Susan M. Blaustein

Founder and Executive Director

WomenStrong International

Before she established WomenStrong International, Dr. Blaustein served as the Co-Founder and Director of The Millennium Cities Initiative, an urban redevelopment project across the sub-Saharan region led by The Earth Institute at Columbia University, where she continues to teach. She is working on a book, Toward a Just and Sustainable City, about efforts focused on enabling inclusive, multisectoral, community-focused urban development. _x000D_
She has reported on conflict, politics, economics, and social injustice for such publications as The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, The New Republic, and the Los Angeles Times. Her doctorate is from Yale University.

Event Schedule

DAY 1

18 July 2023

DAY 2

19 July 2023

Start Time	End Time	Session	Description	Action
02:30 pm EEST	04:00 pm EEST	Raising up Women’s and Girls’ Voices in the Movement to Localize Development Concurrent Room MH 2-2	In the last decade, multilateral development agencies have begun recognizing how essential local organizations are to effective humanitarian, development, and Read More In the last decade, multilateral development agencies have begun recognizing how essential local organizations are to effective humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding work. Yet a challenge to localization is the limited engagement of local and national actors in setting the agenda and priorities. Actors based in the Global North continue to set priorities. Women’s rights organizations have also experienced limited engagement. We must examine how these organizations, based in their communities, feature in localization – and what the agenda means for girls, women, and other marginalized populations. The session will present the context and start mapping pathways toward inclusive localization plans. Session format: Learning from failure Organized by Rwanda Women’s Network, Trócaire, WomenStrong International Read Less Speakers Rene Christian (Chris) Umukunzi Localisation and Partnership Manager Trócaire Rwanda Susan M. Blaustein Founder and Executive Director WomenStrong International Mary Balikungeri Executive Director Rwanda Women's Network Diana Mpyisi Founder and Managing Director Blue Oceans Ineza Umuhoza Grace Founder The Green Protector

Start Time	End Time	Session	Description	Action
10:30 am EEST	12:00 pm EEST	Hey Funders: Here’s What Young Feminist Leaders Need from You! Concurrent Room MH 2-1	What makes the difference between philanthropy that is pathbreaking for young feminist leaders and funding that creates yet more obstacles to meaningful change? Join us Read More What makes the difference between philanthropy that is pathbreaking for young feminist leaders and funding that creates yet more obstacles to meaningful change? Join us for a discussion of grantee-led, feminist, trust-based philanthropy. Hear directly from grassroots and local young feminist leaders fighting for gender and racial equality in the Global South, and learn what transformative, sustainable social change looks like for them. Join us for a dynamic discussion on the much-needed shifts in philanthropy and aid to support feminist organizing, programming, and the leadership of adolescent girls and young women, and learn about funders’ experiences implementing more trust-based, feminist models. Session format: Thought Leadership Organized by American Jewish World Service, Girls First Fund, WomenStrong International, Cellule Nigérienne des Jeunes Filles Leaders, Mujeres Sociopolíticas Mamá Tingó, Feminist Approach to Technology, Visionaria Peru, Women’s Justice Initiative Read Less Speakers Fanta Toure-Puri Fund Director Girls First Fund Sachini Perera Executive Coordinator Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ) Rut Curruchich Outreach Coordinator Women’s Justice Initiative Paola Saldivias Mendez Co-founder Visionaria Network of Peru Saratou Bako Bagassa Member, Leadership and Mentoring Camp Organization Committee Cellule Nigérienne Des Jeunes Filles Leaders (CNJFL) Rubi Rubi Management Committee member/Program Champion Feminist Approach to Technology Johanna Agustin Co-ordinator of Political Participation, responsible for Accounting/Finance Mujeres Socio Políticas Mama Tingo [Mama Tingo Socio-Political Women] Susan M. Blaustein Founder and Executive Director WomenStrong International Sarah Green Senior Policy Advisor, Sexual Health and Rights American Jewish World Service (AJWS)

Speakers

contact@wd2023-conference.org