4W, an initiative founded at the School of Human Ecology (SoHE), is aiming to leverage the strengths of UW-Madison “to make life better for women and make the world better for all.” Indeed, the most important aspects of this initiative—women, well-being, Wisconsin, and the world—are reflected in its succinct title. Today, the collaboration between SoHE, the Global Health Institute, and the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies works for the benefit of all campus units. Grounded in human rights principles, 4W “works toward equal rights for women and girls as an end in itself, while also recognizing the important role that women play in sustaining families, communities, civil society, local and global economies and our earth.”
2018 Summer 4W Internships Expand Globally
This summer, the 4W Nepal internship program from 2017 was expanded to include seven students and IIP Advisor and Program Coordinator Carly Stingl organized two additional internship locations; Associate Professor Carolyn Kallenborn brought two interns to Mexico and with Dr. Mary Crave traveled with another pair of students to Ghana. While most of these interns come from SoHE, students from all schools are encouraged to participate, with a topic of interest related to gender and well-being as the sole requirement. Intern participation more than tripled from the previous year.
Seven students worked in four Nepali organizations thanks to the work of thanks to the work and guidance of SoHE’s Professor Jennifer Angus and Michelle Kern Hall, Interim Director of the IIP. Design and Product Development Interns in Kathmandu, Nepal work with artisan micro-enterprise groups to learn from their innovative skills and help them grow their businesses.