In the last one hundred years, women's development has come a long way and has even more to go. Throughout the decades, many organizations and groups have been founded and maintained to ensure that women's development goes even further than it already has. The Women’s Environment & Development Organization, also known as WEDO, was founded in 1990-1991 by world renowned U.S. Congresswoman Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber, another well-known feminist and journalist, as a women’s advocate group focused on women’s equality in global policy internationally. Today, WEDO has brought together hundreds, if not thousands, of women in an effort to take action.
Part of the Women’s Environment & Development Organization ultimate goal for women's development is to ensure that women are empowered as decision makers throughout all aspects of the global forum. The United Nations is one example of one such global forum that WEDO works at women's development. Every time a female representative is elected or hired a new goal is achieved in ensuring that women are becoming and remaining more involved in decisions made regarding the economy, social justice, gender justice, world peace, and the environment to name a few.
There are four main programs through which the Women’s Environment & Developmental Organization is able to accomplish its goals for women’s development. These four programs are Economic & Social Justice, Gender & Governance, Sustainable Development, and U.S. Global Policy. Through these four programs, WEDO is able to successfully communicate the importance of women, and their critical goal, in all aspects of global policy.
Part of women's development is to maintain gender-balanced governance throughout the world. The Women’s Environment & Developmental Organization was put into play to challenge the current rhetoric of governance. WEDO works to promote real models for achieving human rights, economic justice, poverty eradication, and gender equality all while promoting multilateralism, peace, security, human solidarity, and international cooperation.
There are three many strategies that the Women’s Environment & Developmental Organization utilizes to achieve its goals. These strategies are interlinked and very effective. The first strategy that WEDO practices is advocacy and monitors the actions of key global forums like the United Nations. The second strategy is to build broad and strategic alliances that hold governments accountable for their actions and commitments while supporting the advocacy efforts of women’s organizations. The third, and most important, strategy is that WEDO engages U.S. women on global issues and foreign policies.
Since its inception, WEDO has been involved in many changes for women throughout the world. The organization has also facilitated the Women’s Caucus at many key UN conferences including 1994’s UN International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, 1995’s UN Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) in Beijing, China, and 1996’s UN World Conference on Human Settlement (HABITAT) in Istanbul, Turkey, to name a few.