Webster Part of ARDN 2nd Women of the Diaspora Summit: Economic Equity

The African Renaissance and Diaspora Network will convene the second Women of the Diaspora Global Summit virtually on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. ET (GMT -5) to coincide with the United Nation's International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021. Webster University, which partners with ARDN on multiple global initiatives, will again participate in this summit while encouraging students, faculty and staff members to join.

With the world facing a deadly pandemic and its debilitating toll on global economies, the summit will examine the harsh and disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on the economic and social conditions of women and girls. High-level officials from Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Ethiopia, and an intergenerational group of women leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society will provide perspectives from the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

Learn more about ARDN and Webster's partnership in this video:

"Poverty and hunger are the results of economic inequality between the sexes," says Dr. Djibril Diallo, president of ARDN. "We must therefore ensure that women are taken into account in
every economic initiative against the pandemic so as to leave no one behind."

This year, around 435 million women and girls will live on less than $1.90 per day, of which 47 million have been pushed into poverty as a result of COVID-19, according to a recent joint study
by UN Women and UNDP. This summit will focus on economic equity at the intersection of economic justice, development, and the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on women's lives and livelihood.

Webster University Participation, Registration

In addition to a speaking role for Webster University Chancellor Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble, the entire Webster University is encouraged to participate in the summit. Several campuses throughout Webster's network on four continents are hosting individual watch parties and panel events in support of the summit and these topics.

To register, visit ARDN at www.ardn.ngo.

On-Going Webster Initiatives with ARDN

The Women of the Diaspora Summits are one of two programs specifically focused on gender equity that ARDN developed to assist the United Nations in building awareness about the 17 UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). One in three women globally experience physical or sexual violence, which can be devastating and deadly.

To generate heightened interest in SDG #5, ARDN created the Red Card Pledge Campaign, which invites people to give a red card to stop all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls. Last September, to broaden knowledge about the need for gender equality, ARDN launched the Women of the Diaspora series of summits in partnership with the Republic of Costa Rica, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and in collaboration with UNHABITAT, the National Council for Negro Women, and Webster University.

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