By W.B. King
In the spirit of the credit union ethos of “people helping people,” the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN), along with the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU), announced scholarship opportunities for four women to attend the 2024 World Credit Union Conference (WCUC) in Boston from July 21-24.
“GWLN will be celebrating 15 years in 2024, and it’s an exciting time for the network. The annual scholarship program is essential to our work for women’s advancement to leadership in our global movement,” said GWLN Director Lena Giakoumopoulos. “We have seen the tremendous impact the scholars have made for women in their credit unions and communities. We must continue our collective efforts in growing the program.”
Since its inception, GWLN has awarded 100 scholarships to women leaders in the credit union community from over 30 countries, Giakoumopoulos explained. The award, which includes airfare, hotel and registration fees for 2024 WCUC, recognizes individuals who have “demonstrated leadership and exemplify a commitment to improving lives through financial cooperatives.”
The scholarship registration portal will close on December 15, 2023. The winners will be announced the following month. The program is made possible through funding from GWLN memberships and industry sponsors, including Co-op Solutions, TruStage, Origence, PSCU and the Susan Adams Scholarship Fund (established in honor of former Entrust Financial Credit Union CEO Susan Adams, supported by One AZ Credit Union).
“I was drawn to GWLN because of its mission to create a more equitable world, where women have equal access to opportunities and resources as their male counterparts,” said Naddian Abraham-Damier, a 2023 scholar, who attended the World Credit Union Conference in Vancouver, Canada. “As someone who is passionate about women’s leadership and gender equity, GWLN is offering a meaningful and impactful way for me to get involved and make a difference.”
Scholarship Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the GWLN scholarship, candidates must:
Be a woman who is currently active in the credit union movement, either as an employee and/or volunteer with a credit union or a financial cooperative.
Demonstrate passion, leadership and personal commitment and the potential to influence credit unions/financial cooperatives within or outside their country.
Be endorsed by a credit union, cooperative financial institution or national/regional association that is either a member of the World Council of Credit Unions or is affiliated with one of its members. A list of World Council member organizations can be found here.
Not have been a previous GWLN scholarship recipient.
Scholarship Recipient Responsibilities
GWLN scholars are required to attend all GWLN-specific events during 2024 WCUC (reception, forum, breakout sessions).
GWLN scholars are strongly encouraged to document international engagement in social media, actively engage during GWLN events and become active participants in GWLN activities throughout the year.
Scholars are strongly encouraged to attend Sister Society meetings, in person in their home country or virtually, connecting with other Sister Societies sharing experience and showcasing progress. In total, there are 159 Sister Societies in 28 countries.
The ability to obtain and receive a visa in a timely manner may be a requirement of your experience. If selected to attend and you are unable to obtain your visa you may be unable to attend an in person event as a GWLN Scholar.
Scholarship recipients and their sponsoring organizations will sign a commitment letter recognizing these responsibilities. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of the scholarship.
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