Purpose

Give Voice to Women is designed to bring awareness to the inequality of women and to provide women with the skills, courage, and confidence to pursue their dreams and create the life they want to live, rather than the life that society, their families/partners/husbands, tell them they should live.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Gender Equality – Girls and women are at the bottom of all measures of social justice, gender equality and human dignity throughout the world. One in four girls are born into poverty. Many girls are not allowed to attend school and 50% of girls in developing countries do not enter high school. One in three women are victims of domestic violence and 75% of human trafficking victims are women. Women are only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs; only 7% of top executives; only 19% of corporate board members; and only 20% of the highest paid executives.

Project Actions

The Give Voice to Women team brings the information and data to women and men on other campuses, brings students together to view and discuss movies about sexual harassment, gender equality, successful women in society, and to have discussions around new possibilities for women to change their lives. World Academy members interview WAFW facilitators at the end of their module as well as alumni and presenters at the Women’s Symposium. These interviews are used to share with audiences to enable other women to think differently when they hear how these women have succeeded in life and in their occupations. The Project advocates for women to have a voice and a choice about their lives and their future. Explaining and discussing how choosing a career, a friend, partner, or spouse, when or whether to get married, when or whether to have children. These are critical decisions that can influence a women’s freedom, boundaries, growth, and development. Promoting gender equality and encouraging women to expand their boundaries and take risks to achieve their goals are important discussions to initiate and continue to allow them to consider options and make choices about how to live their lives. This year, popularization on multiple genders has been increased to inform students’ understanding of these groups and choices and to avoid unnecessary harm or discrimination. We strive to contribute to create an environment of equality, understanding, and caring for women to have a voice and make good choices as they create the life they want to live in the future.