Last year, Secretary Clinton launched The Women in Public Service Project at a day long symposium at the State Department.   In this exciting initiative, the U.S. Department of State is partnering with the Seven Sisters women’s colleges – Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith and Wellesley – to help the next generation of global women leaders develop critical skills and connections.

I was one of the many speakers and trainers who was asked to be part of this truly inspirational and historic effort, held at Wellesley College.   The inaugural institute brings together 50 emerging women leaders (between the ages of 25-45) to work intensely on understanding the dimensions of the challenges women face and the legal remedies available.   They talked about everything from women peace and security to the use of social media, violence against women to issues raised in family law. The women are from a diverse set of countries, including Afghanistan, Kosovo, Israel, Tunisian, Pakistan, and Kenya, and their rapport with each other was incredible.  Watching there women interact gave me another reason to be hopeful about the future, and about the women leaders who will be central to building that future.