Women business leaders from around the world are meeting in Washington, D.C. this week for a mentoring program to help them sharpen their skills and build networks, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced this week.
Fifteen women from 11 countries are participating in the annual Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership (GWMP), the DOS reported May 9. The program "connects talented, emerging women leaders from all over the world with members of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Leaders," the DOS states in the announcement.
"The Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, and Vital Voices Global Partnership," the DOS states in an event fact sheet, "that equips international emerging women leaders with business and leadership skills while expanding their networks and inspiring them to pay it forward in their own communities."
The partnership program began with an orientation May 9 in D.C., where attendees met senior women leaders in government, business and non-profit sectors, according to the DOS. Participants are then paired with a female leader from Fortune's Most Powerful Women community in cities around the U.S., from companies such as Aetna, Goldman Sachs and Johnson & Johnson, among others, according to the DOS.
The mentees are able to "observe best practices, develop management skills, and cultivate a network of global professionals," the DOS states. After the mentorships conclude, participants will return to New York City for seminars, meetings and planning workshops, according to the DOS. The event will conclude with a dinner where participants can "collectively reflect on their experience and discuss future leadership opportunities," the DOS states.
The emerging women leaders participating in the mentoring program comes from Bolivia, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Jordan, Serbia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Turkey, according to the DOS.
"The partnership leverages the expertise of American leaders in the public and private sectors to support and advance women’s economic empowerment," the DOS states in its report.
"Throughout the mentorship program," the DOS reports, "they will strengthen their skills and networks to accelerate positive change in their communities."
