The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, with regional offices in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...

, Kenya, and

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and R ...

, Uganda. ICRW has project offices in Mumbai and Hyderabad,

. ICRW works to promote gender equitable development within the field of

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classificatio ...

Mission

According to the organization Web site:

Focus areas

ICRW research identifies women's contributions to their communities and the barriers – like HIV, violence, and lack of education – that prevent them from being economically stable and able to fully participate in society. It focuses on three paths of action to achieve this: * Designing concrete, evidence-based plans for program designers, donors and policymakers that empower women to control their lives and help shape the future of their communities * Measuring changes in the lives of women and girls – as well as men and boys – to know how best to achieve gender equality * Recommending policy priorities that give women opportunities to transform their lives Some of its priorities include the economic empowerment of women, the prevention of HIV/

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

among women and girls, the elimination of violence against women, the creation of better life options for women and girls, combating

child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a mal ...

, and increasing food security for vulnerable women. ICRW is primarily a research institution whose strong quantitative and qualitative research contributes to the direct action of organizations and communities in which they work. The ICRW website provides access to thousands of research reports, books, fact sheets, and policy briefs as well as toolkits and trainer's guides.

Leadership

ICRW is led by President Dr. Sarah Degnan Kambou, a social scientist who was appointed by the board in 2010. Previously, Degnan Kambou served for two years as ICRW's chief operating officer (COO) under former president

Geeta Rao Gupta Geeta Rao Gupta (born 1956 in Mumbai, India) is a leader on gender, women's issues, and HIV/AIDS who is serving as United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues since May 2023. She previously served as executive director of the ...

, and then as interim president and COO after Rao Gupta stepped down in April 2010. Degnan Kambou joined ICRW in 2002. As COO, she led the organization's research and programs, finance and human resources departments as well as ICRW's Asia Regional Office in New Delhi, India. Before that, she was vice president of health and development, overseeing research in HIV and AIDS, reproductive health and nutrition as well as in gender, violence and women's rights. In 2012 President Barack Obama appointed Degnan Kambou to hi
Global Development Council
which advises him and members of his Cabinet on how to improve U.S. foreign assistance. In 2010, Degnan Kambou was appointed by United States Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

to represent ICRW on the U.S. National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

). Degnan Kambou holds a doctorate in international health policy and a master's in public health from Boston University. She earned her bachelor's degree in French from the University of Connecticut. Degnan Kambou is ICRW's fourth president in its 40-year history. Ravi Verma is the director of ICRW's Asia Regional Office, and Stella Mukasa directs its Africa Regional Office.

Board of directors

ICRW has been directed by several renowned and well-recognized individuals within the field of international development as well as other key private sector and government individuals, including Nobel Laureate

Amartya Sen Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher, who since 1972 has taught and worked in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sen has made contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, economi ...

, writer Ann Crittenden, and

Brooke Shearer Brooke Lloyd Shearer (July 28, 1950 – May 19, 2009) was a private investigator, journalist,Bernstein, Adam.. ''The Washington Post''. Wednesday May 20, 2009. Retrieved on August 6, 2014. employee of the U.S. Department of the Interior, aide to ...

(deceased, May 19, 2009), spouse of

Strobe Talbott Nelson Strobridge Talbott III (born April 25, 1946) is an American foreign policy analyst focused on Russia. He was associated with '' Time'' magazine, and a diplomat who served as the Deputy Secretary of State from 1994 to 2001. He was presiden ...

, director of the

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in e ...

. The board of directors as of 2020: * Scott Jackson, (Chair) * Patience Marime-Ball, (Vice Chair) * Tara Abrahams * Jackie Asiimwe * Phyllis Costanza * Carole Dickert-Scherr * Søren Elbech * Trevor Gandy * Vimi Grewal-Carr * Marijke Jurgens-Dupree * Jennifer Klein * Haven Ley * Jacquelyn Mayfield * Firoza Mehrotra * Linda Perkins * Shubhi Rao *

Lois Romano Lois Romano is a national journalist who was an editor, reporter and columnist foThe Washington PostanPolitico She is currently authoring "An Inconvenient Widow," a biography of Mary Todd Lincoln, for Simon & Schuster. She was formerly the editor ...

* Milton D. Speid

Board officers

* Sarah Degnan Kambou (President) * Patricia Daunas (Chief Operations Officer, Board Treasurer) * Kathryn Reitz (Research Compliance Director, Secretary to the Board)

Annual events and lectures

ICRW annually hosts the Irene Tinker Lecture, a fall lecture series named in honor of one of ICRW's founders and supporters, Dr.

Irene Tinker Irene Tinker (born March 8, 1927, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), is professor emerita in the Departments of City and Regional Planning & Women's Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, teaching from 1989 to 1998. She was the founding Board p ...

. The lecture series has included speakers such as Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and Nobel Laureate in Economics

. The organization also honors esteemed individuals who have made contributions in the fields of gender and development with its annual Champions for Change awards.

References

External links

Official ICRW website

Charity Navigator information and ratings

Sarah Degnan Kambou Appointed ICRW President
{{DEFAULTSORT:International Center For Research On Women Development charities based in the United States Gender studies organizations Think tanks established in 1976 Women's rights organizations Think tanks based in Washington, D.C. International women's organizations India-focused charities 1976 establishments in Washington, D.C. Women in Washington, D.C. Women in Delhi