The Global Partnership for Women and Girls announces two-year partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to equip women entrepreneurs in Muslim regions with skills they need to succeed

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Partnership for Women and Girls today announces its partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to fund the Mentoring Women in Business program, a unique program developed in partnership with Google that combines e-mentoring, web applications, peer support and information technology training to unlock the potential of women entrepreneurs. The Mentoring Women in Business program aims to connect 1,000 women entrepreneurs with mentors by 2014.

In partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, the Global Partnership for Women and Girls will invest in a valuable approach to mentoring, advancing the livelihood of women, girls and their communities by focusing on technology as a means to equip this demographic. As a component of this partnership, the Global Partnership for Women and Girls will provide a $10,000 grant over two years to enable the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to expand the Mentoring Women in Business program into highly populated Muslim regions, where women are often unable to access the skills needed to grow their own businesses.

"We believe that equipping the women enrolled in the Mentoring Women in Business program in Muslim regions will further our mission to increase the educational and economic development of Muslim women and girls and will directly contribute to more self-sufficient and self-confident women and more peaceful families, communities and societies," said Nadia Malik, Co-Founder and CEO of the Global Partnership for Women and Girls.

"The Mentoring Women in Business program supports the 'missing middle,' women who have the drive and vision to take the next step toward becoming successful entrepreneurs and are often already running small businesses. By focusing on those women who have already achieved a level of success, we are filling a gap which will create employment and contribute to economic growth," said Malik.

"We are delighted to work together with the Global Partnership for Women and Girls to support women business owners in countries where they lack equal opportunities," said Henriette Kolb, CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. "This funding and the support of the Global Partnership for Women and Girls will make a real difference in the lives of the women entrepreneurs involved."

The Global Partnership for Women and Girls funds pilot projects in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt and Senegal, and through the partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, it will expand its work into Palestine and additional regions. This partnership will create educational and economic opportunities enabling Muslim women and girls to become full and equal participants in their local economies, benefitting their entire communities.

About the Global Partnership for Women and Girls

The Global Partnership for Women and Girls is a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors that invests in the educational and economic advancement of Muslim women and girls and the communities in which they live. The fund invests in strategic, scalable, replicable and innovative solutions led by NGOs around the world, tackling global challenges with local solutions.

The Global Partnership for Women and Girls is driven by the belief that empowered women enjoy dignity and economic security, create peace and have an important amplifier effect in creating sustainable and positive social change. As a grant-making organization, the fund's criteria is simple: to invest in projects that promote the educational and economic development of women and girls so that they can contribute to their families, engage with their communities and build bridges to peace.

For more information, please visit www.GP4WG.org.

About the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women invests in women entrepreneurs so they can build and expand their businesses - and in doing so benefit not only themselves but also their families and communities. The Foundation focuses its efforts on countries where women have made strides in education and have the potential to succeed in business but lack the necessary support.

Working in partnership with local non-profit organizations, corporations and government bodies, we develop projects with sustainable solutions to the challenges women entrepreneurs face, providing the business skills, technology, networks and access to finance they need to be successful.

The Foundation's Mentoring Women in Business Program is a pioneering global initiative that takes advantage of Google technology to provide e-mentoring, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) training, and peer-to-peer support to women entrepreneurs. The program's mission is to build confidence, capability and ultimately capital among women entrepreneurs.

For more information, please visit www.cherieblairfoundation.org.

Contact:

Global Partnership for Women and Girls
Nadia S. Malik
Co-Founder and CEO of the Global Partnership for Women and Girls
6 West 48th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10036
[email protected]

SOURCE Global Partnership for Women and Girls