Life
15 Organizations That Could Use Your Support During Women's History Month
Believe it or not, women's history was essentially a foreign concept as recently as the 1970s — in fact, it was barely even taught in the K-12 curriculum. And though the U.S. has come a long way since then, March (and every month) is also about recognizing where gender gaps still exist and how to bridge them. This Women's History Month, consider donating to organizations that strive to work toward equality.
One of the most glaring gender gaps is the fact that women earn 79 cents for every $1 that a man makes — and that's not taking into account factors like race or education, which skew the numbers even more. Aside from this statistic, there are more than 130 million girls out of school around the world, more than 231,000 women and girls incarcerated within the United States, and 225 million women who lack access to contraception globally. Whether you're interested in supporting survivors of abuse, helping girls pay for an education, or fighting against restrictive reproductive legislation, you have lots of options. And what better way to celebrate the month than to support the advancement of equality?
Here are 15 pro-women organizations you can donate to this Women's History Month. Just remember that there are plenty of great organizations outside of this list that you can support as well.
1National Women's Law Center
The National Women's Law Center is a D.C.-based nonprofit that uses the legal system to tackle discrimination and injustice against women. The center is currently backing the Strengthening Reproductive Health Services Amendment Act, which "prohibits the District government from interfering with reproductive health decisions and from imposing punishments or penalties for a self-managed abortion, miscarriage, or adverse pregnancy outcomes." You can donate to the National Women's Law Center to support its fight for gender justice.
2Girls Not Brides USA
Every year, 12 million girls around the world are married before the age of 18. Girls Not Brides USA works to increase the government's involvement in tackling child marriage in every region of the world. If you want to donate, you can check out the group's crowdfunding page where you can choose different countries to donate to.
3Global Fund For Women
The Global Fund for Women is a non-profit that provides funding for women's rights initiatives including economic justice, freedom from violence, and sexual rights and health. The organization was founded in 1987 and has since then been fighting for gender equality all around the world. To help provide resources for its sponsored women, you can donate to the fund either once or monthly.
4Planned Parenthood
Though Planned Parenthood is well known, the organization can still use all the help it can get in its fight to protect women's reproductive rights and provide affordable sexual health care. From STD and STI screenings and abortion services to breast cancer screening referrals, Planned Parenthood provides many significant services to those in need. Donations you make will be split amongst your local Planned Parenthood affiliate and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
5Women For Women International
Women for Women International is a humanitarian group that provides moral support to women victims of war. They do work in eight countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. The organization aids women in these areas of conflict by "providing skills, knowledge, and resources that create sustainable change for women, their families, and their communities." You can donate to Women for Women International in cash or even stocks and securities through its official site.
6Trans Women Of Color Collective
The Trans Women of Color Collective "seeks to shift the narrative of surviving to thriving in our communities." The group provides a network to trans women of color where they can meet entrepreneurs, healers, and collaborators to help them succeed. You can make a one-time donation or donate monthly. You even have the option to donate in honor of someone.
7Breast Cancer Research Foundation
About 1 in 8 U.S. women will be affected by invasive breast cancer within their lives, according to breastcancer.org. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation aims to prevent and cure breast cancer through elevating cancer research efforts. The organization funds over 275 researchers in 14 countries and has raised almost $600 million for research and medical institutions. You can donate to the research fund to help support the fight to find a cure.
8National Women's History Alliance
The National Women's History Alliance is a non-profit dedicated to preserving and telling women's history. The organization does this through pushing educational initiatives and lesson plans that are more inclusive and representative of women's stories and issues. You can donate to help bring women's history experts to schools as educators or presenters.
9The Malala Fund
The Malala Fund is an international non-profit organization created by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for women's education and the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The organization, like Yousafzai herself, works to provide education for the 130 million girls who are out of school due to financial issues or social barriers. You can donate to the organization or even use its resources to set up a fundraiser of your own.
10Women's Prison Association
The Women's Prison Association works to keep women out of prison, support women who are incarcerated, and help women who were previously incarcerated set up for life afterwards. This could mean finding affordable housing, preparing them for job interviews, or locating any mental health services they might need, amongst other things. You can donate to the organization's cause by clicking on Donate at the top right corner of its site.
11American Association Of University Women
The American Association Of University Women empowers women through training, economic security, and leadership. It hopes to "advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy." You can donate here.
12Dress For Success
Dress for Success aims to "empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life." Your donation will not only go toward purchasing work clothes for women, but also to funding initiatives that help them succeed, including leadership programs that teach them how to make their mark within an industry.
13Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is a non-profit that aims to increase the number of women in computer science. According to ComputerScience.org, only 20% of computer science professionals are women. Girls Who Code works to combat this disparity by hosting workshops, building a network of alumni, and creating pathways to employment within computing. By donating to Girls Who Code, you can support these programs and the girls who take part in them.
14She Should Run
She Should Run recognizes the gender gap within politics and aims to get more women involved in running for political office. It offers online classes and leadership programs that equip women with the knowledge and tools needed to make a name for themselves within politics. You can donate to She Should Run's efforts directly on their site today.
15UN Women
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women has been working to empower women since 2011. The organization tackles many issues including economic gender disparity, violence against women, and HIV/AIDS. You can donate to UN Women and help support their many programs and long-term projects.
