Centering the Lived Experiences of Women for the Wellbeing of All

The UW–Madison 4W Initiative (Women and Wellbeing in Wisconsin and the World), began in 2014 as a collaboration between the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology, the Global Health Institute, and the Department of Gender and Women's Studies (GWS). The global aspects of the Initiative were developed out of international studies programs related to women and microenterprise efforts in Mexico and Ecuador, rural health programs for women in Kenya, and existing partnerships in Ghana, Malawi, and Nepal. Convening the leaders of these programs created the necessary critical mass to establish the 4W Initiative, an interdisciplinary effort to promote gender equity, global wellbeing, and the full participation of women in society. 4W catalyzes existing and new research–to-action projects; sponsors grants and internships for UW–Madison faculty, staff, and students; and hosts scholarly exchanges on a range of topics related to gender and wellbeing. All 4W activities are guided by the lived experiences of women and 4W's own collective leadership philosophy and wellbeing model. In partnership with GWS, 4W also administers the UNESCO Chair on Gender, Wellbeing, and a Culture of Peace, which was awarded to UW–Madison in 2016. Under the auspices of the chair, 4W uses the UN SDGs to inform intersectional gender analysis and strategies for overall social transformation. In this chapter, we describe the Initiative's origins and approach, as well as identify lessons for other institutions of higher education that are looking to make local–to–global change around gender equity and wellbeing. This chapter also discuss 4W's plans for the future and its own long-term sustainability.