OWIT members who were part of the delegation in Geneva share their perceptions:
- “What a great, busy and awesome trip – it really is amazing how influential OWIT is and the meetings we were able to have. Fantastic!” Janet Strong (Ohio)
- “There was a level of trust in the room for our Strategic Planning session that allowed us to challenge each other and have the right conversations. What a wonderful and special week. So proud to be part of OWIT!” Angela Marshall-Hofmann (Arkansas)
- “We rock! “ Vicki Wilkerson (California)
- “We met with ambassadors, UNCTAD, ITC and WTO staff, and can now work on maintaining and nurturing these valuable institutional relationships.” Andrea Ewart (Washington, DC)
- “What a memorable experience, and how awesome. We actually made it to Geneva for our board meeting and participated in the WTO Forum to boot! Many cheers to a great group of women.” Gail Morris (Toronto)
- “I’m really excited for what’s to come. All our dreams and visions can become a reality.” Jennifer Diaz (Miami)
- “My biggest take-away is that OWIT brings together multi-talented individuals with a strong passion for community and personal development. The ‘Faces of Trade’ had the most impact for me and it is the message I brought back to the Nairobi chapter, that OWIT numbers and people are real… they are not simply statistics. Finally the warm hospitality towards a new member like myself was a defining factor for why I see myself staying on for many years to come!” Sarah Richson (Nairobi)
- “The Geneva meetings taught me that a commitment to inclusive trade through policies that facilitate the participation and market access of women and SMEs is key to the empowerment of women from every corner of the globe. The WTO Public Forum gave me the opportunity to speak on a renowned platform about my observations and experiences working with international trade professionals and, in this way, serve as a spokesperson for those who have no voice in the political process. The entire experience is one I will never forget nor ever take for granted.” Evelyn I. Suero (Miami)
- “Trade can be a force for good, but only if we get it right. The potential is there, and is being recognized, but the roadmap is not easy. It was great to see so much energy and new ideas on how we can create the kind of support systems to ensure women and other groups share in the benefit of trade.” Katherine McGregor (Geneva)
- “The Geneva trip was a real eye-opener in many ways: not only did the Board meeting reveal everyone’s desire for OWIT to be internationally renowned, but participation in the WTO Public Forum and the various high-level meetings we had were an incredible opportunity to raise both our personal and OWIT profiles, make great contacts and get deep insights into how trade has an enormous impact on women’s economic empowerment in both developing and developed countries…and the role we can play. Everyone we met was so impressed with OWIT and the work we all do as individuals in the trade space.” Susan Baka (Toronto)