Students travel to Romania for inspiration

When College sophomore Mary Braun signed up to take the "Empowering Women Leaders in Emerging Democracies" class this semester, she didn't know that worldwide travel was in her future. But during spring break, Braun found herself packing her bags and heading off to Romania to witness an emerging democracy first hand. Fourteen students enrolled in Government Administration 550 spent several days of their break working with Romanian women interested in becoming leaders in their society. This spring marks the second semester that the course, which focuses on training students to help involve women in democratic politics, is being taught at Penn. The course is currently taught at the Fels Center of Government after being taught at the Annenberg School for Communication last year. The students got to meet a Romanian version of the United States' Sandra Day O'Conner -- the first female justice of the Supreme Court -- at a conference designed to train women for democratic political activity. "I was amazed by these women and I was inspired by them," Braun said. The course at Penn is based on the mission of Women's Campaign International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of women in developing nations. The WCI was founded by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, one of the class' professors. Wharton Professor Etty Jehn teaches the course with Margolies-Mezvinsky. The trip to the training conference with about 150 female participants, sponsored by WCI, was an opportunity to experience how to teach women about the media, fundraising and leadership skills, among other political necessities. The three-day conference was designed "to give women tangible skills in communicating their message to the public," according to Alison Watkins, the course's teaching assistant. "We bring people who are experts in message, media, fundraising, grassroots organizing.... It's very, very hands-on," Margolies-Mezvinsky said. "You hear no political speeches, it's about how you get to the table." WCI works with the understanding that women bring different priorities to the political arena than their male counterparts. "When women get to the table, the table changes," Margolies-Mezvinsky said, noting that more money gets spent on issues such as health care, education and senior citizens when women are in leadership positions. Braun echoed those sentiments, saying that female involvement in politics is "the key to having world peace, the key to ending poverty and hunger." And for her, attending the trip was a simple decision. "It seemed like an incredible opportunity that I couldn't afford to pass up," she said. "You can go to Romania and be a tourist any time you want," she later added. "But to participate in a conference like this is a really rare event." "I don't know if I want to run for office one day, but maybe," she added. The experience in Romania allowed her to see the emergence of a democracy and the role that women can play in that emergence. "I want to find that goodness in politics again," she said. "I want to be inspired by it." Additionally, Braun learned that many of the problems facing women in Romania are universal issues. Braun said public speaking is a prime example. "It's hard for them to get up in a room of men and say what they believe in," she said, adding that she herself is battling a fear of public speaking. Braun noted that studies have shown more people are afraid of public speaking than of death. They "would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy," she said. "That's something we need to overcome." College junior Eileen Weinstein, who also attended the conference, said that one of the most memorable aspects of the experience was seeing that "women were able to talk to each other despite their political differences." Additionally, the trip opened her eyes to the workings of a different country' government and allowed her to understand the "universal truths" that allow women to empower themselves. Last year's class participated in a WCI training conference in Venezuela. Possible locations for future conferences are Cuba and Indonesia. "It's a wonderful thing; it's so much fun to do," Margolies-Mezvinsky said. "And it really makes a difference."

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