ExxonMobil Foundation Funds Study by Cherie Blair Foundation for Women on Mobile Phone Use by Women Entrepreneurs in Developing World

The ExxonMobil Foundation today announced a $1.5 million grant for
research into how mobile phone technology can enhance women′s economic
opportunities and entrepreneurship in the developing world. The grant to
the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women will be highlighted at the 2011
Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.

The study, to be conducted in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
and Indonesia, aims to identify various mobile services that can help
women entrepreneurs enhance their businesses, and what barriers exist to
expanding access to these services.

'We know that mobile technology has great potential for placing women in
low-income countries on a higher economic trajectory,? said Cherie
Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

'Mobile phone use doesn't just help women earn more money, it can also
bring great benefits to businesses and therefore to the wider economy as
well.?

Mobile phone services are often cited as a significant tool in economic
development. There are 300 million fewer female than male subscribers
worldwide, and a woman is 21 percent less likely to own a phone than a
man in low- and middle-income countries.

'Studies like this will help us understand how technology can best
support women in the developing world,' said Suzanne M. McCarron,
president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. 'Success of women entrepreneurs
is vital to building strong communities. Expanding the use of mobile
technology for women will help raise living standards, leading to more
prosperity for them, their families and their countries.?

'Our research shows that technology can be transformative for women, if
we engage them in the process,' said Sarah Degnan Kambou, president of
the International Center for Research on Women. 'This partnership does
that and will help take women entrepreneurs farther and faster, as a
result.'

The announcement builds on commitments made by ExxonMobil at the Clinton
Global Initiative Annual Meeting in 2009 and 2010 that were focused on
accelerating women′s economic advancement through technology. In the
last six years, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation have invested
more than $47 million to support the economic advancement of women. As a
result, tens of thousands of women have benefited. Initiatives include:

• 
  Providing new irrigation technologies to women farmers in Benin which
  enable farming throughout the country′s six-month dry season.
  
• 
  Training women in Ghana to use agricultural technologies to increase
  crop yields.
  
• 
  Helping Ugandan women access solar energy for their communities while
  growing their own businesses.
  
• 
  Offering business training, mentoring support and networking
  opportunities to more than 11,000 women in the developing world.
  
• 
  Providing Indonesian women access to solar lanterns which enable them
  to be more productive after sundown.
  

In addition to investing in high-impact programs, ExxonMobil partners
with leading academics and think tanks to support research and advocacy
efforts that raise awareness about the critical role women play in
building strong, stable communities.

About ExxonMobil Foundation

ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon
Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in the United States. Globally,
ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation provide funding to improve
basic education, promote
women as catalysts for development, and combat
malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In
2010, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its
divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $237
million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated
to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil′s community
partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

About Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women provides women with the skills,
technology, networks and access to finance that they need to become
successful small and growing business owners, so that they can
contribute to their economies and have a stronger voice to their
societies. Research by the OECD shows that women tend to invest 90
percent of their income back into their families, so their success is
critical to the ability of their children to escape poverty too. And
yet, women find it harder to obtain access to finance, the right
training and good advice. The foundation is a response to these
challenges. www.cherieblairfoundation.org

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global
Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement
innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.
Since 2005, CGI annual meetings have brought together more than 125
current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Peace Prize laureates,
hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists,
directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and
prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than
2,000 commitments valued at $57 billion, which have already improved the
lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. The
2011 ?CGI ?Annual Meeting will take place from Sept. 20-22, 2011, in New
York City. www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on
developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. The
CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual meeting for
undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a
select group of young CGI members for leadership development and
collective commitment-making. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

About International Center for Research on Women
(ICRW)

ICRW's mission is to empower women, advance gender equality and fight
poverty in the developing world. To accomplish this, ICRW works with
partners to conduct empirical research, build capacity and advocate for
evidence-based, practical ways to change policies and programs. www.icrw.org

ExxonMobil

Media Advisor, 972-444-1107