Nonprofits That Are Changing The World For Women

Today, in New York City, young girls have an equal chance to be as successful as any boy in their class. Not a very bold statement but this wasn't something parents could honestly say not too long ago. Nowadays, nonprofits and business ideas are changing the world for women.

The Nordic countries set the best example around the world for laws and a society that treats women as equals. In a recent gender gap report by the World Economic Forum, Iceland ranked first in the world for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

Australia is also one of the best places in the world for women. Women don't get the same treatment as men in Australia, it is typically part of their culture. The United States has plenty of problems to fix before treating women as well as the Nordic countries or Australia but we have come a long way in a short period of time. Hopefully, we will completely catch up in the near future. 

The bigger problem is that there is horrendous treatment of a large portion of women and girls around the world. In Afghanistan, the average Afghan girl will live to only 45.

Countries experiencing repression of women

After three decades of war and religion-based repression, an overwhelming number of women are illiterate. More than half of all brides are under 16, and one woman dies in childbirth every half hour. Domestic violence is so common that 87% of women admit to experiencing it. But more than one million widows are on the streets, often forced into prostitution. Afghanistan is the only country in which the female suicide rate is higher than that of males.

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a war that claimed more than 3 million lives, with women on the front line. Rapes are so brutal and systematic that UN investigators have called them unprecedented. Many victims die while others get infected with HIV. Others have the job to look after children alone. Foraging for food and water exposes women to yet more violence. Without money, transport or connections, they have no way of escape.

In Nepal, early marriage and childbirth exhaust the country's malnourished women, and one in 24 will die in pregnancy or childbirth. Daughters who aren't married off may be sold to traffickers before they reach their teens. Widows face extreme abuse and discrimination if they're labeled bokshi, meaning witches. 

The following nonprofits are changing the world for women around the world. They are helping women immediately improve their situation and they are creating long-term plans that will help women permanently solve their problems for a brighter future.

UN Women Singapore Committee

The Singapore Committee for UN Women is a non-profit organization working towards women's empowerment and gender equality. They support programs that provide women and girls with access to education, healthcare, economic independence and a life free of violence and abuse.

In order to achieve this, they undertake a wide range of fundraising activities, membership drives and public education programs and events. They support the general mission of UN Women throughout the region by raising awareness and funding for:

Ending Violence Against Women - by promoting actions to eliminate violence against women, including projects in the areas of HIV/AIDS, female infanticide, trafficking, forced prostitution, domestic violence, sexual abuse, rape and other various forms of abuse.

Economic Empowerment Programs - to support women in developing livelihood, business, and entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to access local, national and global markets. Projects also assist women in gaining access to financial services, technology, and information.

Governance and Leadership Programs - to give women and girls a voice and visibility by encouraging their participation in the decision-making processes that shape their lives.

Project Inspire

Project Inspire is a joint initiative from the Singapore Committee for UN Women and MasterCard, to help young changemakers create a better world for women and girls in Asia and the Pacific.

Launched in 2011, to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and the 25th anniversary of MasterCard Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Project Inspire provides a five-minute platform for women 18-35 to pitch their inspired idea, for the chance to win a $25,000 grant.

Today, Project Inspire is a multi-award winning initiative, and one of the most high-profile Corporate Social Responsibility programs in the Asia Pacific region.

Project Inspire 2016 will take on the theme of ‘Empowering Women Through Safety and Security’. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how their ideas harness safety and security concepts to empower women throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Win

Win is helping homeless New York City women and their children transform their lives through a progressive and holistic approach that doesn’t simply provide a handout, but a way out. Win’s life-changing process starts with safe, clean housing and includes vital programs and services – developed to break the cycle of homelessness, so the women and children who are caught in the cycle can look forward to a brighter future.

Women For Women

Women for Women International helps women in conflict-affected countries transform their lives by providing financial and emotional support, rights awareness and health education, and job skills training. Through our program, women become confident, independent, and productive as they work to rebuild their families, their communities, and, ultimately, their countries.

Malala Fund

Inspired by co-founders Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala Fund's goal is to enable girls to complete 12 years of safe, quality education so that they can achieve their potential and be positive change-makers in their families and communities.

They work with partners all over the world helping to empower girls and amplify their voices; they invest in local education leaders programs, and they advocate for more resources for education and safe schools for every child.

Sama

“Sama” means “equal” in Sanskrit. At Sama, they believe that giving work is the most powerful solution to ending global poverty. They use technology and private sector methods in new ways to measurably improve access to dignified work and job training for women who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development with high-touch mentorship and exposure led by the industry’s top female engineers and entrepreneurs.

In its inaugural program, Girls Who Code empowered young women from New York City.

Girls Who Code’s vision is to reach gender parity in computing fields. They believe this is paramount to ensure the economic prosperity of women, families, and communities across the globe, and to equip citizens with the 21st-century tools for innovation and social change.

They believe that more girls exposed to computer science at a young age will lead to more women working in the technology and engineering fields.