International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Just how large is the difference between men and women?

• Women are two-thirds of the world’s labor force, yet only earn 10 percent of the world’s income
• Of the world’s 195 countries, only 10 presidents, eight prime ministers, and roughly 19 percent of parliamentarians are women.

Below are just a few of the organizations dedicated to making those numbers a thing of the past:

Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund

New York City

Founded in 1969, the Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund provides grants globally to fund locally generated projects that help improve the lives of women and girls by advancing women’s rights and social justice.

“I have interned for this nonprofit for a while and the work they do is absolutely amazing. VGIF seeks to ensure women in all regions of the world have the same opportunities regardless of circumstances. It’s inspiring to see how many were affected by their work and the difference they have made.”

 

American Association of University Women

Washington, D.C.

Since its founding in 1881, the American Association of University Women has been empowering women as individuals and as a community by advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

“As a longtime member of AAUW I am proud of their excellent national advocacy of issues pertaining to women and girls, including support of Title IX, women’s health care, equal pay, sexual harassment on campus, and equal math and science opportunities for all students, all of which is supported by AAUW’s highly respected research.”

 

Global Fund for Women

San Francisco

Championing human rights of women and girls worldwide, the Global Fund for Women uses its powerful networks to find, fund, and amplify the courageous work of women who are building social movements and challenging the status quo.

“It is one of the most supportive organizations to the women’s movement I have ever known. GFW has amazing sisterhood approach to the women and women’s organizations around the world and their input to positive changes of women is great. I have known this organization for 10 years and admire their work, energy and enthusiasm. I am very happy and proud to be a member of big GFW family.”

To learn more about these and many other wonderful nonprofits doing the important work of advancing the lives of women, check out GreatNonprofits.