WOMEN’S DAY MENTORING WALK AND NATIONAL DIALOGUE

On March 5th, 2016, more than 1500girls and women will walk from Centenary Park for the10^thannual Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk, Kampala-Uganda, part of a global movement to inspire a rising generation through mentorship. Held in celebration of International Women’s Day in communities around the world, the Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk convenes established women leaders and emerging women leaders to walk together in their community. As they walk, they discuss their professional challenges and successes to establish a mentoring relationship. The event in Kampala is one of 86 Mentoring Walks taking place around the world, which are part of a global movement to highlight the importance of women’s leadership and to accelerate the impact of women leaders through mentoring.

The Mentoring Walk in Kampala will feature prominent local leaders including Ms. Doris Akol, the Commissioner General Uganda Revenue Authority, Mr. Fagil Mandy, an Educationist, Aber Lillian, National Youth Council Chairperson, Nulu Naluyomya, Success Chapter & Author, Hawa Kimbugwe and Christine Nabatene, students of Kyambogo and Kampala University. Remarks will be made by featured speakers including Ms. Deborah R. Malac, the US Ambassador among others who will talk about their personal journeys as leaders and the importance of empowering the next generation of women leaders. This years Mentoring Walk will bring together over 1500 girls and women from secondary schools, universities, private sector, corporate employment, civil society, government and public sector.

After the Walk, the girls and women will converge at Kitante Primary School where they will hold a National Dialogue to discuss key solutions to girls and women’s empowerment. With the theme“The Role of Women in Promoting Sustainable Development,”“The National Dialogueis an opportunity for girls and women in our community to unite around a common purpose through discussions and testimonies that build self expression skills and strengthen their opinions and voices. Together, we will pave the way for the next generation of women leaders to share, learn, network and explore future collaborations.”Rehmah Kasule, President CEDA International

The Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk provides an environment for aspiring women professionals to gain the support and guidance that they need to fulfill their goals, as mentoring is proven to be one of the most important steps to establishing a successful career. It is a particularly effective support system to help overcome the obstacles to career growth that women commonly face in corporate and professional environments, such as experiencing the “glass ceiling” effect and more limited networking options. Equipped with the advice and support of a mentor, female professionals are better able to navigate the professional challenges they face. As such, mentoring provides a unique opportunity for rising women professionals to accelerate their career advancement—and for established women leaders to share their successes to help future generations of women leaders grow and develop. In fact, research from Catalyst reveals that 65 percent of women who have had a mentor will go on to become mentors themselves, thus paying forward the investment made in them.

“We are proud to stand with the women leaders in our global network in celebration of International Women’s Day. The Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk is the ideal opportunity to demonstrate the power of women’s leadership and unite women in support of other women,”said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices.

Coordinated locally by key members of the Vital Voices global network, each Mentoring Walk is designed to meet the unique needs of women in their communities and will feature opening and closing remarks from local leaders. Each walk is tailored to fit the particular needs of each locale but builds on the success of mentoring walks hosted the past nine years across Eurasia, Latin America, North Africa, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The walks will take place this year in Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, Uganda,Ukraine, the United States,Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

With the commitment to “create a new generation of women leaders who are economically independent, socially responsible and politically active,” we are grateful for the generous funding from United Nations Democracy Fund-UNDEF, that has enabled the conducting of this National Dialogue under the Strengthening Young Women’s Civic Participation and Leadership Project. One thing we know for sure is that… “When you walk alone, you go very fast, and when you take others with you, you will go very far.”

Vital Voices Global Partnership

Vital Voices Global Partnershipinvests in women leaders who improve the world. Founded by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and guided by the belief that women are essential to progress in their communities, we partner with leaders from more than 140 countries who advance economic opportunity, increase political and public leadership, and end violence against women. Our programs in strategic planning, business, advocacy and communications build critical skills needed for creating transformational change at scale. Through our global platform, women leaders expand their connections and visibility, accelerating shared progress for all. Visit www.vitalvoices.org to learn more.

CEDA International

Century Entrepreneurship Development Agency-CEDA International is a non-profit organization that specializes in Leadership, Mentoring and Entrepreneurship development. Started in 2009 with the Vision of “creating a new generation of women leaders who are economically independent, socially responsible and politically active,” the organization develops and nurtures entrepreneurial skills among girls and women with emphasis on starting income generating activities that are sustainable in communities. The organization mentors youth and women to discover their life’s purposes, develop key leadership, entrepreneurship and life skills, lead change and take charge of their lives and destinies.

For more information on the Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk, visit: