Investing in Social Change By Julie Juergens, Adjunct Professor of Management
Gender equity, simply put, means that women and girls have the same rights, protections, and access to resources and opportunities as men and boys. Period. This is because issues affecting women and girls address the root causes of society’s most pressing problems and cut across economic, social, political, cultural, and environmental lines. Women and girls make up half of the world’s population yet less than 2% of our philanthropic dollars fund organizations focused on women and girls. And while organizations focused on gender-equity have experienced a steady increase in philanthropic support over the past few years, in reality this translates into a relatively small percentage of our overall philanthropic giving. And funding for women and girls of color and those facing other intersectional barriers is even lower. Organizations supporting women and girls make up nearly 3.5% of all charitable organizations, so at the very least, our philanthropic dollars should align with this percentage. But given that supporting women and girls creates a ripple effect that benefits everyone, simply by increasing the funding to gender-equity organizations increases the positive ROI of benefiting the greater good. The bottom-line is that improving the lives of women and girls advantages families, communities, and nations — not just today but for generations to come.
“If you want to lift up humanity, empower women. It is the most comprehensive, pervasive, high-leverage investment you can make in human beings.” ― Melinda Gates MENLO COLLEGE MAGA ZINE
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