CGI Commitment Encourages G20 Leaders to Involve Girls and Women to Help Solve Current Economic Issues

NEW YORK , Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the support of the Clinton Global Initiative and more than 50 other international partners the G(irls)20 Summit will be held in Paris, France from October 18th-21st, 2011 two weeks before the leaders of the world's most powerful nations meet in Cannes, France for the G20 meetings.

Modeled after the G20, the G(irls)20 Summit will bring together a representative from each of the 20 member countries so they may focus on how girls and women and their vision of the world can help solve the current major economic world challenges. Once again this year a representative from the African Union will also participate, bringing the number of delegates to 21. In Paris, they will work together to develop a set of concrete solutions to address global challenges. They will take part in various workshops learning to become familiar with media relations, the development of a business plan, financial literacy, and navigating the digital world.

The delegates were selected from among hundreds of applicants. They were chosen according to very precise criteria including their vision of leadership, personal triumph, and also their ability to find innovative solutions to economic challenges.

"Girls and women have an incredible capacity to think creatively about the challenges facing the world", says Belinda Stronach, CGI Member, President and CEO of the Stronach Group  "The G(irls)20 Summit is a unique platform for the girls to express their innovative ideas and to bring them to the G20 leaders."  

G(irls)20 Summit Delegates

What they are saying
"The G(irls)20 Summit offers these carefully selected girls from all over the world the extraordinary opportunity to discuss amongst themselves, beyond borders, concrete solutions to the challenges facing today's world", says Raquel Helen Santos Silva, the Brazilian delegate to this year's G(irls)20 Summit.

Over 50 national and international organisations are working with The Belinda Stronach Foundation on this major project. The G(irls)20 Summit also has generous private sector partners including Google, Norton Rose, Intel, The Mastercard Foundation, Nike Foundation, DailyBeast/Newsweek, Edelman, Deloitte, MacroBlu, Standard Chartered and Veritas Communications.  

"At The MasterCard Foundation, we believe in the power of young people to transform our world. By providing 21 outstanding young women with the opportunity to come together to share ideas and join voices the G(irls)20 Summit is an important platform to develop leadership and solutions around the challenges facing young people," said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. "These young women are the leaders of tomorrow, and we are proud to partner with the G(irls)20 Summit to support them on their journey."

"I have chosen to be part of the G(irls)20 Summit to help spread the message of empowerment amongst young women.  Empowerment begins first and foremost with the youth!" - Alek Wek, international model.

"Intel is proud to be a sponsor of the G(irls)20 Summit. At Intel, we believe that the education of girls and women leads to economic empowerment for the girls, their families and their communities. The G(irls)20 Summit provides an exceptional forum, preparing young women to prosper and lead in the 21st century. Congratulations to the remarkable young leaders participating in this year's summit." Shelly Esque, Vice-President and Director, Corporate Affairs Group, Intel Corporation

About the G(irls)20 Summit

The G(irls)20 Summit is an integral part of the "3.3 Billion Ways" international campaign based on the fundamental assumption that there are 3.3 billion women on the planet and therefore there are 3.3 billion ways to change the world.

This international campaign is also present on the Internet: the "What's your Number?" participation initiative encourages women all across the world to acquire and to display their "number" thus proving their support of women all over the world. In Canada, the media were invited to the presentation of the G(irls)20 t-shirt, designed by the famous designer Tu Ly, and to display their own number to support the campaign.

Six great girl-led initiatives emerged from the 2010 G(irls)20 Summit, including: the Indian Tanvi Foundation, whose mission focuses on confidence building for teenage girls around the world. Kartika from Indonesia has created a mobile library for young people in the slums of Indonesia, allowing them access to culture. Irem from Turkey has focussed on helping young Turks and improving their communities. This year, one of the six initiatives from last year's Summit will be chosen as the basis for all the workshops, thereby strengthening its reach and sustainability.

You can find details of this initiative on: www.girlsandwomen.com; log-on to get your number and to order a Tu Ly designed t-shirt.

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About the G(irls)20 Summit

Organized by The Belinda Stronach Foundation, the Summit is an association of national and international NGOs that have joined forces to foster awareness of women's essential economic role.

Our partners in this program include: Google, Norton Rose, The Mastercard Foundation, Intel, Nike Foundation, Deloitte, Edelman, DailyBeast/Newsweek, MacroBlu, Veritas Communications,10x10, 889 Yonge, Aga Khan Council for Canada, Aga Khan Council of France, All Girls Allowed, Ashoka Canada, B5Media, Canadian Crossroads International, Canadian Women's Foundation, Catalyst, Clinton Global Initiative, CTV, Ecojot, Equality Effect, Equitas, Fenton, Financial Independence through Entrepreneurship (FITE), Girl Guides of Canada, Girls Action Foundation, Girls for a Change, Global Campaign for Education, Global Changemakers, go GIRL global, Help We've Got Kids, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (IFLRY), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Laufer Green Isaac Communications, Malaria No More UK, Man Up, One, Plan, Right to Play, Sustainable Health Enterprises, Taking it Global, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, UN Foundation, Vital Voices, War Child Canada, White Ribbon Alliance, Women Deliver, Women for Women, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

SOURCE The G(irls)20 Summit