WE Lead, one of the grant recipients, engages women leaders in the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan.

Bush Institute photo

Boeing has announced a $3 million investment to the George W. Bush Institute’s Global Leadership Impact Center.

The grant will support women’s empowerment and global leadership programs like WE Lead and the First Ladies Initiative, which work to promote education, healthcare and economic opportunity for women around the world. These values align with Boeing’s commitment to championing, supporting, developing and connecting women, said company leaders.

“We dream big at Boeing, and that’s what this grant is all about,” said Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, who also serves as executive sponsor for Boeing Women in Leadership. “As I travel around the world visiting customers, stakeholders and teammates, it truly inspires me to see teammates find their voices and grow in their confidence. It’s an honor to work with the Bush Institute to give more individuals the opportunity to reach their highest potential.”

Over the past six years, Boeing and the Boeing Charitable Trust have contributed more than $100 million toward community initiatives that have impacted an estimated 4.3 million young women around the world.

In 2017 alone, Boeing and the Boeing Charitable Trust partnered with more than 120 STEM organizations and contributed nearly $18 million toward community initiatives that helped inspire an estimated 700,000 young women in STEM.

WE Lead engages women leaders in the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan who share a common vision of advancing peaceful, prosperous societies through the expansion of economic opportunity for all.

The First Ladies Initiative engages and supports first ladies from around the world as they use their unique platforms to improve lives in their countries.

Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg made the announcement at the company’s Global Women in Leadership Conference in Anaheim, Calif., where 550 employees out of almost 2,000 who applied were in attendance.

“The inclusion of women in all aspects of society strengthens and improves the stability of their countries,” said First Lady Laura Bush, who spoke at the conference. “At the Bush Institute, we recognize that a good future for our world depends on women, so our global leadership work is designed to support women and girls by improving access to education, health care, and economic opportunity. George and I are grateful that Boeing has partnered with the Bush Institute to make this important work possible.”

By Rachel Ayers

First Lady Laura Bush was a guest speaker at Boeing’s 2018 Global Women in Leadership Conference. In her remarks, Mrs. Bush emphasized the importance of inclusion and the Bush Institute’s role in bringing greater economic opportunity to women globally.

Boeing photo