Lifetime Networks' Every Woman Counts Campaign and The White House Project Join Forces for Groundbreaking Nonpartisan Candidate Workshops Across the Country to Train Women to Run for Political Office

Lifetime Networks' Every Woman Counts Campaign and The White House Project Join Forces for Groundbreaking Nonpartisan Candidate Workshops Across the Country to Train Women to Run for Political Office

- Trainings to Be Held in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New York and Ohio -

NEW YORK, March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lifetime Networks is teaming up with The White House Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advances women's leadership in all communities and sectors, in a series of Go Run political leadership trainings for women across the country. The trainings are part of Lifetime's fifth nonpartisan Every Woman Counts public affairs campaign to further engage women in the political process.

The Go Run trainings, part of The White House Project's dynamic Vote, Run, Lead program, are weekend-long events dedicated to equipping future candidates with the skills to run and win. The trainings aim to demystify the political process by focusing on areas like communications, fundraising and campaigning, and providing women with the nuts and bolts of running for office. Having trained more than 1,400 women to run for office since Vote, Run, Lead's creation in 2005, these innovative events aim to create a permanent, nonpartisan pipeline to women's political leadership across the country.

Lifetime and The White House Project are launching the partnership this weekend in Englewood, Colo., where almost 100 women will participate in the training. Additional trainings will take place this year in Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta, New York and Orlando, Fla. Lifetime Network's distribution partners will participate in the trainings, too.

"A recent Lifetime/Zogby poll showed that 82% of women have never considered running for elected office at any level. We want to change that statistic and inspire and empower more women, no matter their political party, to run and lead," said Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Lifetime Networks. "Women are more than half of the population but make up just 16% of Congress. In order to have more equal representation in our halls of power, on both sides of the aisle, we need to make sure that highly qualified and trained women get into the pipeline. The White House Project is dedicated to this cause and we are proud to partner with them."

"Women remain our country's greatest untapped natural resource," said Marie C. Wilson, President of The White House Project. "Go Run inspires, informs and equips women with the tools to lead. When women sit fully at the tables of power, we create stronger governments -- from the school board to the city council to the Senate -- and compelling solutions to our nation's most pressing problems. We couldn't be happier that our friends at Lifetime have joined us in advancing this important mission."

"Why Women Matter" dinners will also be a part of each partnership training weekend, featuring inspired conversation and questions with local and national women leaders. This weekend's dinner in Englewood, Colo., will include Marie C. Wilson, President and Founder of The White House Project; Cary Kennedy, Colorado's State Treasurer; Polly Baca, the first Latina elected to the Colorado Senate; and Gail Schoettler, former Lieutenant Governor of the state.

First launched in 1992 and now in its fifth presidential election cycle, Every Woman Counts is the only public service campaign dedicated to encouraging women to speak out on the issues they care about most, vote and run for office. For the first time, the 2008 Every Woman Counts initiative will leverage the power of the #1 and #2 television networks for women -- Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) -- and include the most extensive on-air programming, digital content and grassroots efforts to date.

To further expand the effort and reach women everywhere they live, work and play, Lifetime launched the first-ever Every Woman Counts media and advocacy coalition in partnership with REDBOOK, CosmoGIRL!, Marie Claire, celebrities, experts and hundreds of women's nonprofit organizations representing more than 15 million women from all sides of the political spectrum, including American Association of University Women, Business and Professional Women/USA, Independent Women's Forum, League of Women Voters, National Organization for Women, RightNOW!, The White House Project and many others.

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

The White House Project, a national, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization, works to advance a richly diverse, critical mass of women into leadership positions, up to and including the U.S. Presidency. For more information, please visit: http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/ .

Source: Lifetime Networks

CONTACT: Geralyn Lucas of Lifetime Networks, +1-212-424-7066,
lucas@lifetimetv.com; or Lara Cassell of The White House Project,
+1-212-261-4497, lcassell@thewhitehouseproject.org

Web site:

http://www.lifetimetv.com/
http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/

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