Changemakers Visit DU to Learn About Woman's Initiatives

On November 12, the University of Denver hosted visitors from Israel as part of their "Changemarkers: Leadership Development for Woman" program. DU was one of many stops on their trip to learn a broad range of perspectives on organizations in the U.S. and how woman can get involved in civic leadership roles.

The program is an International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. This specific program is administered by the Mississippi Consortium for International Development, a national program agency that works closely with nonprofit organizations to reveal the culture of communities across the U.S. The Washington Office of MCID is one of a few national program agencies that oversees this visiting program.

The two-week long program consisted of meetings and activities in Washington D.C., Denver, CO., and New York, NY. Along these stops, the woman were seeking to examine the U.S. political system and how woman participate at local, state and national levels of politics. The woman also investigated initiatives on equal pay for woman and how legislation can be introduced to address woman's needs in relation to health care and education.

Those in attendance were Ms. Meital Abas, director and community coordinator of Na'amat Jerusalem, Mrs. Yael Elimelech, head of the department of Ultra-Orthodox Public Schools at "Manhi," Ms. Mira Zohar Saben, director of gender equality programs in the department for the Advancement of the Status of Woman, Ms. Efrat Shoham Hildesheimer, director of Emunah-Jerusalem and Ms. Anna Somershaf, a freelance documentary filmmaker.