-Heather MacCleoud

March 8, 2016: My colleagues and I have worked with international higher education for decades.  We have been hearing about the refugee crises in the Middle East and Latin America for several years now. It is International Women’s Day.  We decide to take action.

Scholarships: The economic impact of a postsecondary degree enormous[1]. However, equitable access remains a pressing issue.

  • Despite rapid growth in tertiary [postsecondary] education around the world, many challenges remain, including in expanding and promoting equitable access…and encouraging desired values, behaviors, and attitudes. –World Bank
  • Goal # 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

Women: As noted above, the UN has just signed on to its Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls:

  • While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment under the Millennium Development Ggender-inequality-unescooals (including equal access to primary education between girls and boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world.
  • Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and
economic decision-m
aking processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.

Much of the focus traditionally has been on youth and girls. As women, we realize the impact that other women can have on their families and communities through their example. We also realize that most scholarship funds are not dedicated to women.  Scholarships are traditionally designed for young women who have already showed great leadership potential, who do not have families, who have not yet faced great adversity in their lives.

Second Chances: As we read more about the refugee crises, as Ebola, Zika, War, Civil Unrest, Child Marriage, Assault, Poverty take over the headlines, we realize that there are few options for women who have 1) survived tragedy, 2) demonstrated a commitment to gender-gap-indeximproving their situation (and often the situation of their families and communities), and 3) are actively seeking to continue their postsecondary education. These women have fought enormous odds to be where they are at and deserve support to continue their heroic journeys.

We start this foundation. Our goals are simple: 1) Provide support to these incredible women, 2) Raise awareness of these heroines in our world. We do this through providing scholarships. As possible, we also do this through providing access to our extensive international professional networks, through personal support as we are able, and through providing a venue to for them to share their stories.

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[1] World Bank Group (WBG) research shows that globally, the rates of return for graduates of tertiary education are the highest in the entire educational system—an average 17 percent increase in earnings.

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