More than 300 alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programmes gathered at local hotel for the opening ceremony of the three-day 2015 International Women's Empowerment Conference, co-sponsored by the US Embassy in Islamabad, the Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN), and the US-Pakistan Women's Council.
The opening ceremony concluded with four community service activities that brought the alumni together with various community partners, including Edhi Homes, Sweet Homes Pakistan, and the Special Talent Exchange Programme. In his keynote address to the alumni, US Ambassador Richard G Olson said, "During this conference, I encourage you to think about how the various sessions will enable you to achieve more in your respective fields and how, as a network, you can empower women across Pakistan, South Asia, and the world."
The conference is one of many events sponsored by the US Embassy in Islamabad to commemorate International Women's Day on March 8, and Women's History Month throughout the month of March. The US government invests approximately $40 million annually to send more than 1,300 Pakistanis to participate in various academic and professional exchange programmes each year. PUAN is one of the largest US alumni networks in the world. Its mission is to encourage people-to-people relationships between Pakistanis and Americans.
More than 14,000 students and professionals have participated in US government-sponsored exchange programmes, PUAN organises events across Pakistan, including community service projects, leadership training, roundtable discussions, and community engagement activities. The organisation has 12 regional chapters nation-wide in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bahawalpur, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Gwadar, Islamabad, Jamshoro, Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lahore, Multan, and Sukkur.-PR