Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women Announces Leadership Scholarship Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2009

For more information, contact:
Cathi Crabtree, City of Bloomington's Commission on the Status of Women, 272-1600
Sue Owens, Program Specialist, Community & Family Resources Dept., City of Bloomington, 349-3468
Danny Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-CITY, lopezd@bloomington.in.gov




Bloomington, IN - Mayor Mark Kruzan has announced that the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women will be awarding $500 scholarships to women who are planning to participate in a leadership development experience as part of its Leadership Scholarship Initiative.

Despite great progress toward gender equality, women remain underrepresented in formal positions of leadership. Few women hold the position of CEO, while many occupy managerial roles. In addition, women in leadership positions often find leadership development experiences insensitive to the realities of women's lives. Traditional leadership programs can sometimes fail to address the real obstacles that block women's progress.

As one of its primary objectives, the Commission on the Status of Women is committed to providing opportunities for leadership development for women of all ages and backgrounds in Bloomington and surrounding communities. The Leadership Scholarship Initiative was created in order to create ever-greater opportunities to cultivate the next generation of women leaders.

Qualifying leadership development experiences include conferences, workshops, seminars, mini-courses and additional opportunities for which an applicant can clearly articulate a case for leadership development. The word "leadership" need not be in the title of the experience; rather, it will be up to the applicant to fully explain how the experience will shape her growth as a leader.

The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women was founded in 1973 in order to ensure that women and men have equal opportunity to function fully and optimally as citizens of Bloomington, and as equal participants in the economy, in politics and government, in education, in social development, in the system of justice, and in all other facets of life.

For additional details and applications visit www.bloomington.in.gov/csw or contact Sue Owens at owenss@bloomington.in.gov.

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