In the Conference, Harnessing 21st Century Solutions: A Focus on Women, attendees (including more than 40 former presidents an prime ministers) will seek to share best practices in addressing political and economic empowerment from a gender perspective and identify benchmarks that can serve to guide coordinated efforts and move this agenda forward. The forum is organized by the Club de Madrid with the support of President Bill Clinton and the William J. Clinton Foundation.
The following events on the program will be available to follow them via streaming. The hours are indicated in CST (UTC-6), local time in Arkansas:
MONDAY, 17 DECEMBER
Opening session
3.00-3.30 PM
Speakers:
• Stephanie S. Streett, Executive Director, William J. Clinton Foundation
• Jerry Jones, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Acxiom
• Hillary R. Clinton (via video), U.S. Secretary of State
• Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1994-2002), President of the Club de Madrid
Framing the Debate
3.30 PM-4.30 PM
Facilitator:
• Bill Clinton, President of the United States (1993-2001). Honorary Chair of the Club de Madrid
Speakers:
• Michelle Bachelet, Director of UN Women. President of Chile (2006-2010). Member of the Club de Madrid
• Roza Otunbayeva, President of Kyrgyzstan (2010-2011). Member of the Club de Madrid
Breakout session: Secrets to Securing Equality in the Board Room and Beyond?
4.45–6.15 PM
Quotas are a transitory tool of affirmative action that aims to bridge existing gaps by balancing historical discrimination in access to opportunities within the political and economic spheres. Have gender quotas been an effective instrument in ensuring greater access and participation of women? How much more needs to be done? Debate style session comparing countries with successful gender quota systems (Norway) and countries that refuse to consider them (US).
Facilitator:
• Theo Sowa, Interim Chief Executive Officer, African Women’s Development Fund
Initiators:
• Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister of Norway (1997-2000; 2001-2005)
• Ricardo Lagos, President of Chile (2000-2006)
• José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, President of the Government of Spain (2004-2012)
Speakers:
• Irene Natividad, Chair, Corporate Women Directors International
• Laura Liswood, Secretary General Council of Women World Leaders and Senior Advisor, Goldman Sachs
• Jeni Klugman, Director, Gender and Development, World Bank
TUESDAY, 18 DECEMBER
Breakout Session: How can societies ensure women’s rights to access and control of natural resources?
9.00-10.30 AM
If women are to be fully effective in contributing to food and nutrition security they need to be able to exercise their right to access and control of natural resources, including land tenure. We will review the sustainable development goals emerging from the Rio +20 deliberations and explore how societies can best prioritize mechanisms to ensure women’s right to access and control to natural resources?
Facilitator:
• Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director, Energy and Climate, Energy Access Initiative, United Nations Foundation (UNF)
Initiators:
• Mary Robinson, President of the Republic of Ireland (1990-1997)
• Sadiq Al-Mahdi, Prime Minister of Sudan (1966-1967; 1986-1989)
Speakers:
• Video from Rajendra Pachauri, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
• Jamie Bechtel, Co-Founder and CEO, New Course
• Alimata Traore, President, COFERSA (New Field Foundation)
• Katherine Lucey, Founder and CEO, Solar Sisters
Bringing it all Together
11.00AM – 1.00PM
Facilitator:
• Stephen Sackur, Correspondent, BBC
Keynote:
• John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada
Speakers:
• Sylvia Burwell, President, The Walmart Foundation
• Bineta Diop, Director and Founder, Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) (Ghana)
• Mayra Buvinic, Senior Fellow, United Nations Foundation
• Adimaimalaga Tafuna’I, Executive Director, Women in Buisness Development Inc (Samoa)
• Melane Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large, Global Women’s Issues, U.S. State Department
Closing & Award Giving Ceremony
3.15–4.30 PM
Club de Madrid Young Leadership Award presented to Leila Janah by:
• Bill Clinton, Honorary Chair of the Club de Madrid, President of the United States of America (1993-2001)
• Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1994-2002), President of the Club de Madrid
• Leila Janah, Founder and CEO, Samasource
Facilitator:
• Stephen Sackur, Correspondent, BBC
Speakers:
• Tawakel Karman, Co-founder of Women Journalists without Chains (WJWC). Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2011
• Kim Campbell, Prime Minister of Canada (1993)
• Carol Kidu, Former Member of Parliament and Former Minister for Community Development, Papua New Guinea
