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December 2023 | Vol 22
Table of Contents
Message from the President
Board News
Upcoming Events:
Movie Club+: Below the Belt (1/21)
Panel on Women in Leadership and Governance (3/16)
GlobalWE's 10th Anniversary Roundtable (4/13 )
GlobalWE Expo 2024: Innovation for and by Women (4/13 & 4/20)
Volunteer Feature: Doyeon Kim
GlobalWE Website Transition
Recent Events:
Movie Club: Barbie (10/7), Retrospective Panel (11/12), Fireside Chat (11/29), Holiday Social (12/13 & 12/15)
Fundraising Ask for 10th Anniversary
Become a Member of GlobalWE
Thank You from the Board
From the President...
In my September message, I spoke of the natural disasters that had beset so many parts of the globe. At year’s end here in the northern hemisphere, the longer hours of darkness reflect the widespread emotional toll weighing on us from the current state of affairs in our world. The sexual atrocities against women in Israel on October 7 stood out to even those of us painfully aware of how women’s bodies have been used during a conflict to magnify the horror of war and to inflict maximum trauma. The scope, intensity, and deliberate intent to desecrate and humiliate within the short span of a well-coordinated attack had the desired terrorizing impact. Denis Mukwege, interviewed after receiving the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work fighting against sexual violence in war, declared, “When women are destroyed, it’s not a women’s question. It’s a human question.” His foundation has national networks to fight against conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in support of the women of Nigeria, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ukraine. There are continuing reports of women being brutally targeted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the four-month-old internal armed conflict in the Republic of Sudan. And these are just the stories that have risen to global awareness. How many more remain to be uncovered?
We must care about this human question. We must care about all women who are destroyed by all kinds of violence. On December 7, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a joint appeal from 27 cooperating agencies describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic and among the worst they have witnessed. The widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, and infrastructure from Israel’s efforts to rout Hamas has been especially brutal on women and children, who are estimated to make up 67% of those killed. The sheer number of dead, injured, and displaced in two months' time is staggering. The devastating impact of the lack of healthcare, shelter, food, water, and sanitation on women who have to deliver their babies, care for their families, and survive in these horrific conditions - is predicted to be permanent and urgently needs to be addressed.
The suffering of women does not happen in a vacuum, absent of history, politics, and emotion. We must rise above it all and support all women. Please continue striving to remain well-informed. I am certain that there have been and will continue to be painful conversations among you, as there have been for me, but we must not let these horrors divide us, as they already have done in many sectors. It is my hope that our mutual regard and respect – our mutual humanity – and our shared commitment to the mission of empowering all women will hold fast during these troubled and troubling times. Let us choose to reach for light and grace, and perhaps we can find a way together to come out of the darkness.
Leah Abaya Keane, AB 1984
President, Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment
Board News
Harvard Alumni for Global Women's Empowerment was among the four Harvard Clubs and SIGs invited to present at this year’s Alumni Leadership Conference (ALC) for a session on Local Community Impact. Anna Butuzova, Connect Chair, presented two of Harvard GlobalWE’s Signature Programs with local impact: Women's Empowerment Expo and Student Essay Contest. After the presentation, Anna and the GlobalWE board members who were in attendance addressed questions from the audience about the structure of the Essay Contest, currently reaching over 30 countries, and Expo with 20+ organizations every year leading the way in women’s empowerment around the world.
To review the slides presented during the conference, click here.
GlobalWE Vice President Barbara Barreno-Paschall recently participated in the German Marshall Fund’s Marshall Memorial Fellowship and traveled to Washington D.C. and four European countries. During her travels, Barbara shared the work that GlobalWE is doing to empower women worldwide and learned about organizations with similar missions, opening the door for future areas of collaboration. Thank you, Barbara, for being an ambassador for GlobalWE!
Upcoming Events
Movie Club+: Below the Belt
January 21, 10 a.m EST
This cinematic exploration promises to be an immersive experience, providing a platform for participants to dissect, analyze, and reflect on the film's themes and messages. Below the Belt delves into the journeys of diverse women battling with endometriosis, and exposes widespread problems in our healthcare system that disproportionately affect women.
Panel on Women in Leadership and Governance
Championing Change: Women Leading in a Dynamic World
March 16, 11 a.m EST
GlobalWE presents an insightful panel discussion focusing on the pivotal roles of women in leadership and governance. This event aims to celebrate achievements, highlight challenges, and explore pathways to further empower women in these spheres. By bringing together influential voices, we aspire to inspire change and break barriers hindering gender equity in leadership positions.
GlobalWE's 10th Anniversary Special Event
GlobalWE Day: Annual Roundtable and Expo Collaboration
For the first time, our two flagship programs, Roundtable and Expo, will be held on the same weekend! Both events will be held in a hybrid format (in-person, on campus at Harvard University, as well as online). We hope you will avail this opportunity to attend both of these inspiring events.
GlobalWE Annual Roundtable 2024
Innovation and AI:
Transforming Gender Equity Through Artificial Intelligence
April 13
GlobalWE remains committed to fostering dialogue, understanding, and action. This year the Roundtable will shift its focus to the intersection of innovation and artificial intelligence, exploring their profound impact on gender equity.
GlobalWE Expo 2024
Innovation for and by Women
April 13 & April 20
We are excited to offer organizations from every corner of the world highlighting innovative and sustainable solutions for an empowered tomorrow.
Saturday, April 13, 2024, will be a hybrid event, while Saturday, April 20, will be entirely virtual, with virtual Expo booths.
Stay tuned for updates and further details, including registration information, on each event as we collectively strive to positively impact the global landscape of gender equality.
Volunteer Feature
Meet Our Website Chair:
Doyeon Kim | LinkedIn
Doyeon Kim is an active member of GlobalWE, where she served as the Website Chair. She and her team created the new GlobalWE website that we will be unveiling very soon. You can sneak peek at our anniversary page on the new website here!
Doyeon will continue to volunteer for GlobalWE in the Essay Contest portfolio where she previously helped streamline the processes.
GlobalWE is run by volunteers and we are immensely grateful for their contributions. We asked Doyeon a few questions for our readers to get to know her better. Here's what she had to say:
1) What’s your experience been like with GlobalWE?
GlobalWE has always been a great community to learn from and get inspired by so many talented and passionate women around the world. Being part of this supportive and like-minded fellow women's network was a great honor.
2) What are you currently working on?
My first project at GlobalWE was to streamline our student essay contest processes to develop a more sustainable system as we scale our contests to serve more students. Then, I moved on to a website project to transform the GlobalWE website into a more interactive and engaging platform for our community members. I cannot wait to share a brand-new website with all of you soon.
3) Where do you work or study?
I work at Code.org, an education innovation nonprofit dedicated to the vision that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education. I am excited to help more kids have access to digital education and contribute my experience in technology, nonprofits, and education sectors.
4) What are your plans for the future?
I will continue working on creating game-changing solutions for complex societal problems at the intersection of business, public, and nonprofit sectors to scale the impact. I love working with people who wrestle with social issues with curiosity, empathy, and perseverance, and I hope to be a good partner to collaborate with.
GlobalWE Website Transition
We're thrilled that our Website Committee is diligently developing a new website slated for early next year. Kicking off with the 10th-anniversary webpage, we aim to celebrate our organization's remarkable journey. Driven by a commitment to our community, we've been exploring ways to enhance the user experience and fine-tuning our goals to strengthen connections and engagement.
Currently, we are in the process of transitioning our website to a new platform. As always, our primary focus is to provide our community members with a seamless exploration of our initiatives and programs. We want to make it easy for you to engage with our mission.
Anticipate the unveiling of our brand-new website in February 2024! We're excited to serve you with an interactive and member-centric design. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement and website update – we can't wait to share this milestone with you!
Recent Events
Movie Club: Barbie
GlobalWE conducted its 3rd Movie Club discussion of 2023 on one of this year’s greatest pop culture moments – Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Members joined, some dressed in pink, for an engaging conversation about the global impact of the movie's feminist messaging.
Fireside Chat featuring GNWP
GlobalWE Connect hosted its Women’s Empowerment Fireside Chat Series, featuring the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders. Participants discussed how GNWP facilitates women and their peace-building efforts in several countries with ongoing conflicts. The recording can be found here.
Retrospective Panel
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Harvard GlobalWE hosted a special panel that included Founder and Past President (2013-2018) Julie Palmer; founding board members Paul Schied and Rebecca Ribaudo; Past President Sajida H. Shroff (2018-2022); and current President Leah Keane. The recording can be found here.
Harvard GlobalWE Holiday Social
GlobalWE’s annual holiday social was a hit with two separate meetings to accommodate our global audience. In each session, there was a lively mix of conversation, laughter, and good company. The events' successes were a reflection of the genuine connections and shared moments over this year’s many events.
If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit any of our previous events, you can find many of the recordings on the Harvard GlobalWE YouTube Channel.
Some of you have been with us for 10 years, and most probably for fewer years. What has your journey with Harvard GlobalWE been like? Whether you’ve walked alongside us as we grew or only started to engage with us after our programs and structure had expanded and organized, we hope you’re willing to re-enlist for continued and deeper engagement with our mission. Membership continues to be free, but our aim is that your enjoyment of GlobalWE moves you to assist with the rising operational costs for our growing project as we extend our reach even
further. Please consider a voluntary contribution! May we suggest $10 for every year you’ve been a Member or Friend, or for each event that you’ve attended? We continue to offer a thank you gift for donations of $99 or more: a beautiful hardcover collection of the winning essays from the first five years of our contest for high school students. Can’t commit to this amount right away? Consider a monthly donation of $10 or more and
receive our book after completing your donation amount of $99.
Commemorate your own anniversary with GlobalWE with a donation!
Harvard Alumni For Global Women's Empowerment
Harvard GlobalWE is a shared interest group of the Harvard Alumni Association. We are dedicated to the empowerment of women through education, dialogue, and connection among individuals working for women's rights and freedoms worldwide. Harvard GlobalWE does not advocate a specific ideology or political or cultural agenda.
To become a member of Harvard GlobalWE, please JoinWE. Membership is FREE. To learn more, please visit our website and our social media pages @harvardglobalwe
The views expressed during our events are solely those of the speaker(s) and participating audience and do not imply endorsement by Harvard GlobalWE and/or Harvard University.
Thank You from the GlobalWE Board
