One Woman Initiative Fund for Women’s Empowerment Launched

Today, Secretary Rice announced the establishment of the One Woman Initiative, a fund supporting women’s empowerment activities in countries with large Muslim populations. The public-private partnership of corporations, foundations, and U.S. government will apply $100 million to empower women.

The Fund will support programs such as business training for women entrepreneurs, skill-building to help women take greater roles in politics and leadership, and efforts to increase women’s access to justice. Secretary Rice stated, “Often, it takes only one woman to make a difference. If you empower her with information, training, or a microloan, she can uplift her entire family and her whole community. Multiply this effect on one woman by a hundred, and thousands of lives can change. That is what the One Woman Initiative is all about.”