The Institute of International Education (IIE) – ACA’s US member – has recently announced the launch of its new Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives (WLI). IIE has already been running several successful programmes targeted at women's empowerment, as well as a number of centres that address critical issues in higher education. Yet, these two areas of the Institute’s expertise are now to be brought together in the context of the Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives in order to provide opportunities for women worldwide to pursue higher education and participate in cutting-edge training, professional development and exchange programmes.

In partnership with non-profit, education, business and government sectors, the programmes of the newly established centre aim to pursue the following ambitious agenda:

• offering short-term training, workshops, mentorships and higher education opportunities for women;
• building the capacity of local organisations, experts, leaders and trainers;
• providing technical assistance and resources for locally-driven networks through which women can mobilise around issues of mutual interest and engage in activities to advance their goals; and 
• supporting women to become leaders in their communities, fields and sectors.

Overall, the Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives (WLI) aspires to develop and manage dynamic, innovative and substantive programming to cultivate and support women as leaders and change makers around the world.

Institute of International Education