Pro Mujer Wins The Prestigious 2014 Fundacion Vidanta Prize

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pro Mujer, a leading non-profit development and financial inclusion organization dedicated to empowering women to break the cycle of poverty in Latin America, today announced that it has won this year's prestigious Fundacion Vidanta Prize. The award, which includes a $100,000 prize, was celebrated at an event held yesterday in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, details at www.promujer.org.

The Fundacion Vidanta Prize was created through a joint initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and Fundacion Vidanta. Each year, organizations are evaluated by a panel of expert judges from the fields of economics, public policy and law, among others. Organizations are judged on the criteria, including innovative concept or execution, measurable results or impact, capacity to be continued and replicated over time, and environmental sustainability.

Fundacion Vidanta also works to spread efforts and share ideas to develop greater knowledge and capacity; influence public policy decision-making; and create greater awareness and mobilize public opinion on key issues related to poverty, inequality, and discrimination in Latin America and the Caribbean. The award seeks to promote humanitarian values and solidarity in the general population and encourage philanthropy and corporate social responsibility.

In making the announcement, Rosario Perez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pro Mujer said, "For more than two decades, Pro Mujer has been a pioneer in providing low-income women in Latin America with the essential tools they need to realize their value and become active participants in their own development. This is not just recognition for our work, but also much-needed recognition of the women we serve across the region who often remain invisible, but who have the right to equal access to opportunity. We are honored to receive this year's Fundacion Vidanta Prize."

Pro Mujer provides women with easy and convenient access to vital financial, health and human development services that are typically out of their reach but essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. Currently, the organization serves more than 280,000 clients in Latin America with its set of integrated services: small loans, savings and insurance; business and empowerment training; and high-quality, low-cost primary healthcare. This powerful formula helps women generate much-needed income for themselves and their families. It unlocks their personal potential, helps them send their children to school, care for their health, and make life-altering changes to bring themselves out of poverty.

Founded in Bolivia in 1990, Pro Mujer also has operations in Argentina, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru along with its international headquarters in New York City. Over the course of its history, Pro Mujer disbursed more than US$1 billion in small loans, and provided health care and training to more than 1.6 million women and their 6.4 million children and family members.

About Pro Mujer

Established in 1990, Pro Mujer has a presence in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. In the last 20 years, Pro Mujer has disbursed more than US$1 billion in small loans, and provided health care and training to more than 1.6 million women and their 6.4 million children and family members. Pro Mujer is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization.

For more information, please visit www.promujer.org or join the conversation on Twitter @promujer or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/promujerintl.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Elizabeth Wright
Director, Communications
+1-646-626-7000, ext. 130
[email protected]

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SOURCE Pro Mujer