New Zealand Global Women Honoured Internationally

New Zealand Global Women Honoured Internationally

For Immediate Release

21 November 2011

The head of New Zealand’s aid programme and a board member of New Zealand Global Women, Amanda Ellis, has been awarded the prestigious lifetime achievement award from The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) 2011 in Washington DC.

The award recognises one woman annually who has truly made a difference in the lives of other women. Ms Ellis, who is Deputy Secretary International Development for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, joins a select list of annual winners including the first female president of Ireland.

Ms Ellis took the top honour in TIAW’s 2011 World of Difference awards, which recognised 100 achievers from 27 countries for their efforts in advancing the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally or worldwide. Recipients were selected from leaders of communities, organisations, corporations, regions and countries who have taken action to support women’s economic empowerment and advancement in society and in business.

Another Global Women member and founder of an international educational publishing empire, Wendy Pye, MBE, was named in the top 100.

Ms Ellis is the first woman to head New Zealand’s aid programme, leading 220 staff and managing more than half a billion dollars of official development assistance annually.

She was previously Lead Specialist (Gender), in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management group at the World Bank in Washington DC, where she designed the Women's Economic Opportunity Index spanning 113 economies, and the first global data base of laws impacting women's ability to be economically active, across 181 economies. She also managed the World Bank President's Global Private Sector Leaders Forum to promote women's economic empowerment which includes 23 CEOs of leading companies including Nike, Cisco, Exxon Mobil, PwC and Standard Chartered Bank.

In 2004, Ms Ellis founded the Gender Entrepreneurship Markets (GEM) programme at the International Finance Corporation, providing advice to governments and companies in developing countries on private sector development. She developed the "Gender and Growth" assessment tool, used in Africa, Latin America and Asia, the first ever SME credit lines for women in Africa, which is now a global product, and practical initiatives to support women entrepreneurs with training in business, finance and management skills, and access to markets.

Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms Ellis was Head of Women's Markets and National Manager Women in Business for Westpac Banking Corporation in Australia and a founding member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women. Her team grew annual revenues from a standing start to over half a billion dollars in just three years, proving the value of the women's market.

About TIAW

TIAW (www.tiaw.org) is an international umbrella organization which strives to support and promote professional women through resources and networks. Founded in 1980, it has emerged as the global voice of businesswomen who want to make a difference in their communities. TIAW connects leading women’s organizations and their members worldwide to leverage their reach and resources. Located primarily in the Americas, Asia and Europe, they represent more than 35,000 members worldwide.

For more information go to www.tiaw.org.

About New Zealand Global Women

New Zealand Global Women connects New Zealand’s top businesswomen – both here and offshore.

Since being launched by Prime Minister John Key in July 2009, the invitation-only network has grown to more than 120 senior women CEOs, directors and managers; connecting them across businesses, sectors and international borders.

NZGW come from across the private and public sectors; from the sciences, arts and not-for-profit enterprises. They are based in New Zealand, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and China.

For more information go to www.globalwomen.org.nz