More and more women are becoming involved in philanthropy, and an increasing number of philanthropies are targeting issues specific to women. In honor of Women’s History Month, I have decided to write this article drawing attention to some lesser known philanthropies that are doing incredible work to help women around the world.
Every Mother Counts is a philanthropy and activist group that seeks to bring attention to the health of mothers during pregnancy and childbirth. According to their website, “more than 800 women a day die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth” around this world. This is a massive issue, and one that they are tackling with a multi-pronged plan of action to improved medical care, train professionals around the world, improve transport to care facilities, and providing clinics in underdeveloped countries with supplies.
Friendship Bridge works to provide financial resources to areas of Guatemala that are affected by poverty, and works to “offer opportunities for education and entrepreneurial training that would otherwise be unavailable.” Their main method of opening up these resources is by providing combined training and resources to women in these areas so that they have both the tools and skills to continue to improve their situation even after the training.
Dress for Success, as the name implies, works to provide professional wear for women applying, interviewing, and working who do not have the means to acquire professional clothing themselves. Their motive is not just about providing clothes, but providing a supportive network and propelling women to achieve economic development. “Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 150 countries in 30 countries and has helped more than one million women work towards self-sufficiency.”