The George Washington University’s Global Women’s Institute, a university-wide initiative that promotes and supports the rights of women and girls worldwide, will formally launch at a special event in Marvin Center’s Great Hall Nov. 27.
The event, which will begin at 10:30 a.m., will feature remarks by Global Women’s Institute Director Mary Ellsberg; Lynn Rosenthal, White House adviser on violence against women; senior Melissa Wong, co-president of GW GlobeMed; and George Washington President Steven Knapp.
The launch will also kick off a series of events to honor the international 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, commemorated annually Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.
“By coming together as researchers, activists, students and community members, we forge a powerful force for ending the discrimination and violence that have plagued women and girls across the globe,” said Dr. Ellsberg. “I am proud to lead this new and exciting institute, which builds onto already established GW programs to educate, support and improve the lives of women and girls.”
The Global Women’s Institute will link faculty and students at the George Washington University with international researchers, practitioners, activists and policymakers to improve the situation of women and girls internationally through research, education and civic engagement. It is one of a series of interdisciplinary initiatives being launched at the university—including autism, cybersecurity, sustainability and urban food studies— to expand collaborative and cross disciplinary research at George Washington.
Dr. Ellsberg has more than 30 years of experience in international gender and development research and program work.
The idea for the institute originated in 2009, when Dr. Knapp proposed that the university investigate the possibility of launching an institute that would coordinate all university activities focused on women’s issues. Increasingly, the international community has recognized that gender equality and women’s empowerment are critical to economic and human development, and essential for the realization of human rights and dignity. This recognition is evident through government and international development strategies, including the Millennium Development Goals developed by the United Nations.