Five Ways FedEx Helps Empower Women Around the World

FedEx supports hundreds of organizations, projects and initiatives that help make life better in the communities where our team members live and where we do business. To help commemorate International Women’s Day (March 8), here are five organizations FedEx supports that help empower women and girls around the world:

1. Vital Voices GROW Fellowship

Vital Voices invests in women leaders who advance economic opportunity around the world. FedEx is investing philanthropic support for the VV GROW Fellowship, a one-year accelerator supporting 65 women-owned businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The program provides business skills training, technical assistance, leadership development and access to networks, ultimately leading to business growth, inclusive economic growth and wider social benefits.

Website: http://vitalvoices.org/what-we-do/signature-programs/economic-empowerment/  

2. International Women’s Forum (IWF)

FedEx has been a sponsor of IWF for more than 12 years. The International Women’s Forum is comprised of more than 6,500 women leaders in thirty-five countries around the world. The IWF brings these women together to exchange ideas, to learn, inspire, and to build better leadership for a changing world. Through global conferences, training and mentoring programs and global forums, IWF provides one-of–a-kind programming designed by world leaders, for world leaders, both present and future.

Website: http://iwforum.org/  

3. Oprah Winfrey Leadership Foundation

FedEx Express is a corporate supporter of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation (OWLAF) in South Africa.  The company helps fund a university scholarship program for academy graduates. “We believe that our support will help the girls to reach their full potential and empower them to become the next generation of leaders; driving businesses, our communities and the global marketplace.” says Mike Higley, Managing Director for FedEx Express, Southern Africa.

Website: http://www.owla.co.za/owlag_academy

4.  Babson College WIN Lab Miami

The Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab, Babson College’s business accelerator for women, helps women entrepreneurs take their business idea to the next level. Babson is one of the top-ranked US colleges for entrepreneurism. Already a successful model in Babson’s hometown of Boston, the WIN Lab is an 8-month intensive business development program that features workshops, coaching, and networking. Miami was chosen for the WIN Lab’s first pilot program because it ranks 4th on the list of US cities with the most women-owned businesses in the country. However, according to Babson’s research, Miami ranks in the bottom five when it comes to women entrepreneurs’ “economic clout” which represents a combination of the number of women-owned firms, generated revenues and employment data. Through WIN Lab Miami, Babson wants to help women business owners in Miami “scale up” and revitalize Miami’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Website: http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/cwel/educational-programs/win-lab/Pages/win-lab-miami.aspx

5.  Dress for Success Worldwide

Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 145 cities in 23 countries and has helped more than 925,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. FedEx supports Dress for Success through philanthropic donations, in-kind shipping and hands-on team member engagement. We not only help Dress for Success collect clothing, shoes and other items, but we also support programs focused on helping women train for and enter the workforce. FedEx also sponsors the “Career Hub”, a new online application (currently in development) that will allow women to access training from their mobile devices, eliminating scheduling issues with transportation and childcare that often prevented them from completing their classroom training.

Website - https://www.dressforsuccess.org/