GLOBAL FORUM FOR GIRLS’ EDUCATION SEPTEMBER 26–27, 2011
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education for every girl, everywhere
Photo by Mark Tuschman, international freelance photographer, who spoke at the conference about marketing programs with high-impact photography.
At the end of September, Emma Willard School sponsored an ambitious forum in New York City that drew over one hundred men and women from around the world to discuss girls’ education. Called Audacia, the conference took place at the U.S. headquarters of Credit Suisse, which was a co-sponsor of the event along with the Hearst Corporation and Ted Turner. “Audacia is the 21st-century idea of Emma Willard’s vision,” said Trudy Hall in welcoming the participants. “Educate a girl, transform the world. This room is filled with bold thinkers and activists who are confronting an audacious idea: We must provide quality education to every girl, everywhere.” The speakers included people who came from well-known organizations including UNICEF and the Nike Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, and from dozens of NGOs and lesser-known agencies providing aid to communities around the world. Participants were helping orphans in Malawi, bringing literacy skills to the Dalit in Nepal, providing scholarships to Mayan girls in Guatemala, and building libraries for the Makulele Community of South Africa. Their ranks included educators and activists, filmmakers and physicians, grant makers and marketers. In addition to education, the organizations dealt with such issues as energy, new technology, gender, and leadership development.
Fall 2011