MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: WeConnect, Airbnb, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, HP Make Commitments to Women, Entrepreneurship, Education at 12th, Final Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

At the recent 12th annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), a program of the US-based nonprofit Clinton Foundation, various organizations made 25 new commitments worth USD 70 million as part of the “Girls, Women and the Global Goals” project, which is intended to “advance women’s economic participation, address violence against girls and women, and promote women’s leadership in the public and private sectors”, including:

(1) WeConnect International, a US-based nonprofit helping women-owned businesses sell to multinational corporate buyers, to facilitate sales totaling USD 15 billion over the next five years through partnerships with organizations including Procter & Gamble, Ernst & Young, Ingersoll Rand, Pfizer and Walmart.

(2) Airnnb, a for-profit firm headquartered in the US state of California, to provide free travel and accommodation to support women in advancing their small businesses and activism.

(3) Catalyst, a US-based nonprofit aiming to increase women’s inclusion in the workplace, to list of women who are qualified to serve on the boards of directors of US corporations and assist the corporations to find matches [1].

(4) Youth for Technology, a nonprofit bringing technology to underserved communities in five countries in Africa and the Americas, has committed to train 6,000 girls in Nigeria who do not attend school on basic literacy and business skills and help them acquire certifications in three-dimensional printing and employment [3].

Outside of the “Girls, Women and the Global Goals” project, The Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), a for-profit technology company based in the US, made a new commitment to join existing partners Timberland, US-based apparel company, and Team Tassy, US-based volunteer organization helping families out of poverty in Haiti, to provide children who collect recyclable material from Haiti’s Truitier Landfill with educational opportunities, including scholarships and training on health and safety [2]

As of 2016, CGI reports that 3,600 commitments made by its partners impacted the lives of 435 million people in 180 countries. The US-based Clinton Foundation has announced that it will not hold further annual meetings of this type.

By Sharanya Madhavan, Research Associate

About Clinton Global Initiative

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the US-based nonprofit Clinton Foundation, was established in 2005 with the aim of bringing together global leaders to make specific commitments related to alleviating poverty, creating a cleaner environment and increasing access to health care and education. As of 2016, CGI reports that 3,600 commitments made by its partners impacted the lives of 435 million people in 180 countries. The US-based Clinton Foundation has announced that it will not hold further annual meetings of this type.

Sources and Additional Resources:

[1] Fortune: Airbnb, P&G, and Unilever Are Partnering With the Clinton Foundation to Invest Over $70m in Women

[2] HP: HP Announces Commitment to Create Sustainable Recycling Opportunities in Haiti

[3] 3DPrint.com: Youth for Technology Foundation Announces Plans to Train 6,000 Nigerian Girls in Technology like 3D Printing

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