You are invited to Food for Thought!

Can We Feed the World?

with Dr. Kim Kidwell

Thursday, May 17th at 6pm

Give a woman a fish and she eats for a day,

teach a woman to fish and she eats for a lifetime.

Join us for an exciting discussion about a new and sustainable approach that can ensure people's ability to feed themselves. 

Dr. Kim Kidwell will share her observations about forming partnerships in different parts of the world to ‘teach people to fish’ and develop sustainable food production.

Food for Thought

Thursday, May 17th at 6pm

Women's University Club

   Register here to join us on Thursday

Dr. Kidwell is a professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences at WSU, where she leads the spring wheat breeding and genetic research program. Combining the use of biotechnology with traditional plant breeding methods, new varieties are developed through her research efforts that provide genetic solutions to spring wheat production problems.

And don't miss Food for Thought in June:

Women in Leadership with Pamela Banks,

and come celebrate the young women leaders of

CWD’s 2012 Leadership Institute

Thursday, June 21st at 6pm

"Lead Where You Land" is not just a slogan at the Center - it is our mission.  CWD supports, stimulates and trains young women to take their place in leadership globally and locally.  Our work empowering the next generation of women leaders continues this year with our

2012 Leadership Institute.  Join us for Women in Leadership with Pamela Banks, a longtime local leader for the City of Seattle and new president & CEO of the Urban League, and meet this year's young women of our Leadership Institute.

Pamela Banks is the new president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle beginning June 2012. She has worked for the city for over 29 years and is a graduate of the University of Washington. Currently, she is the program manager for the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, where she manages community outreach and public engagement for the city’s neighborhood plan updates. Banks previously was responsible for community relations, outreach events and public appearances for former Mayor Greg Nickels.  Prior to joining the Mayor’s office, she worked in the Seattle Department of Transportation as a strategic advisor/community liaison on the first segment of the light rail construction. Banks has mentored youth and served on a variety of non-profit community boards.

Food for Thought

Thursday, June 21st at 6pm

Women's University Club

Register in advance to join us in June!

Book Club

CWD's Book Club meets the first Wednesday of the month, at 6:30 pm.

During these monthly gatherings, we engage in discussions about the stories

we’ve read while in the company of a dynamic group of women. 

Join us in June for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's This Child Will Be Great ,

and in July for Rachel Maddow's Drift.

New to the Center's Book Club?  Find more information and register here.

A big thank you to this year's Kicking Up Our Heels sponsors:

The Center for Women & Democracy is a non-profit organization that seeks to support and encourage women’s full participation and leadership in all areas of our lives. Since our inception, we have run programs that train future women leaders and connect women in Washington State with each other and with women internationally.

During our first 10 years, we traveled all over the world on women’s trade and educational delegations, learning how women are leading and tackling the issues they face in each of their countries, locally and nationally. And, in our own backyard, we’ve found women making a difference - from bioethics to wine making - and we’ve given them a forum to share their stories through our monthly Food for Thought (FFT) dinner series. We’ve helped mentor hundreds of young women in the Pacific Northwest by introducing them to women leaders who make Washington work through our Women’s Leadership Training programs. And we honor those women leaders each year at the Governor’s Mansion – women legislators, appointed officials and women lobbyists – who give our state the reputation it has in women’s leadership.

International Leadership Delegations

International delegations continue to be a focus of our organization’s agenda.  In the past, we have organized delegations to Morocco, Chile, Cuba, Sweden and the Baltics, South Africa and most recently, Viet Nam.  And, in addition to our official missions, Board members frequently open up their own opportunities to travel for women’s leadership purposes. Click here for more information about our international delegations.

Food for Thought

Our Food for Thought series runs from September through June, from 6 – 9 pm on the third Thursday of the month.  Our Food for Thought format is simple--invite women with something exciting to share about their lives and fill a room with women curious about the world around them who have little time to discover it on their own. Bring them together for dinner, letting them each introduce themselves at each meeting. Many women tell us they meet people they’ve always admired in the audience as well as on the podium. Past presentations have included: State of Women in Politics: Post Election Analysis; The Future of Healthcare; Human Trafficking Panel; Women Filmmakers; and Women’s Bioethics Project. Click here for more information about upcoming and past Food for Thought programs.

Kicking Up Our Heels

When was the last time you were in the company of the top women leaders of Washington State – celebrating women’s achievements? Would you like to go there? Every year, the CWD hosts our Kicking Up Our Heels event with Governor Chris Gregoire (a founding member of our CWD Board) at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia. Since 2002, the top 200 women who in their fields – elected, appointed, academic, civic and business leaders – have come together to mark the achievements women are making in Washington state.  In 2010, we honored the legacy of women working in skilled trade occupations – our own “Rosie the Riveters”. In 2011 , to celebrate our 9th annual Kicking Up Our Heels event, we honored the tremendous contribution Washington's tribal women are making throughout the state as leaders of their tribes, both as chairwomen and tribal council members. Click here to learn more about KUOH.

Women's Leadership

Our Women’s Leadership program works to advance young women’s leadership abilities. In 2010, we held the first CWD Women’s Leadership Institute.  The institute is open to women in colleges and similar educational programs who are looking for leadership, networking and community-building skills as well as a better understanding of what it takes to be a global citizen.

Click here for more information on this year's Instiute.

So, stay tuned for all the great offerings we have for you.  We welcome you to join us in any of our events and would love to have you get involved!  We’ve carved out a path that supports you in all you do.  Please check this website regularly for upcoming Center for Women & Democracy events – always with leadership in mind.

Check out March's Seattle Woman Magazine featuring an article about the Center's work.

The Center for Women & Democracy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Seattle, was organized to recognize the importance of women helping women and women leading where they land. Donations are tax deductible.  Please click here to join or to make a contribution