| Since
2002, Women's eNews has honored an awe-inspiring, reader-nominated group of leaders who confront issues of particular relevance to women. Past honorees include Nobel Peace Prize laureate and 1991 Africa Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, Swanee Hunt and Abigail Disney. Joan is being recognized this year as one of the "seven who topple tyrannies." Joan took on one of the most pervasive, entrenched and debilitating tyrannies: patriarchy - a belief system . . . that deems women inferior. She transformed all of The Hunger Project's programs and created ground-breaking initiatives to empower women as the key change agents for the end of hunger. She is now regarded as the foremost expert on and advocate for women and the end of hunger. In the 1990s, there was virtually no information on women and their pivotal role in ending hunger.
Joan broke through this wall of silence that shrouds women, their lives and their contributions. She
began this journey in 1997 on a flight to India, when she reached into
her carry-on and pulled out "The Asian Enigma," a UNICEF report. Joan
couldn't believe what she read and reread - that the high rates of
malnutrition of children in South Asia resulted from gender inequality. And, as they say, the rest is history. Joan's 10-year journey to
discover the truth regarding women and the end of hunger began. She
met with leaders throughout the developing world - from the grass roots
to national governments. In Rajasthan, India, she met with nine top women leaders and advocates. Joan was shocked to learn about the
cradle-to-grave discrimination against women. In this historic meeting, Joan became clear about the undeniable link between women's low status and the persistence of hunger.
In Bhopal, Joan met with women newly elected to panchayats
- local government - who were desperate to make a difference in their
communities, but saw themselves as their husbands' puppets with no
voice of their own. Joan was deeply moved by the women, and made a commitment that these women - and all women in the developing world - would have a voice in decisions that affect their lives. She
transformed all of The Hunger Project's work in India and created the Women's Leadership Workshop to empower grassroots women to be effective leaders in their panchayats. More than 65,000 women have taken the workshop. Joan then investigated the situation in Africa, and uncovered the little-known fact that African women produce 80 percent of the continent's food with virtually no support. To make their heroic contribution widely known, Joan created the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative
to bring the women out of the shadows and into visibility, and to
empower them through small loans and training. More than US$5 million
in loans have been made to 63,000 women. Joan also confronted the
devastation of HIV/AIDS and saw the impact that gender has on the
crisis. Joan then created - with experts from eight African countries -
the HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality Workshop. Thus far, 450,000 women and men have taken this workshop. In
2000, a standoff took place between Joan and representatives of the
media in Rajasthan. They wanted to interview Joan but not the panchayat
women whom they deemed inferior. This altercation inspired Joan to
create the Sarojini Naidu Prize, which rewards reporters who positively cover the accomplishments of panchayat women. Now, reporters
and their top articles are honored at a prestigious national prize
ceremony. In
Bangladesh, Joan worked with local Hunger Project leaders to ensure
greater gender equity, so that instead of 5 percent, women now
constitute 40 percent of our 110,000 animators. During a village visit,
she saw little boys playing. But little girls were nowhere in sight - they were inside working alongside their mothers.
Joan
found it heartbreaking that the mistreatment began so early - even
depriving girls of their childhood. In response, she created National Girl Child Day - a nationwide celebration that recognizes and honors the value of girls. In 2007, more than 2,000 events were held. All
during this time, Joan created opportunities for Hunger Project investors to come to know the lives of the women in the developing
world. She asked the investors, who are among the most educated and
financially blessed people, to embrace as equal citizens these
oppressed, disempowered and marginalized women. The investors responded
enthusiastically and invested their financial resources to empower their sisters in the developing world.In the international community,
Joan became the voice
for the women of the developing world. She ensured that the importance
and contribution of women was potently included in the work of the UN
Millennium Project's Hunger Task Force. She also advocated for the
women of the developing world through international conferences, speeches and testimonies to U.S. congressional committees. Through her
work, millions of women are finding their voice and having their critical and extraordinary contribution to the well-being of society recognized. Women's eNews is
the definitive source of substantive news - unavailable anywhere else -
covering issues of particular concern to women and providing women's
perspectives on public policy. An independent news agency, Women's
eNews, and its editor-in-chief Rita Henley Jensen, have won 27 awards
over the past six years. Women's eNews has been widely tapped by other
media from coast to coast and around the globe, from such leading media
outlets as The New York Times, PBS, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune among others.
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