Dear Friends,

I am pleased to present the American Women for International Understanding 2019 Annual Report. This report illustrates how all aspects of AWIU are aligned with our mission of promoting woman-to-woman diplomacy and understanding.

For more than fifty years AWIU has worked to promote our mission through our grants, delegations, awards, local chapter outreach and educational programs. In January, a delegation traveled to Morocco to meet with leaders in government, business and charitable organizations to learn about the culture and the issues faced by women in Morocco. AWIU hosted the International Women of Courage Celebration honoring the U.S. Secretary of State’s designees. AWIU presented each woman with an award to continue the important work she is doing in her country. We also awarded grants throughout the year to non-profit organizations around the globe that focused on training and empowering women, particularly in the areas of health and entrepreneurship. Our members were honored to meet with Ambassador Roya Rahmani at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C.
She is the first female ambassador to the United States from Afghanistan. We discussed issues of mutual concern and were pleased to hear of the advances women in Afghanistan are making in the area of education.

We are proud of the work we have done this year. I would like to thank the AWIU Board of Directors for their time, talents and tireless commitment to our mission of woman-to-woman diplomacy and understanding. I would also like to thank all of you who have supported AWIU and enabled us to continue to empower women around the globe.

Sincerely,

Maria Emmi Schory