AGE Alumni Profile

AGE ALUMNAE PROFILE: CLAIRE CHARAMNAC (’11)

After graduating in 2011, Claire went on to become the Executive Director of Women LEAD Nepal, an amazing organization she co-founded that provides young women with the personal and professional skills to pursue their vision for change. Hear what Claire has to say about the impact AGE had on her development as a female leader and why such organizations are critical for female empowerment.

Joining AGE my junior year at Georgetown was an important step in my personal and professional development. As a student, I had taken up leadership positions at several organizations but had not felt that I could connect with other female leaders on campus or discuss gender issues with my peers. At AGE, I found a safe space to learn and grow as a leader, as well as tackle sensitive issues such as sexual assault. I discovered a wonderful community of activists and had conversations that challenged and shaped my feminist mindset.

It was crucial for me to have that space to discover and reflect on my leadership skills. Having access to all these resources through the Women’s Center made me realize the opportunities that I had at my disposal, and motivated me to empower women across the world to become leaders. My junior year I co-founded my own leadership development organization for young women in Nepal. The values of AGE are in fact strongly echoed in the values of my organization: we believe in the power of mentoring and a peer-support network, and we value women’s leadership as a force for social change. Young women leaders, whether they are American or Nepali, have the passion to create change in their communities but often do not have the resources to do so. Organizations such as AGE/the Women’s Center and Women LEAD are striving to step into this gap by providing skills and resources for young women to become leaders.

Women LEAD website
Women LEAD facebook
Women LEAD twitter
Women LEAD is in the running to win $5000 in the online Sun Super contest! Just one click (it takes less than a minute!) makes a huge difference. Vote and support an AGE alumni. Vote here.