Press Release
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Derek McIver
Public Relations, Ictus Initiative
617.717.8294, Derek@IctusInitiative.com

WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AWARDS CELEBRATE OUTSTANDING
WOMEN FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
 
Betty-Ann Heggie to sponsor 2009 award ceremony in Toronto

TORONTO, ON (September 28, 2009) - On October 19, The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) will host its second annual World of Difference Awards, an event honoring women from around the world who have made an impact on the economic empowerment of women. These are often the "unsung heroines" of our societies, ordinary women who accomplish extraordinary things. This year's awards gala is part of the TIAW Global Cities event, and will be held at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel in Toronto and co-hosted by Canadian Women in Communications (CWC). Betty-Ann Heggie, one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women, is the presenting sponsor at the luncheon event, and her blog will serve as the official blog of this year's awards.
 
The World of Difference Awards began in 2008 during the annual Global Partnership Forum. TIAW's motto is "Connecting to Make All the Difference in the World," so it was decided that each year TIAW would honor up to 100 award recipients who have made a difference to the economic empowerment of women by naming them to the TIAW World of Difference 100 list. This year's winners, announced on the event's webpage, represent over twenty countries on every continent whose achievements have affected the business, community, government, non-profit, and education sectors in their regions. In addition to being recognized at the event, several of the women's stories will be highlighted on Betty-Ann Heggie's blog at StillettoChick.typepad.com.
 
The TIAW Global Cities event is for women with an interest in leadership and advancement. It brings stellar speakers and panels together and provides opportunities to network and continue the lively discussions that our panels provoke. This year's speakers include Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette, Opposition Leader in the Canadian Senate, Phillip Crawley, publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail, and Doreen Conrad, a senior international trade consultant.
 
About TIAW, CWC, & Betty-Ann Heggie:
 
The International Alliance for Women is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1980 that is devoted to improving the economic status of all women around the world. From senior level executive and professional women, to career women just beginning their careers, to women in transition and young girls planning for their careers, to the most needy of all: impoverished women in developing nations. CWC is one of Canada's leading organizations promoting women's career advancements.
 
Saskatoon, SK-based Betty-Ann Heggie is a former corporate executive at PotashCorp, the world's largest fertilizer company and has been named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Since her retirement two years ago, Betty-Ann has reinvented herself as the Stilletto Chick, a globe-trotting expert on personal transformation. Having achieved a remarkable transformation in her personal and professional lives, she now helps other people do the same through her blog, articles, seminars, and keynote addresses.
 
For more information on TIAW, CWC, and the World of Difference Awards, please contact Simone Bowen at 416.363.1880 or sbowen@cwc-afc.com.
 
For more information on Betty-Ann Heggie, please contact Derek McIver at 617.717.8294 or Derek@IctusInitiative.com.