WE Programs

The Women’s Conference organization has sought to directly empower women 365 days a year. Under the leadership of Maria Shriver and the guidance of our Board of Directors, The Women’s Conference has formed partnerships with established and respected organizations in the U.S. and abroad to develop ongoing and far-reaching women’s empowerment programs.



The young women of today are ready, willing, and able to absorb the benefits of a college education and to show their employers just how valuable they can be in any discipline, from math and technology to education to administration and finance. With a college degree, women on average are earning up to 54 percent more than those with just a high school education.

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For the small sum of twenty five dollars you can borrow to a woman entrepreneur right in her village, through the auspices of WE Invest, a new program affiliated with THe Womens Conference. The new program is starting in California this month, using fund to mentor and train in business, and also to set up support networks to give women the motivation to begin or to expand a business of their own.

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WE Connect working families to money-saving programs and services they may be eligible for through WEConnect.net and engage women business owners, employees, community-based organizations, corporations, foundations and government in this important effort. We have partnered with organizations across the state to reach more than 19 million families in both English and Spanish. With our partners, we have opened three permanent WE Connect Neighborhood Centers in Santa Ana, Fresno and Irvine that serve thousands more and help add to the more than $110 million in savings already realized by struggling California families. We made a donaton to food banks across the state to provide more than one million meals to families in need. And our WE Connect program model is now being emulated by 22 other states.



WeAct is a concentrated group effort to stamp out the ugly and immoral mindset that still defies the laws and feelings of men and women of goodwill and understanding worldwide.

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In California women represent a full 56 percent of the population, at over 18 million people over the age of 15. Their contributions to the prosperity, lifestyle, and environment of California are incredible. The Governor’s Council on Women’s Achievements is dedicated to exploring the history of California women and their hard work and sacrifice in building the state into the financial, technical, agricultural, and entertainment dynamo it is today. Their mission statement is a quote from author Ayn Rand:

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WE Honor® women who have stepped forward in the spirit of Minerva and changed our world with their courage, wisdom and strength. We have honored their work through The Minerva Awards® and supported their mission through our Minerva grants. The awards were created by Maria Shriver in 2004 and named afer the Roman goddess, Minerva, who graces the California state seal. The Minerva Award winners have also received a cash Minerva Prize from the conference to further their life-changing work. Since 2004, the conference has granted $445,000 and honored 28 remarkable women.

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