Information has the power to transform lives. The fundamental right of access to information is critical for both governments and the people they serve and is particularly crucial for women. It provides for a more meaningful voice, enabling them to participate in public life, access public services, and make better decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.
Yet for many women, the power of information remains unreachable.
That’s why The Carter Center is launching the groundbreaking Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign in 13 inaugural cities across the globe: Amman, Jordan; Atlanta, USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Chicago, USA; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Dublin, Ireland; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Kampala, Uganda; Lima, Peru; Monrovia, Liberia; and São Paulo, Brazil.
Inform Women, Transform Lives seeks to raise awareness about women’s right to information, to significantly increase the number of women accessing key information from municipal governments, and to demonstrate the transformative impact that information has on individual women, their families, and the wider community. Ultimately, the Center hopes to galvanize a local and global movement to promote policy and practical solutions so that women will be able to transform their lives through access to information.
The Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign, which will officially launch on International Women’s Day on March 8, is creating targeted media campaigns for each city that aim to increase awareness of women’s right to information and catalyze women and civil society to seek information, underscoring why informing women transforms lives. Additionally, the Center will help local governments provide information to women on topics such as municipal and social services and public participation.
The Carter Center knows informing women will transform their lives. Here are stories of transformation: