VAW takes many forms, including physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence. It crosses cultures, communities and countries—devastating lives, fracturing families and communities, obstructing economic opportunity, preventing generations from reaching their full potential, and stalling national development.
Imagine if your children couldn’t walk to school without fear of life-threatening violence. Imagine if you feared for your safety every night because there were no lights on your street. Imagine if you were brutally attacked for simply trying to feed your family.
The United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign empowers American teenage girls to raise awareness and funds for United Nations programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls. In September, Girl Up announced its new class of “Teen Advisors,” a group of girls who will mobilize action in their communities and provide advice to Girl Up over the next year. I recently had the opportunity to speak to Sarah Gale, a Teen Advisor from Boca Raton, Florida.
The benefits of improving women’s economic opportunities are clear: when women control income, they invest it in their families, particularly in the health and education of their children, helping to break cycles of poverty.
Last night, Fast Company—the world’s leading progressive business media brand—named the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) winner of its Innovation By Design Award in the Service Design category.
Across the world today, teenage girls are making their voices heard and promoting a transformational idea: empower adolescent girls everywhere. As part of the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, girls and other supporters are holding more than 50 events in nine countries to celebrate the “International Day of the Girl Child,” a day to recognize the power of girls across the world and to advocate for their rights.
Imagine life without electricity or modern fuels – no light at night, only fuelwood to cook with. Imagine life as a woman without electricity or modern fuels – driven by culture and necessity to spend your days gathering fuel and water and living in a smoky environment that is dangerous to your family and your health.
While a lot of important news has been coming out of the United Nations General Assembly lately, there is one story that may not make the front pages, but should be at the front of our minds: the health of women and children around the world.
In my home country of Liberia, the social and cultural impact on adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health is devastating. Girls face many issues when it comes to their sexual reproductive health and rights, including social isolation, lack of education, traditional practices, economic disparities, violence and issues of confidentiality and stigmatization.
What I love about this Shot@Life campaign is the fact that anyone with a computer can save a life through leaving a simple comment that spreads the word. So today, I’m writing about a few of the many female leaders who I have admired over the years for their dedication to philanthropy and efforts to empower people who don’t have a voice. Despite their success, each of these women strongly believe that anyone can make a difference – money, age, or social status are not necessary for impactful giving.
