The Women's Leadership Board originated in 1991 with the formation of a Women's Leadership Initiative Advisory Board. This small yet tenacious group was formed to support women faculty and students and to elevate the profile of women's initiatives at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The stature and efficacy of this group were immeasurably changed when, in 1995, the newly appointed Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., declared that "the training and empowerment of women as world leaders" would be a priority of his Deanship. Embracing the agenda of the women's leadership initiative, the Dean created the "Women's Leadership Board." He directed then Senior Associate Dean, Holly Sargent, to identify and recruit distinguished women of significant achievement to provide support and counsel as the Harvard Kennedy School built its programs.
The Women's Leadership Board has taken this mandate very seriously. Led by effective and committed Chairs, Jean Minskoff Grant, Janice Weinman Shorenstein, and Roxanne Mankin Cason, the Board has collaborated with faculty and administrative leadership to chronicle a remarkable array of accomplishments since its founding.
Major accomplishments:
- Initial funding from the WLB made possible the creation of the Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School and the recruitment of its Founding Director, Ambassador Swanee Hunt. With WAPPP and the Harvard Kennedy School leadership, the WLB has helped transform the culture and orientation of the Harvard Kennedy School regarding gender. New classes, curriculum, study cases, speaker series, internships and research have enhanced the visibility of and opportunities for women within the school. The Harvard Kennedy School is now the leading academic institution of its kind focused on the training of women leaders and the study and promotion of global policies related to women.
- The WLB enabled and supported the launch of the innovative program, Women Waging Peace - Women and Inclusive Security, which has created a network of over 500 Harvard University-trained peace builders in over 40 conflict zones around the world. WLB members now actively mentor and assist these courageous women in varied ways around the world. Among this network are President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, four cabinet ministers, senators and parliamentarians who are literally changing the face of leadership in countries from Rwanda to Afghanistan.
- WLB support allowed the Harvard Kennedy School to host and incubate the nascent Council of Women World Leaders (CWWL), a body of living, female heads of state and government. With the CWWL, the WLB hosted two summits of women world leaders and helped establish a secretariat of women cabinet ministers.
- The WLB catalyzed and helped develop the first Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program for women, Women and Power.
- WLB support has stimulated a ten-fold expansion of faculty research on gender. From early groundbreaking research on Girls and Technology to global studies on women and political participation, WLB grants have allowed scholars to pursue previously marginalized topics.
- WLB members have mentored, provided career sessions and networking advice to over 1000 Harvard Kennedy School women students since the Board's founding.
- The WLB has contributed over $10M to the Harvard Kennedy School to enable it to optimize its potential for the benefit of women and girls around the world.
Today, the Women's Leadership Board continues to refine and advance its vision and mission while serving in its advisory role to current Dean, David T. Ellwood, and the faculty leadership of the Harvard Kennedy School.