July 5, 2005
CONTACT: Sumana Chatterjee, 202-737-7705 x 139
Sumana@womenforwomen.org
Patty Pina, 202-737-7705 x 111
PPina@womenforwomen.org
AMELIA EARHART PIONEERING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
GOES TO NGOZI EZE, NIGERIA COUNTRY DIRECTOR
FOR WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL
July 5, 2005, WASHINGTON, DC— The 2005 Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award will be presented on July 16 to Ngozi Eze, a woman who makes a difference in the lives of thousands of survivors of civil conflict in her home country of Nigeria. The award is part of the annual Amelia Earhart Festival in Atchison, Kansas. This year’s theme is “Women Making a Difference.”
Each year the $10,000 award is given to recognize an individual who reinforces self-worth and self-confidence in women and who demonstrates that for any woman the sky is no longer the limit. As the Country Director for Women for Women International’s Nigeria Chapter, Ms. Eze embodies the pioneering spirit of Amelia Earhart and is a visionary force for positive change for the women of Nigeria.
Past winners include former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker, the first female senator of Kansas; Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the first woman of color to go into space; and Linda Hall Daschle, second woman to serve as Deputy FAA Administrator.
Through her work, Ms. Eze addresses the immediate and long-term needs of women survivors of civil conflict. Under her leadership, the chapter has trained more than 6,000 women to move from crisis and upheaval to stability and self-sufficiency. Ms. Eze has instituted specialized programs to educate women about HIV/AIDS and the harmful effects of traditional practices. She also pioneered a men’s training program to sensitize community leaders to women’s rights. Finally, in the wake of increased community violence between Christian and Muslim communities in northern Nigeria, she launched joint training sessions to offer women from both religious backgrounds the opportunity to meet and rebuild their trust.
Women for Women International provides women with direct aid, rights awareness, leadership education, vocational skills and business training to help them become active participants in rebuilding their communities. Since 1993, the group has distributed over $18 million. It currently operates in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, and Rwanda.
For more information about Women for Women International’s programs, please visit: www.womenforwomen.org
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