Our President, Mary Hawkins

If I’m asked about Women Leadership and career paths and “how did you get to be the President of IWDA” I have to admit a very meandering journey through seemingly disconnected paths and experiences, a trust in my own intuition and passion and the ringing mantra of my old school motto of “Facta non verba”. Deeds not words.

What a gift and privilege to be in the role of President of IWDA especially at this juncture as we celebrate an organisation that for 25 years has been committed to creating opportunities for thousands of women and girls. The legacy of past Presidents, Executive Directors, Boards, Staff and supporters is the wonderful organisation that is IWDA in 2010. All have strongly believed in the work of IWDA knowing that women as agents of change will improve the life of the entire community.

Through the shared involvement of our supporter base, committed staff, Board, Foundation and partners, IWDA will continue to grow, be a stronger, more resilient, and sustainable organisation. Our immediate focus will be on our partnerships and programs, strengthening relationships, looking for the best ways to deliver our programs, measuring our impact and effectiveness and learning from our past experiences. Our strategy places emphasis on four thematic areas, women’s economic empowerment, women’s safety and security, women’s civil and political participation and sustainable livelihoods and natural resource management.

Last year with the support of IWDA Foundation we established a gender training and consultancy function enabling IWDA to continue to be a catalyst of change, and positioning IWDA as a leader on gender issues both locally and across the region. Supporting this is our engagement with key feminist alliances, research and campaigns. Through the inspiration of our immediate past Executive Director, Jane Sloane we gathered much support from across the sector to launch the Women Faith and Development Alliance in December 2009.

As we start the journey of the next 25 years I’m confident that there will be many who will want to join us and share in the shaping of IWDA and our work. Some will only be starting school or their careers, others will be finishing their careers and looking for a community involvement, perhaps others will not yet be born! We all have a role in nurturing the social justice of our next generations, enabling them to develop their passion and see the world as a just and equitable place for all.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 under Community.