Colloquium Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Office of the Manager Ministry of Foreign Affairs 3rd Floor Capitol Hill Monrovia, Liberia INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE TO MAKE HISTORY, FOSTER CHANGE IN LIBERIA Presidents of Liberia and Finland Host Colloquium to Focus on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security

November 12, 2008, Monrovia, Liberia—On March 7 and 8, 2009, women leaders from around the world will convene for the International Colloquium for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (the Colloquium) at the SKD Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. The Colloquium, conceptualized in 2006 during the inauguration of Africa’s first female President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, will bring together 400 international participants and 400 Liberian national participants, including female leaders; heads of state and government; ministers; CEOs, presidents and executive directors; and NGO and community leaders. The Conference, co-convened by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Tarja Halonen of Finland, seeks to create an environment for women and their champions around the world to discuss, learn, demonstrate and act on the benefits and lessons learned from women in leadership.

The two-day event will include a dinner of the Council of Women World Leaders hosted by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, an Exhibition of Wearable Arts, an Exhibition of Liberian Women Entrepreneurship, and a conference tackling major issues including: • Empowering women to be more effective leaders by linking them with their peers from around the world • Supporting the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security to ensure that women are protected from the worst abuses in times of

conflict and to empower them to assume their rightful and vital role in helping their countries prevent, end and recover from conflict • Contributing to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 3 on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women • Demonstrating the clear gender dimensions of climate change, environment protection and sustainable development The Colloquium will announce the March 2009 launch of the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, Peace and Security, to be based in Monrovia. The Centre will support the implementation of actions emerging from the Colloquium, through training to empower current and future women leaders, and research, analysis and advocacy on women’s leadership. The Centre, to be based on the University of Liberia campus at Fendel, will honor Angie Brooks, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Africa’s first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly (1969). Its establishment is symbolic in that through it, women in leadership roles worldwide are being honored. The Centre will be a proactive and practical instrument of research, workshops and training in women’s empowerment and leadership development, and as such, will ensure sustainability of the results of the Colloquium.

Liberia and its citizens stand to benefit in many ways from the 2009 Colloquium. Building Women’s Entrepreneurship, a major project managed by the Ministry of Gender, will conduct a national assessment tour garnering women exhibitors who will participate in the Exhibition of Liberian Women Entrepreneurship at SKD Stadium on March 7th and 8th, 2009. Prior to the exhibition, all selected participants will be trained in business presentation, sales and negotiation skills. Other sustainable skills training will include product finishing, business, marketing, financial, negotiation, and contract skills. The exhibition provides a rare opportunity for local businesses to showcase their talents, services and goods to an international audience of women world leaders.

The Colloquium will initiate other capacity-building projects such as the Young Professional Emerging Leaders Dialogue Series, one of which will establish a 5-region dialogue series entitled Uncovering Barriers to Women’s Political Leadership: Today’s Leaders Reach Out to Tomorrow’s Leaders. This series, which precedes the conference from December to January 2009, will feature live interviews of and participation from current and former women heads of state interacting with a global audience of future world leaders. Each dialogue will produce recommendations and solutions on how to break down gender barriers to leadership.

Additionally, the conference will showcase and jumpstart Liberia’s tourism industry, through which the service sector of Liberia will benefit greatly from additional and extensive training that will lead to a long term upgrade of Liberia’s service and hospitality industry. From December to February, 2009, 50-100 young people will be trained in hospitality and protocol, and placed at hotels and the airport during conference. The Colloquium will give Liberia the opportunity to become a major player in the world’s thriving travel industry by sending the message to meeting planners globally that Liberia is a great destination for conventions, as well as a country rich in natural beauty to visit.

The Colloquium is co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, Honorable Olubanke King-Akerele, and the Minister of Gender and Development of Liberia, Honorable Vabah Gayflor. The International Secretariat is headed by the Colloquium Manager, Counselor Yvette Chesson-Wureh. The National Steering Committee is chaired by the Minister of Gender and Development, Vabah Gayflor who is also a member on the International Steering Committee.

The International Steering Committee is comprised of the three regional Vice-Chairs as follows: The Vice-Chair for Africa and Asia, Bineta Diop, Executive Director, Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS) in Senegal; The Vice-Chair for Europe and the Middle East, Honorable Elizabeth Rehn, Minister of State for Finland and the first female Minister of Defense in the world; The ViceChair of The Americas: North America, Latin America & Caribbean Countries, the Council of Women World Leaders, Dr. Carole Henderson Tyson, and other Eminent women. The Council of Women World Leaders comprised of all sitting women Heads of State and former women Heads of State in the world, will also have President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf host its annual conference in Liberia, marking its first ever in Africa.

For additional information, please visit www.womenscolloquium.org, call our helpline at (05)330-330 or contact the International Women’s Colloquium Liberia Communications Chairperson, Hesta Baker Pearson at 06 910 000.

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