The case for funding women and girls

As members of Women Give, we have already committed to give our money to organizations that work directly with women and girls to increase their economic status. A recent study, compiled by U.S. Trust Philanthropic Solutions titled: High-Impact Giving to Women and Girls: A Guide for Donors, points out why it is important to support women and girls and how we give, will make an impact.

Not surprisingly, according to the study there is:

“a strong body of research demonstrating that the most effective way to change the world is through investments related to women and girls. Improving the life of a woman creates benefit and opportunity for her extended family, future generations and even the larger community in which she lives. Since women are often disproportionately impacted by the issues of the world—including poverty, health care, human trafficking, natural disasters, education, homelessness and human rights, among others—supporting women and girls, if done well, is high-impact philanthropy.”

As philanthropists supporting women and girls, the study asks us to consider these questions when making our funding decisions:

· What is your vision for a better world for women and girls?

· If you are successful in bringing about the change you envision, what will be different for women and girls?

· Where do you want to invest your resources?

· Do you want to focus on your local community or on a wider geographic area?

· Where do you think there is the greatest need?

· Where do you think you can have the greatest impact?

Why fund women and girls?

By supporting women and girls,

we can turn these abysmal indicators around and

begin to solve many of the world’s most critical problems.

· Research has demonstrated that women worldwide are more likely to use their available resources on food, education and health care for their children, thus creating a permanent path out of poverty. The World Bank found that women and girls reinvest an average of 90 percent of their income in their families, compared to men, who reinvest 30 percent to 40 percent.17

· According to UNICEF, empowering women and eliminating gender discrimination produce a double dividend. “Healthy, educated and empowered women have healthy, educated and confident daughters and sons. The amount of influence women have over the decisions in the household has been shown to positively impact the nutrition, health care and education of their children.”18

What is the result of funding women and girls?

Women are better educated,

will have a smaller family

that she can support through her education

and be a participating citizen in her community.

The Girl Effect — a campaign seeded by the Nike Foundation — calls for investments related to the world’s 600 million adolescent girls to unleash the following powerful ripple effects:

· When a girl has seven or more years of education, she will marry four years later and have 2.2 fewer children.

· When 10 percent more girls go to secondary school, the country’s economy grows by 3 percent.

· When women participate in public life, government corruption declines. 19

To read the full study: http://www.ustrust.com/publish/ust/capitalacumen/fall2011/features/women-and-philanthropy.html