For girls and women the gap between capability and confidence is a collective as well as an individual experience. In addition to letting your own light shine I invite you to also volunteer for or financially-support nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering girls and women locally and around the world.
Here are some non-profits who are making a dramatic difference in our world.
Girls Inc. delivers life-changing programs that inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Research-based curricula, delivered by trained professionals, equip girls to achieve academically; lead healthy and physically active lives; manage money; navigate media messages; and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. In 2010, the network of local Girls Inc. nonprofit organizations served 150,000 girls ages 6-18 annually at over 1,400 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada.
Women’s Funding Network (WFN) is the largest philanthropic network in the world dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. A network of 166 women’s funds in 26 countries, WFN supports and champions the work of women’s funds that believe a better world for women and girls is a better world for all.
Center for American Women in Politics The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is nationally recognized as the leading source of scholarly research and current data about American women’s political participation. Its mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about women’s participation in politics and government and to enhance women’s influence and leadership in public life. CAWP runs several bi-partisan training programs for women who want to run for office, seek higher office, work on a campaign, get appointed to office, or learn more about the political system.
Women’s Campaign International advances opportunities for women to actively participate in public advocacy, market and political processes. In providing the requisite skills, knowledge and culturally-sensitive support, we develop leaders who transform the lives of everyone they serve.
Founded in 1998 by Pennsylvania Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies, the WCI works in emerging democracies and post-conflict regions around the world, Women’s Campaign International is equipping women to actively participate in public advocacy, market and political processes. In providing the requisite skills, knowledge and culturally-sensitive support, we develop leaders globally who transform the lives of everyone they serve.
Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) trains and supports women primarily in Muslim-majority countries to become leaders and advocates for a just, peaceful world. WLP creates leadership trainings on democratic participation that are culturally adapted, in partnership with local organizations to help women gain the skills they need to fulfill greater leadership roles at the family, community, and national level. Over the past decade, WLP has published its training materials in 20 languages and used them to train over 15,000 women in 44 countries strengthening local organizations to become self-sustaining and to power women’s movements across the globe.
Men’s Resources International (MRI) This organization started by my friend and fellow graduate of the Social Justice in Education program at the University of Massachusetts helps men around the globe practice and promote a healthy, compassionate, and responsible model of masculinity. In their words: Our approach is to identify and support men’s networks in all stages of development, and provide training, coaching, materials, and technical assistance to help these networks grow in size and effectiveness and to connect with other like-minded men’s and women’s organizations. All of our programs welcome male and female participants, and promote community-based leadership with men and women as partners. We use participatory, experiential education to promote personal growth, leadership development and organizational sustainability.
