Vital Voices

Last updated
Vital Voices Global Partnership
FormationMarch 1, 1999;24 years ago (1999-03-01) [1]
Founders Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Madeleine Albright,
Melanne Verveer,
Theresa Loar,
Donna McLarty,
Alyse Nelson,
Mary Daley Yerrick
52-2151557 [2]
Legal status 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization [3]
Headquarters1509 16th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20036
Location
Kate James [4]
Gerry Laybourne [4]
Alyse Nelson [5]
Revenue (2015)
$12,385,050 [2]
Expenses (2015)$10,446,819 [2]
Employees (2020)
50 [2]
Volunteers (2015)
150 [2]
Website www.vitalvoices.org

Vital Voices Global Partnership is an American international, 501(c)(3), [3] non-profit, non-governmental organization that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women's political participation, and human rights. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Contents

History

The nonprofit Vital Voices Global Partnership grew out of the U.S. government's Vital Voices Democracy Initiative. The Vital Voices Democracy Initiative was established in 1997 by First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, following the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing to promote the advancement of women as a U.S. foreign policy goal. [6] The first Vital Voices Democracy Initiative conference was held in 1997 in Vienna, and hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Austria Swanee Hunt. [7]

The Vital Voices Democracy Initiative led to the creation of Vital Voices Global Partnership as a nonprofit non-governmental organization (NGO) in March 1999.

Former Hillary Clinton aide and chief of staff Melanne Verveer is co-founder of the global partnership and its board chair emeritus. [8] Other co-founders were Alyse Nelson (current President of Vital Voices Global Partnership), [9] Donna McLarty, Mary Yerrick, and Theresa Loar. [10] Loar was the founding President of the Vital Voices Global Partnership [11] and also served as Director of the Vital Voices Democracy Initiative at the U.S. Department of State, the Senior Coordinator for International Women's' Issues at the U.S. Department of State [12] and Director of the President's Interagency Council on Women. [13]

Besides Clinton, honorary chairs include current and former U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Nancy Kassebaum Baker. [8]

Funding has come from a variety of sources, including individual donations; corporate sponsors such as ExxonMobil, [14] Standard Chartered Bank, and Bank of America; foundations such as the Avon Foundation for Women and Humanity United. [15]

In 2002 Vital Voices was asked by First Lady Laura Bush to drive the effort to supply school uniforms to the many girls returning to school for the first time following the U.S. led overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan. [16]

In May 2022, Vital Voices opened its new global headquarters at 1509 16th Street, NW, in Washington, D.C. [17]

Mission and programs

Vital Voices former offices in Washington, D.C. 1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW.jpg
Vital Voices former offices in Washington, D.C.

Vital Voices' website states that its mission is "to identify, invest in and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities." [18]

Vital Voices works in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa, focusing on the business, political and civil society sectors. The organization regularly hosts international forums, capacity-building workshops, and training seminars for women. [19]

Vital Voices’ Human Rights program currently focuses on combating human trafficking and other forms of violence against women and girls. [20]

Global Leadership Awards

Vital Voices hosts the annual Global Leadership Awards, honoring women leaders working in the areas of human rights, economic empowerment, or political reform. The 2009 ceremony was described as that year's "Most Inspirational Event" in Washington, D.C., in an article in Washington Life Magazine. [21] Its most recent laureates in 2023 include Ava DuVernay, Inna Braverman, Hellen Lunkuse, Sara Minkara and Enass Muzamel. [22]

Womenlead India fellowship

In 2022 Vital Voices and  Reliance Foundation launched. [23] WomenLead India fellowship to support 50 women in India,  who are working in the areas of women rights, economic empowerment in India. [24]

50 women were selected by the Vital Voices and  Reliance Foundation in 2022. [24] for social work Womenlead India fellowship, including Shridevi  Mogilinee, [25] Revathi Radhakrishnan, Shilpi Singh. [25] [26]

Solidarity council

Male members of the solidarity council include the actor David Schwimmer, athlete Don McPherson, filmmaker Jackson Katz and Democratic politician Mike Rawlings. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth empowerment</span> Process where young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives

Youth empowerment is a process where children and young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives. They do this by addressing their situation and then take action in order to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness through their beliefs, values, and attitudes. Youth empowerment aims to improve quality of life. Youth empowerment is achieved through participation in youth empowerment programs. However scholars argue that children's rights implementation should go beyond learning about formal rights and procedures to give birth to a concrete experience of rights. There are numerous models that youth empowerment programs use that help youth achieve empowerment. A variety of youth empowerment initiatives are underway around the world. These programs can be through non-profit organizations, government organizations, schools or private organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanne Verveer</span> American diplomat

Melanne Verveer is the executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security at Georgetown University. She is a founding partner of Seneca Point Global, a worldwide women's strategy firm, and a co-founder of Seneca Women. Melanne Verveer co-authored the book Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose with Kim Azzarelli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zonta International</span> International organization with the mission of advancing the status of women

Zonta International is an international service organization with the mission of Building a Better World for Women and Girls, in support of Sustainable Development Goal 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OutRight Action International</span> LGBTIQ human rights organization

OutRight International (OutRight) is an LGBTIQ human rights non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. OutRight International documents human rights discrimination and abuses based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in partnership with activists, advocates, media, NGOs and allies on a local, regional, national and international level. OutRight International holds consultative status with ECOSOC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOUGNET</span> Non-governmental organization in Uganda

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) also known as Women of Uganda Network Development Limited is Ugandan non-governmental organization that aids women and women's organisations in the use and access of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to share information and address issues their concerns such as gender norms, advocating for their rights and building communities and businesses through education.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, formerly called the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is an umbrella group of American civil rights interest groups.

Carr Center for Human Rights Policy is a research center at Harvard Kennedy School founded in 1999. The center's scholars address issues related to human rights, including human security, global governance and civil society, economic justice, and equality and discrimination.

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) is Canada's largest international media development organization. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, JHR was founded in 2002 by Benjamin Peterson and Alexandra Sicotte-Levesque in 2002. JHR's mission is to inspire and mobilize media to cover human rights stories in ways that help communities help themselves. The organization's vision is for everyone in the world to access their human rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Office for Partnerships</span> Body of the United Nations that oversees public-private partnerships

The United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) is a UN body established in 2006 by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to co-create partnerships within the private sector, civil society organizations, academia, and other non-state actors in furtherance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights</span>

The People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights is an Indian non-governmental organisation and membership-based movement which work to ensure basic rights for marginalised groups in Indian society, e.g. children, women, Dalits and tribes to establish rule of law through participatory activism against extrajudicial killing, police torture, hunger, bonded labour and injustice by hegemonic masculinity of the caste system and patriarchy. PVCHR ideology is inspired by the father of the Dalit movement and modern nation state, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, who struggled against patriarchy & the hierarchical caste system. PVCHR and its founders nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to combat masculinity driven militarist traditions, for their contribution to bettering conditions for peace in world and for acting as driving force in efforts to prevent the use of masculinity driven militarist traditions as a weapon of war and conflict. PVCHR was founded in 1996 by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Shruti Nagvanshi in collaboration with Sarod Maestro Vikash Maharaj, historian Dr. Mahendra Pratap and poet Gyanendra Pati. JanMitra Nyas is legal holder of PVCHR which is Public Charitable Trust and has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.PVCHR was honored as a "Friend of German Parliament" during a significant dinner meeting with Vice President Claudia Roth at Lodhi Garden Restaurant on February 20, 2015. This recognition marked a crucial milestone in PVCHR's international advocacy for human rights. The event symbolized a deepening partnership between PVCHR and the German Parliament, emphasizing shared commitments to advancing global human rights.

Media development involves capacity building for institutions or individuals related to freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity of media, as well as transparency of media ownership. Media development plays a role in democracy and effective democratic discourse through supporting free and independent media.

The Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards honor international women leaders in the fields of human rights, economic empowerment, or political reform. The event takes place annually in early spring at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues is located within the United States Department of State. In 2009, Melanne Verveer was appointed to be the first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. From September 2013 to May, 2017, Catherine M. Russell was appointed to this position. From May 2017 through December 2019, there was no ambassador for this office. Kelley Currie, a political appointee, joined the Global Women's Issues Office as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large in January 2020. Geeta Rao Gupta is the current Ambassador-at-Large for the office as of May 18th, 2023.

Seven is a documentary play, first performed in 2008, written by seven women playwrights based on interviews with seven women around the world who have fought for the rights and well-being of women and girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Lolosoli</span>

Rebecca Lolosoli is the founder and matriarch of the Umoja village in the Samburu County of Kenya. The village is a refuge for women fleeing sexual abuse, and men are banned from the village. She plans to run for local office and will be the first Samburu woman ever to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashmi Tiwari</span>

Dr. Rashmi Tiwari is the Founder and Director of the Aahan Foundation For Social Change India, working to dismantle the machinery of trafficking. She is Fellow of Vital Voices (USA), Fellow of SIMP and a Certified Leadership Coach from NeuroLeadership Institute.

Foreign aid for gender equality in Jordan includes programs funded by governments or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that aim to empower women, close gender based gaps in opportunity and experience, and promote equal access to education, economic empowerment, and political representation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shilpi Singh</span> Indian woman social worker

Shilpi Singh is an Indian women's rights activist. She is known for contribution for rights and rehabilitation of Indian women in rural areas, to prevent human trafficking, child marriage in Bihar, India.

References

  1. ↑ "Vital Voices Global Partnership, Inc." Division of Corporations. State of Delaware. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Vital Voices Global Partnership. Guidestar. December 31, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Vital Voices Global Partnership Inc". Exempt Organization Select Check. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Board of Directors Archived 2020-04-01 at the Wayback Machine ". Vital Voices Global Partnership. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Leadership". Vital Voices Global Partnership. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ "History of Vital Voices". Vital Voices. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  7. ↑ "First Lady Listens to Vital Voices". Washington Post. 2000-02-16. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  8. 1 2 "Vital Voices - Board of Directors". Vital Voices. Archived from the original on 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  9. ↑ "Alyse Nelson profile". The Hill . 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  10. ↑ America's Commitment Women 2000. The White House. 2000-01-05. ISBN   9781428961852 . Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  11. ↑ Purdum, Todd S. (2002-06-06). "Powell Report on Slave Trading". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  12. ↑ "Global Partnership for Women". Princeton University. 2003-10-17. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  13. ↑ "Trafficking in Women: International Cooperation". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 1997-09-29. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  14. ↑ Roberta Luxbacher (2007-01-18). "vital voices of Africa: pan-African summit for women and girls". ExxonMobil. Archived from the original on 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  15. ↑ "Financials". Vital Voices. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  16. ↑ Kari Haskell (2002-03-31). "'A' for Afghan, 'S' for Schoolgirl". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  17. ↑ Marsh, Michelle. "Vital Voices: Brand new global embassy for women opens in DC. Here's a sneak peek". WJLA. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  18. ↑ "About Vital Voices | Vital Voices". Archived from the original on 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
  19. ↑ "What We Do". Vital Voices. 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  20. ↑ "Human Rights". Vital Voices. 2016-06-20. Archived from the original on 2016-12-23. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  21. ↑ "The 2010 Social List: Year in Review". Washington Life. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  22. ↑ "Vital Voices Announces Its Lineup of Global Changemakers to Be Honored at the 22nd Annual Global Leadership Awards". GlobeNewswire . 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  23. ↑ "Reliance Foundation, Vital Voices Global Partnership launch WomenLead India fellowship; check details". The Indian Express. 2022-08-26. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  24. 1 2 ANI (2022-08-26). "Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices to launch WomenLead India fellowship". ThePrint. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  25. 1 2 "Learn about the WomenLead India Fellowship". Vital Voices. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  26. ↑ "Katihar's daughter Shilpi Singh included among 50 women leaders of the country". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  27. ↑ "Vital Voices Solidarity Council". Vital Voices. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.