Credit: Joao Araujo Pinto on Flickr, under Creative Commons
UN, December 2005
(WOMENSENEWS)– Sakena Yacoobi, who started an institute dedicated to rebuilding education and health systems in Afghanistan, turned out to be a big star on Twitter today.
At a forum for female business empowerment, the founder of the Afghanistan Institute of Learning spoke about women’s ability to bring about all sorts of change; in the household, the community and the entire nation.
Other advice and experience that she imparted was tweeted about:
Educ changes lives. Women who couldn't hold their heads up, now want to be doctors. Re: @AIL_education #USCCFwomen pic.twitter.com/q9SS4rvTCM
— Joy Marini (@joymarini) March 5, 2015
Leaders must be patient, things won't change overnight. Show respect for the culture you work in & gain partners- Dr Yacoobi #USCCFWomen
— Charlotte Cooper (@CTrouper) March 5, 2015
Yacoobi was part of the second day of a forum organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, United Nations Office for Partnerships and UN Women held at the United Nations offices in New York City.
The agenda was "to explore empowerment solutions that bridge opportunity gaps and result in increased economic agency and independence for women and girls around the world."
The conference was organized as part of the 2015 annual International Women’s Day Forum and it was widely tweeted about on social media with #USCCFwomen.
Issues relating to women’s health and well being in the workplace were raised by the Levi Strauss Foundation, an organization "pioneering social change by funding community programs that advance justice and provide opportunities for disadvantaged people around the globe."
@LeviStraussCo Daniel Lee soon all key vendors will be required to implement a worker well-being program 2 serve health needs #USCCFWOMEN
— Cynthia Manick (@cmanick) March 5, 2015
@Flybyboy of @LeviStraussFdn provided maxi pads + painkillers to women led to 615 more work days in factories-AMAZING! #usccfwomen #WomenWOW
— Women's Entrepreneur (@Womenseday) March 5, 2015
Some comments emphasized that that the biggest hurdle is ignorance of women’s importance to the work force and the need for investing in women.
Dina Dublon: lack of corporate awareness of existence of or need for expertise in investing in women & girls #IWD2015 #usccfwomen
— kara gerson (@karagerson) March 5, 2015
The New York Times’ The Upshot column recently release data showing that more large companies in the United States are run by men named John. In light of that one theme of the Twitter posting stream was fitting: "what companies can do for women."
Diverse companies make better products – Bridgette Beam @GoogleForEntrep #USCCFWomen
— USCCFBiz4Good (@USCCFBiz4Good) March 5, 2015
What can companies do for women? "Simple. Equal pay and promote women. Remove the glass ceiling." @phumzileunwomen YES! #USCCFWomen #JNJ
— Joy Marini (@joymarini) March 5, 2015
"Women Entrepreneurs is not a nice to have. It is smart for business" said @DianeMelley. http://t.co/4A91plQlYq #USCCFwomen
— Doris B Gonzalez (@DorisBGonzalez) March 5, 2015
You can watch a live webcast of the conference here.
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