In April 2012, two graduates of Women Speak Out attended an international Grassroots Academy put on by GROOTS International (an international network of grassroots women and their partners) held in Istanbul.  The women had the opportunity to meet, learn from and share their experiences with 30 other grassroots women’s leaders from around the world.  They also had the opportunity to attend the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) Forum, which was held after the Grassroots Academy.