Women of the World Awards in Pasadena March 12

Coinciding with Women’s History Month, the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day and World Leadership Day, Saturday, March 12, 2011 is the date of the 3rd Annual Women of the World Awards. 50/50 Leadership and the United Nation Association Pasadena/Foothills Chapter will hold its 3rd annual Women of the World awards honoring three diverse and influential women whose commitment to activism creates an astounding impact across the globe.

The evening will include a special introduction for one nominee from actress/ambassador Stephanie March, most known for her role as an Assistant District Attorney on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

The Women of the World Awards spotlight the achievements of amazing women who are committed to changing their environments through a variety of non-profit organizations and/or grassroots organizing.

This year’s winners are Andrea Herz Payne, founder of Aid Still Required, Tracy McCubbin, co-founder of OneKid OneWorld, and Mireya Asturias Jones, mentor with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. The three winners are selected from a pool of over a dozen finalists.

This year’s award ceremony will be held from 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. at the Brookside Golf Course, in Pasadena, CA.

The event will also feature filmmaker Tiffany Persons and author/actress Sarah Culberson.

"This…is supporting projects that are offering free schooling to middle and high school-aged children, and free medical care and counseling to women who have been attacked," said Aid Still Required co-founder Andrea Herz Payne. "It's remarkable how much good we can do..."

Highlights will include a speech by past WOW honoree Tiffany Persons, a movie producer and the founder of Smile On Sierra Leone. Persons is a featured blogger on the Huffington Post. Also attending is noted author, actress and activist Sarah Culberson. Culberson penned, A Princess Found, an autobiographical account of her search for her biological roots that led to the discovery of her royal heritage.

“One of the most beautiful elements of the work that I do is having the opportunity to time travel. With just an 18-hour flight to Sierra Leone, I am able to experience life of a different time. It is the one thing that no matter how hard I try, I cannot share with a donor, here in America. I can, however, share hard-hitting statistics and heart wrenching stories that make even the most detached human being take notice,” Tiffany Persons writes.

The Women of the World (WOW) Awards are a collaboration between 50/50 Leadership and UNA-USA Pasadena. Winners are selected from nominated entries. Entrants must have made a difference in the lives of women and girls in another country. Nominations are accepted of women of all ages, heritages, countries and professions. However, winning is designated for accomplished women leaders who are pioneers in their field and who continue to inspire others to set strong goals for themselves. The WOW Award is a way to celebrate female heroes and to promote gender equality throughout the globe. Last year’s winners were Whitney Kroenke, Dr. Shilpa Sayana, and Dr. Riane Eisler.

“The most important thing a community can do is continually push the point, raise awareness, raise money and, above all, keep at it,” Stephanie March, actress, Law & Order: SVU.

This year’s awards honor the top 3 Women of the World 2011, as selected by a panel of esteemed judges with prior commitments to public service. The panel selected the three winners from a jury of 17 finalists. The criteria for judging include impact, location, and sponsoring organization. At the gala, 50/50 Leadership and UNA will honor the winners, who will each receive an award for their achievements.

The ceremony is open to the public. Interested parties can purchase tickets for $35 per person, $15 for Students, or $300 for a table of 10 via email to WOW@5050Leadership.org or call (818) 243-2322. The awards will be held at Brookside Golf Course, 1133 N. Rosemont Avenue, Pasadena 91103.

More than two dozen women have been nominated for the Women of the World Awards since the program first began in 2009. The first and second annual awards were completely sold out. Additional sponsors and celebrity presenters will be announced in the weeks to come.