Support women and girls, support the world by Dena Miller
THE UNPRECEDENTED IMPACT of the COVID-19 pandemic on our everyday lives has shone a spotlight on the underlying vulnerability of traditional female roles. Last year, women did three times more unpaid care work than men, world-wide – according to UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women (un.women.org). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics alone reported last September that unlike previous downturns which hit working men the hardest, researchers said more women in the U.S. have lost their jobs during the pandemic (bls.gov/opub/ mlr/2020/beyond-bls/covid-19-recession-is-tougher-onwomen.htm). Thankfully, Women Give Taos is a major player in reversing some of these daunting circumstances here in Northern New Mexico. Women Give Taos was founded several years ago as a giving circle, providing grants to local organizations that assist and encourage women and girls to flourish and succeed. Operating under the umbrella of the Taos Community Foundation, Women Give Taos is a regional acknowledgment of countless studies showing that when women and girls thrive, so do communities, countries and the world as a whole.
THRIVE VS. SURVIVE 2020 And 2020 was a year during which the need to support women and girls to help them thrive could not have been more acute.
Even in stable homes the demands on women – caregiving while maintaining work and households – have been critically exacerbated by coronavirus safety practices prohibiting established childcare services, on top of the necessity for home schooling. Many families also face other equally challenging and dangerous situations: increased vulnerability in isolation; food insecurity; and threats of domestic violence or homelessness. Women who find themselves in these circumstances are unable to care for their children or themselves. The donor advisors who comprise Women Give Taos cast their 2020 gifting vote to the DreamTree Project, which received $30,000 in support of its endeavor to create a case manager position focusing on childhood advocacy. “This award was so appreciated,” said DreamTree Deputy Director Stacey McGuire. “It’s amazing how helpful such a gift can be, and how many lives will continue to be positively affected by it.” Upon receiving the grant, an acknowledgement from the organization noted, “the new position will address unmet needs and will support young parents in building parenting life skills, promoting their emotional and physical health and escaping violence. “The Early Childhood Advocate will facilitate young parents and their children in accessing needed services and meeting their developmentally appropriate goals … [and] will bring early childhood expertise to DreamTree Project and connect families to other early childhood specialists in Taos.”
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