How Women's Funds Are Responding in Haiti

In response to the recent tragedy in Haiti, women's funds are providing crucial funding and resources to the people who need it most. Please support their efforts during this critical response period. We are continuing to track ongoing rescue and relief efforts, this page will be updated as more information becomes available.

American Jewish World Service's Haiti Emergency Relief Fund

Global Fund for Women's Crisis Fund

Global Fund for Children's Emergency Fund

MADRE's Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund for Haiti

V-Day's Haiti Rescue Fund

SPARK's Haiti Response Fund

Urgent Action Fund has translated their Rapid Response Grantmaking Program information into Kreyol and has also prepared a letter (below) for organizations in Haiti working to support women affected by escalating conflict.

A tout sè nou yo ann Ayiti, Fon pou Aksyon Ijan nan defans Dwa Imen Fanm (UAF) ap di nou yon gwo bonjou. Non mwen se Saira Hamidi e mwen travay pou pwogram Entèvansyon Rapid nan bay Sibvansyn nan UAF.

Nou ap ekri ou an solidarite apre nou swiv nan nouvèl tout kalite dega tranblemandtè a fè ann Ayiti. Sa fè kè nou mal anpil e nou vle asire nou ke sè nou nan peyi a byen. Anplis de sa, nou ta renmen raple nou ke UAF la gen yon pwogram Entèvansyon Rapid pou li bay sibvansyon nan ka kote sityasyon prezante e nou kapab bay yon asistans. Byenke nou pa kapab bay fon pou asistans imanitè, nou kapab kan menm asiste gwoup fanm nan sityasyon kote vyolans ak konfli ap ogmante.

Malerezman, jan nou konnen, vyolans kont fanm se yon bagay ki ogmante souvan apre yon katastwòf natirèl. UAF bay sibvansyon tou pou konsolide sekirite defansè dwa imen fanm e li pote asistans nan afè nan lajistis lè gen posibilite pou sa etabli yon presedans nan kesyon dwa imen fanm. Nou mete avèk lèt sa a yon kopi kategori e kritè pou don sa yo, e nou mete tou yon fomilè pou fè yon demand pou sibvansyon. Pou jwenn plis enfòmasyon, ou kapab konsilte sit Entènèt nou nan adrès: www.urgentactionfund.org (nap mande pou eksize nou pase preske tout sit lan se ann anglè).

Nap mande nou pou nou konnen jan nap panse avèk nou.

An solidarite,

Saira Hamidi

The Women of Twitter: Entrepreneurs or Cheerleaders?

A Vanity Fair article entitled "America's Tweethearts" caused a bit of an uproar in the social media sphere last week, with various bloggers calling it "condescending" and "embarrassing." Even Felicia Day, a popular actress who is featured in the article, wrote in her own blog that she was disappointed with the article:

"But what really ENRAGED me was the general tone, which artfully made intelligent, articulate women sound vapid and superficial."

The article profiles six young women who use social media, like Twitter, to expand their influence, but instead of focusing on their individual achievements, the article reads as clearly dismissive of Twitter, its users, and even the women featured in the article.

It likens them to cheerleaders:

"It so happens that they are nice girls—the Internet’s equivalent of a telephone chat line staffed by a bunch of cheerleaders..."

Others on blogs such as Geek Week, CNET and Geek Girl Diva also expressed their dismay with the article.

The VF article makes no mention of how these women use their social media savvy to promote themselves or the people and causes they believe in; instead it focuses on Twitter as an enormous and hollow popularity contest.

The prevailing criticism is that Vanity Fair missed an opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of these women, who collectively have more than five million followers. That is a huge number of people who are interested in what these women have to tweet about.

Day's quote is what the story should have focused on:

"Doors were closed to us before,” says Day. “Now the tools for success have been democratized. It’s just me and whoever wants to talk to me, wherever they are in the world.”

For a better article about women and Twitter, read Forbes' "14 Power Women To Follow On Twitter." Unlike the Vanity Fair story, this actually focuses on women and their social media exploits, detailing exactly why these women are worthy of their many followers.

"These 'twilebrities' are constructing digital empires by building brands from the ground up. They are not only experts, but also extraordinarily engaging, hard working, interactive and responsive to their communities. And they are deserving of your follow."

Of course, any list is not necessarily exhaustive or objective, but Forbes is respectful of every woman on their list.

Twitter does make it easier to reach out to real experts, and Twitter makes the real-time Internet into a more personable experience.

Check out us out on Twitter at @womensfunding to learn more about women's issues.

How do you use Twitter to connect to issues you care about?

How Do We Change Our "Culture of Sexual Assault"?

Yesterday, the Christian Science Monitor published a telling commentary on Western society's "culture of sexual assault" by Chloe Angyal. A group of male students from the University of Sydney created a "pro-rape" Facebook group. It has since been removed, but the simple act of creating that group speaks volumes about the widespread acceptance of sexual misconduct.

As I started reading this, I immediately thought of the California Bay Area (Richmond) gang-rape case from almost three months ago, in which a group of people simply stood by and watched instead of helping the 15-year-old girl. Angyal connects this incident with the Australian students:

"The ugly reality is that neither Australian nor American culture holds its young men to a high enough standard."

Angyal writes that our society implicitly condones this behavior, from the TV shows we watch to how we seem to quickly forget when rape occurs because it is so prevalent. A study by the Parents Television Council suggests that the incidents of violence against women on TV have increased by 120 percent from 2004 to 2009.

Angyal also cautions that

"...rape is no metaphor, no joke. It’s real, and it happens alarmingly often. We need to demand better of our young men... Their humanity, and women’s lives, depends on it."

The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault's (a grantee partner of New York Women’s Foundation) Project ENVISION conducted research last year on the root causes of sexual assault in the small communities of the Lower East Side, Manhattan; the South Bronx; and Williamsburg, Brooklyn . Project ENVISION is tackling sexual assault on a community scale, and have found that more than 50 percent of those surveyed in each community believe that educating the youth on sexual violence may be the best way to change perceptions of gender inequality.

Do you know of any other women-led organizations working on innovative solutions to this problem?

Congrats to a Social Justice Pioneer

On New Year's Day, Women's eNews released their list of "21 Leaders for the 21st Century," an annual compilation of women who are improving the lives of women and girls everywhere.

Among this year's leaders is Cecilia Boone, who serves on the Board of Women's Funding Network and is also the co-founder of the Boone Family Foundation, which is working in very innovative ways to make a better environment for women and girls in the great state of Texas.

Congratulations Cecilia! Keep on making change!

Are We There Yet?

Something I missed in the last two weeks: The CEO of VerticalResponse posted an amusing but potent retort on the Inc. blog to Miss Venezuela's comment -- made during the Miss Universe contest Q&A -- that women and men are treated equally in the corporate sector:

“I do believe that we have reached the same level that men have. We must realize that there are no longer any barriers amongst us.”

Vertical Response CEO Janine Popick shares some interesting stats on women in leadership roles:

Only 13 percent of the Inc. 5000 list this year was made up of women.

Of the Forbes 67 Most Powerful People, just three are women.

In 2009 there are only 4 women governors.

Fifteen Fortune 500 companies are run by women, which is up an astonishing three from last year.

Another breakthrough for women this year? Ursula Burns is the first black women to be appointed to top post of a Fortune 500 company, Xerox.

A resolution for 2010: Let's pump up the numbers in this list!

A Changed Man

Interesting post in PhilanTopic this week from Larry McGill, who is the Vice President of Research at the U.S.-based Foundation Center.

In the post, Mr. McGill recounts his experience attending an international meeting of women's funds focused on measuring the impact of social change philanthropy. His personal reflection does a good job of capturing the energy and, dare I say, magic that is in the air when committed, focused, talented women leaders are in one room to discuss solving the world's most pressing problems:

"What I discovered was that it was impossible for this man -- an outsider to the group in so many ways (in terms of gender, upbringing, experiences, and unearned advantages social, economic and political) -- to work side-by-side with a group of women of such deep commitment and accomplishment without being personally affected, indeed "changed." For me, courage and strength have a new face -- in fact, more than two dozen new faces. And even that isn't quite right -- because linked inseparably with each of these remarkable women are the lives of countless other women whom they would tell you are the most remarkable of all." (emphasis mine)

Have you been changed by a women's fund in 2009?

Stand Up for Gender Equality on World Poverty Day

Take a Stand in the U.S.

Take a Stand Globally