Dear Friends,
The US-Pakistan Women’s Council accomplished many goals in 2013 with the help of our
advisors (http://www.american.edu/sis/us-pakistanwomenscouncil/Advisors.cfm), our partners
American University and OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs), and you!
Success!
Together we promoted positive change for women in Pakistan through entrepreneurship,
employment, and education. We established a social media presence, launched a “Summer
Sister” exchange program for female high school students (thanks to Pepsi, our university
partners, and many generous private donors), and hosted events in Pakistan and the U.S. that
promoted entrepreneurship and employment. Please see our web site for more information.
www.american.edu/sis/us-pakistanwomenscouncil
New Faces!
We welcomed U.S. Ambassador Cathy Russell as co-chair of our Executive Committee. As I
write, Ambassador Russell is visiting Pakistan for the first time. Her visit demonstrates how the
United States has made women and girls a cornerstone of our foreign policy. We recognize that
the major security, economic, environmental, and governance challenges that all nations face
cannot be effectively addressed without the full participation and empowerment of women. As
Secretary of State John Kerry said, “No country can get ahead if it leaves half of its people
behind.” http://www.nation.com.pk/columns/11-Feb-2014/the-us-salutes-pakistan-s-women
And we hired our new Deputy Kimberlee LeBlanc, who is based in Islamabad. Please reach out
to her and introduce yourself! leblanck@state.gov
We even have two new staff in our Washington office. www.american.edu/sis/uspakistanwomenscouncil/staff.cfm
New Initiatives for 2014!
Looking ahead, we plan to increase the visibility and effectiveness of the Council in 2014 with
initiatives that we believe will expand economic opportunities for Pakistani women:
-- AU has proposed a university partnership with LUMS that will provide training for female
entrepreneurs and establish a multi-generational leadership center for women.
-- Smith College has proposed to replicate its Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP)
for high schools girls in Pakistan through a potential university partnership.
-- The Council will partner with the U.S. Special Envoy for Science Bernard Amadei to highlight
the achievements of 30 female technology leaders under 30 this summer.
-- The Council has partnered with Start-Up Cup, Hashoo Foundation, and TIE Islamabad to
explore the possibility of developing a women-only entrepreneurship center.
-- The Council is working on plans to launch an internship program for female graduates to give
them the encouragement and experience they need to find jobs (contact us if you are interested in
being an internship employer).
-- The U.S. Summer Sister Exchange program will continue offering scholarships from
prestigious U.S. universities to female high school-aged students from Pakistan.
-- The Association for Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) is leading an initiative to
provide working female mentors to female medical students in Pakistan. Our goal is to increase
the number of female graduates who are able to practice medicine.
Help us help women and girls in Pakistan!
-- Nominate an inspiring woman for International Woman’s Day on March 8. Visit our
Facebook page for more information. www.facebook.com/uspakistanwomenscouncil. And
check out the inspiring women you nominated in 2013, and that we profile every week.
-- Become an employer as part of our internship program.
-- If you have an initiative that benefits Pakistani girls and women, tell us about it. We will
profile your efforts on our Facebook page and web site. www.american.edu/sis/uspakistanwomenscouncil
For more information about the Council, please contact Executive Director Sarah Peck
(peck@american.edu) or Deputy Kimberlee LeBlanc (leblanck@state.gov).