Greater China Region, spoke of technology programs for women in the region; Ernst & Young’s Billie Williamson described their project to assist entrepreneurial women, while the U.N.’s Executive Director for the International Trade Center Patricia Francis spoke of a telephony project with the Liberian government which enabled market price information to be conveyed speedily to farmers, many of whom are women.

The Ministers themselves voted to recognize two of their peers to receive the Ministerial Best Practices in Public/Private Partnership Awards. This year, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Labor Patricia Espinosa Torres was awarded for her ministry’s program to certify day workers, many of whom are women, to enable them to receive benefits. Saudi Arabia’s first woman minister, Norah al Faiz, Vice Minister of Education, was lauded for various education initiatives for girls developed in alliance with various partners in her country. For each project, the Global Summit of Women gave a U.S.$5,000.00 mini-grant to distinguish these initiatives. (For more information on past and recent Ministerial Roundtables, click here, click to GSW, then to Ministerial Roundtable.)

In keeping with the Summit’s tradition of saluting achievement on the world’s stage on behalf of women, the Global Women’s Leadership Award went to two renowned, outstanding women: Finland’s President Tarja Halonen and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata."

"...The 2010 Summit Women’s Achievement Award was given to Chen Zhili, Vice Chair of China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chair of the All-China Women’s Federation (with the rank of Minister). One of the highest ranking women in the Chinese government, Minister Chen serves as a role model for the women in her country as to the heights they can reach with effort, intelligence and leadership skills. She is now heading up ACWF’s programs to expand Chinese women’s economic and educational opportunities as well as to improve women’s health.

The Global Summit of Women itself received an ‘award’ for its two-decade record of bringing women together internationally to improve women’s economic futures by the Sungjoo Foundation. Its President, Sungjoo Kim (CEO of MCM), granted the Summit a US$1 million pledge to be used towards the engagement of youth in entrepreneurship. This year’s Youth Forum – the first of many to come -- brought over 100 business students from China for a program that introduced social and commercial entrepreneurship to this audience.

The Summit marked this generous commitment by granting, in turn, a U.S.$10,000 mini-grant to the All-China Women’s Federation for its Innovative Microenterprise Development program for Chinese Women. One of the interesting aspects of this program included coverage of the interest payments on loans secured by women business owners to start or to grow their businesses, thus releasing additional capitalization.

Since the 2007 in Berlin, the Summit has made a commitment to engage women worldwide to prevent cervical cancer – the only health issue in its program because there is a solution: effective testing and vaccinations. It is the only cancer for which the cause is known, HPV (human papilloma virus), and for which new technologies provide a promise of its eradication. The Summit asked its delegates to inform themselves and others, to get themselves tested and to persuade family members and networks to do the same. Hundreds of delegates at the Beijing Summit submitted pledge cards committing themselves to this fight and thus joining GSW’s Global Consortium to End Cervical Cancer."

"...As it moves towards the next decade, the Global Summit of Women announced two major initiatives to mark its 20th anniversary. The first is NGO Leads, a training program designed to assist NGO leaders in establishing sustainable organizations. “Women’s business associations and economic development groups do a tremendous service for women in other countries, but many are challenged by the demands of meeting their mission with limited resources and largely volunteer-driven programs, so NGO Leads is an attempt to assist in helping these critical institutions to grow,” states Summit President Irene Natividad.

Since small business is the foundation of every economy in the world, Entrepreneurial Legacies is a program that the Summit is launching to connect young women and girls with successful women entrepreneurs in different parts of the world. “You cannot imagine a career in which you don’t see role models, so showcasing women entrepreneurs in your own country and sharing their stories of lessons learned is a powerful source of inspiration, as well as information, for seeing entrepreneurship as a future path for economic success,” explains Natividad. (For NGOs to apply for either program, please email Globe Women here.)"

Registrations Now Open For Globe Women Summit in Beijing, China, May 20-22, 2010

Hi Everyone, A quick shout-out for the Globe Women Summit coming up in May 2010.

"The 2010 Summit theme 'Women at the Forefront of Change' illustrates our cause for celebration as the Summit enters the next decade of the leadership role that women are playing in addressing the critical issues that women—and men—face worldwide. The Summit will feature women who have led best practices and policies, which are improving women’s economic status worldwide.

Please note that we are limiting participants to 1,000 at the 2010 Summit and we expect to reach full capacity far in advance of the Summit opening so we encourage you to register early."

The Summit will take place at the Marriott City Wall Hotel in Beijing, China.

Registrations are now open and you can learn more online here.

Globe Women Newsletter: Croatia's New Female Prime Minister & More...

Hi Everyone, Two interesting segments in Globe Women's newsletter yesterday that might interest you:

Croatia's New Female Prime Minister

There is a new addition to the elite group of women who lead nations. The Honorable Jadranka Kosor became Croatia’s first female Prime Minister on July 6, 2009, after the mid-term resignation of former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader who had served for six years. Her ascension increases the number of women serving as Presidents or Prime Ministers to 18 or 9.2% of the total number of leaders holding these titles – a sharp increase from 5.4% in 2004 when the Global Summit of Women first started tracking these numbers.

A former Minister of Family, Veterans and Inter-generational Solidarity, Ms. Kosor also served as Croatia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Vice President of the Croatian Democratic Union. She is credited with doubling the number of female candidates in her party during the 2000 elections. In her recent speech to her parliamentary colleagues to secure their support, she made a direct appeal to the women MPs: “"Women should be given a chance where there is real power and money. This is a right opportunity for that," she said and added further: “I will lead both the government and the (HDZ) party with a strong female hand.”

A lawyer by training who built an exemplary career as a journalist prior to entering politics, Prime Minister Kosor faces an economic crisis as well as the challenge of reviving Croatia’s stalled efforts to become a member of the European Union. (Source: Yahoo.com, 7/6/09).


Xerox's Newest CEO: Ursula Burns

At Xerox’s May shareholder’s meeting, Ursula Burns was named as the successor to current CEO Anne Mulcahy, who was stepping down in a well-planned transition. Burns will be the first African American female CEO, making Xerox the first Fortune 500 company to be headed back to back by two women. Mulcahy is credited for turning Xerox around and saving it from near bankruptcy. She has also successfully executed a smooth succession in the leadership of the company, providing continuity of the turnaround she spearheaded. The number of women CEOs of U.S. Fortune 500 companies remains, however, at 15, or 3%.

Burns has played a pivotal role at Xerox in recent years: overseeing corporate strategy, global accounts, IT and human resources. She worked alongside Mulcahy during her efforts to revitalize Xerox. Burns successfully negotiated with the company's unions to cut thousands of jobs. While Xerox's share price is still low, the company is profitable again and has expanded its market. At a speech at Oregon State University in September, Burns commented on Xerox’s turnaround: "We are poised for greatness and for success. We have pulled ourselves back from the brink of bankruptcy and taught ourselves that we can do just about anything we aspire to do, if we work hard and put our head down." (Source: NPR News, 5/22/09)

Globe Women Summit & Female World Leaders

Hi Everyone, Just a reminder that the Globe Women Summit is fast approaching. If you are interested in going to Santiago, Chile, for May 14-16, then the Globe Women Summit might be for you.

Background: Every year, they change the region in which this annual conference is held. Last year, it was in Asia (Vietnam). Before that, I believe it was in Europe and in Africa.

Whilst on the other Globe Women site, I read an interesting page about our world's current female leaders. According to Globe Women, there are 9 female Presidents and 6 female Prime Ministers in power today. Hats off to these women... and here's hoping that one day, instead of 15 leaders, women hold 2, 3, 4 or 5+ times this number of country leadership positions.

2009 Globe Women Summit

Hi Everyone, Following on from our recent article about the 2008 Globe Women Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam...

It has now been announced that the 2009 Globe Women Summit will be held in Santiago, Chile, May 14-16. Mark your diaries if you intend to go.

To read some of the 2008 Summit outcomes, reports and speaker presentations, visit the official Globe Women page here. Thanks.

Expat Women July Home Page

Hi Everyone! We hope you are really well. Our news today is that we just uploaded our July Home Page, if you would like to take a look:

Success Story: Paula Lucas
Founder of the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line
Paula lived what looked like an ideal life in the UAE: A Newsweek photo-journalist husband, worldwide travel, a successful business and beautiful sons. But in reality, she was trapped by domestic violence. Her chance to escape materialized, thanks to a thief…

Globe Women Summit Report
5-7 June, Hanoi, Vietnam
Have you ever wondered what 1,000 women, from 72 economies, would talk about if they were gathered together in the same room? Well, at the recent Globe Women Summit, it certainly was not football, cars or plasma televisions, that’s for sure…

Expat Confession: No Money Left
We answer this confession:
"In a few months, my partner and I will be returning to home base. We have enjoyed postings in Bangkok, Madrid, Berlin and now Vietnam, indulged in amazing holidays, eaten at spectacular restaurants and basically had a lifestyle that was second-to-none. The problem now is that this move home has made us realize that we have no more than two months’ salary saved in our joint bank account – which is virtually nothing. This is causing us both great anxiety, as we now see that we have been a little careless with our impressive salaries abroad and we are concerned that we have not set ourselves up properly for the future. What can we do?"

Eliminating Negative Talk: 5 Easy Steps
Thanks to Rebecca Wells
"At any stage in life you can encounter feelings of self-doubt and lethargy. It is estimated that we each have between 5,000 and 15,000 negative thoughts a day – rearing their ugly heads most prevalently when we are feeling vulnerable. Although moving and living abroad can be extremely exciting and often a positive step to make in life, it can also bring with it new challenges that test you to your limit and can leave you doubting your capabilities..."

Gap Years: Myths & Tips
Thanks to Jenny Early
"Gap Years seem to be like Marmite and world wars: They divide people into two groups - those who believe and those who do not. They may be a mistake for some, but for the majority, I am sure they are not..." Read Jenny's myths and tips...

LARM: Latin American Relocation Management
Valued Partner
Thanks to our friends at Trafimar Relocations (Relocation Specialists: In & Out of Mexico), we now have a relationship with LARM (who we have promoted on our home page for July, then will go on to feature on our Latin American pages for the rest of the year). If you are looking for relocation services in/out of Latin America, please do check out LARM's site first.

"LARM, is Latin America’s leading relocation service company. For the past thirty years, this group of 20 companies, in 19 locations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, has provided exceptional relocation services to thousands of corporate and individual customers."

Join ExpatWomen
And finally... we are sending out our July newsletter in the next 2-3 days. If you do not already receive our newsletters, please support us by signing up today. New members receive our Free E-Book: Winning Stories.

Thank you very much - and here's wishing you a fabulous July!

WEXPO - A Forum For Women In Business

At their recent Summit of > 1,000 women from all over the world, Globe Women launched their new online directory for women's businesses: WEXPO.

Listing on the directory is free and open to all women, so if you would like to:

• Showcase your product or service;
• Connect with business women worldwide;
• Find a client or supplier; and/or
• Network with established business leaders...

...you might like to check out WEXPO today.