At the current rate of progress, it will take 286 years for the world to achieve gender equality. That’s… not a great number.
Gender equality is essential in the fight against global inequality. When girls have the same opportunities as boys, great things happen. And sports can be a key way to empower girls on and off the pitch.
To mark this year’s Women’s World Cup, we’re highlighting some female athletes and soccer stars who have started organizations that promote gender...
Girls and Women
Things… aren’t great in the world right now. If it feels like the world isn’t making the progress we need on climate change, equality, and poverty, that’s because, well, we’re not.
It can be hard to conceptualize what this long-term progress should look like. To break it down, we created five stats that help put things in perspective. We also have some ways you can take action. We’re not powerless to these challenges, no matter how big and gloomy they...
You’ve all heard of famous inventors such Thomas Jefferson (The Great Clock), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone) and Benjamin Franklin (bifocal glasses), but do you know who Grace Hopper and Stephanie Kwolek are?
Earlier this month, we celebrated International Women‘s Day, where we highlighted a few women from around the world who are tackling the pandemic and working to end COVID-19. From inventors to leaders of major world organizations, these women have made strides in the fight against the pandemic.
But we also want to hear from you, our global supporters. We asked you to tell us in a few words about the amazing women in your lives who have inspired you through...
Women around the world are working hard every day to fight the pandemic. From fighting food insecurity in their communities and inventing crucial tools to fight the pandemic, to using their positions of power to demand change, they’re working to make 2022 the year we end the pandemic.
That‘s why we want to introduce you to a few of them. Keep reading to find out!
Nomonde Kweza, or “Mama Nomonde”
In South Africa, Nomonde Kweza, also known as “Mama Nomonde,” is feeding...
Empowering the girls of today can create a better future for everyone, and that‘s exactly what Techno Girl is trying to do. Working in collaboration with UNICEF South Africa, Techno Girl is a South African program that supports girls who are interested in pursuing careers in math, science, and technology. The program selects high school girls from disadvantaged communities to take part in mentorships, skills development workshops, and job shadowing in the STEM field.
“Being part of Techno Girl and...
In Cape Town, the team at the Women‘s Legal Centre are champions of women‘s rights and staunch defenders of women when they‘re at their most vulnerable. They are at the forefront of changing South Africa‘s legal landscape. And as South Africa‘s only African feminist law centre for women’s rights, they are making huge strides, especially for black women.
“We call it ’feminist activist lawyering,‘” Seehaam Samaai, the centre‘s director, said. “It‘s very important for us to ensure that the courts,...
COVID-19 has affected education everywhere, but the effects on school children in low-income countries are particularly concerning. It‘s been harder for children in the world‘s poorest countries to access remote learning programs designed to counter school closures. And girls have been particularly impacted: 20 million girls risk never returning to school after this global health crisis has passed.
The key to remedying this global learning crisis is financing. Now is not the time to reduce available funds for international development,...
To see a brighter future, young activists know that they can‘t wait until tomorrow to start changing the world. Action has to happen now. In South Africa specifically, seven young girls are doing just that. Through education, climate action, and action against gender-based violence, these girls prove no one is too young to start changing the world.
On this International Day of the Girl, here‘s a closer look at their activism.
On empowering girls through education
The afternoon sun shines brightly on...
Sparrow Society‘s warehouse opens onto a street, south of the rush of downtown Cape Town, overlooking Muizenberg Mountain. It‘s just blocks away from the sea.
The chattering of sewing machines accompanies the buzz of women working behind the shop, which sells 100% responsibly made, female-farmed coffee and African-inspired home goods and apparel. The afternoon light shines through the front windows, lighting the hands of women cutting, sewing, stitching, and packing.
“Just like the sparrow bird of our namesake, women are often...