La Pietra Coalition selects World Vision's Cynthia Breilh as a delegate

WASHINGTON, DC, May 28, 2011— Cynthia Breilh, National Director of Women of Vision, a volunteer movement of humanitarian organization World Vision, has been selected to participate in the La Pietra Coalition, a global initiative to advance women and their economic opportunities that will meet in Florence at New York University’s Italian Campus from May 28-30. The Coalition’s platform advocates for investing in women’s economic growth as the critical step to greater prosperity for communities, companies and nations.

The Coalition grew out of a gathering in Florence in October 2009, convened by Vital Voices Global Partnership and New York University (NYU) with the support of the Paul E. Singer Family Foundation at NYU’s Italian campus, Villa La Pietra, which gave the coalition its name. This year 50 participants from the private sector, government and civil society will gather again in Florence, among them Bethaina Kamel, political activist and Egyptian presidential candidate and also Kah Walla, candidate for President of Cameroon.

Last fall the Coalition partnered with the Economist Intelligence Unit to develop the first Women’s Economic Opportunity Index that rates 113 countries on their provision of economic opportunity to women. The Index highlighted the issues of labor policy and practice, access to finance, education and training, and legal and social status as most critical to achieving the goal of expanding women’s economic opportunities. The Coalition now has formed working to focus on specific strategies to pursue change in each area. Breilh is a member of the Education and Training Working Group.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Recognizing women and girls as critical partners in development, World Vision's trained staff actively and sensitively work to equip, protect, and advocate for women in nearly 100 countries. The agency’s programs help women access health care, recover or protect themselves from exploitation, become educated and literate, access microloans and economic opportunities, and gain influence in their communities to promote positive change.

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve the world's poor -- regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information on their efforts, visit WorldVision.org/press or follow them on Twitter at @WorldVisionNews