Women’s Democracy Network (WDN) members from Peru, Bolivia, Jordan, Indonesia, Kenya, Georgia, Russia and Guatemala participated in the U.S. Agency for International Development sponsored Global Pulse 2010 online event. During the three-day event, individuals from an estimated 195 countries participated in a global conversation centered on 10 key social issues facing the global community in the fields of science and technology, entrepreneurship and human development. WDN members used this unique opportunity to socially engage themselves with other participants and organizations from around the world to make their views, concerns and experiences heard. Specifically, WDN members shared their views and knowledge on the subject of empowering women and girls.

In addition to participating in the Global Pulse 2010 event, WDN members used the opportunity to hold WDN country chapter activities. In Peru, country chapter members, including Isabel Montalvo, met at IRI’s regional office to participate in the online discussion as well as post pieces on empowering women and girls and exercising political and civil rights.

WDN’s Russia country chapter was launched on March 31 and chapter members joined the Global Pulse 2010 discussion as their first organized WDN country chapter activity. The chapter is comprised of women leaders from six regions in Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kirov, Krosnodar, Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk.

In Jordan, the seven WDN chapter members who participated in the Global Pulse discussion noted that the highlight of the event was their communication with women in Algeria and Azerbaijan during the sessions on empowering leaders of tomorrow and advancing entrepreneurship, trade and economic opportunity.

WDN members were remarkably involved in this global event with some members contributing more than 20 posts on topics ranging from the barriers to women’s political involvement to capacity building among those women who were elected to office. WDN member Yuda Irlang from Indonesia noted that the Global Pulse discussion was a great experience for WDN members as it allowed them to reach an audience of thousands in only a few seconds and conduct a global discussion.