AUSTIN, Texas – The Women’s Fund at Austin Community Foundation announced today Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder of the Malala Fund and author of Let Her Fly will be the keynote speaker at Keyholder’20 on Jan. 30 at The Long Center for the Performing Arts.
Keyholder’20, the annual fundraiser for the Women’s Fund, is expected to convene more than 600 of the area’s most influential business and philanthropic leaders who believe in building a stronger, more equitable Central Texas through investing in women and children.
Yousafzai’s passion for gender equality and education resonates with audiences worldwide. For many years, he served as a teacher and school administrator in his home country in Pakistan. Yousafzai’s crusade against the inequalities, violence, and exploitation of women has placed both him and his daughter –the youngest ever Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai – in the crosshairs of the Taliban. Together, he and Malala globally champion every girls’ right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education.
“We are honored and excited to welcome Ziauddin Yousafzai to Austin to speak at Keyholder’20,” Marjorie Clifton, Keyholder’20 Chair, and Women’s Fund investor, said. “He perfectly illustrates the important role men play in fighting for gender equality globally. In Central Texas, gender inequity affects the entire community, not just women, and we need the voices of fathers, brothers, husbands and sons to make an impact.”
The Women’s Fund — a program of Austin Community Foundation — educates, engages and inspires giving to improve the lives of women and children in Central Texas. The Fund was established in 2004 to focus on the needs of women and children in Central Texas. Since then, Women’s Fund investors have granted nearly $2 million to more than 60 local nonprofit programs.
To learn more about Keyholder’20 sponsorship opportunities and the Women’s Fund, visit keyholderaustin.org.