We recently asked eight leaders who work directly with women and girls in their communities to weigh in on gender equality and philanthropy. What emerged wasn’t one tidy narrative, but a more complex picture of the stories we tell about women and girls, what those stories might leave out, and how philanthropy can support them more holistically.
Philanthropy has no shortage of stories about women and girls. Sometimes, it’s from the lens of what they lack: resources, safety, protection, or education. Other times, it’s from the lens of what they are overcoming or building in their communities: agency, possibilities, choices, and futures.
These stories both matter. Stories of overcoming hurdles remind us that “girls are creators of opportunity, rather than simply recipients of it,” as Shogher Mikaelyan, founder of the Nor Luyce Mentoring Center so beautifully put it.
“We have seen girls who initially struggle to speak in a group become mentors and leaders, girls who were unsure about their future begin planning careers and higher education, and girls who once saw themselves primarily through the circumstances they were born into begin imagining completely different futures.”
Many of the center’s former mentees have gone on to become mentors themselves, supporting the next generation of girls who are facing some of the same challenges they once faced.
Gerald Othieno of The Girl Child Foundation Uganda (GIFU) echoes this sentiment:
“Girls are not simply beneficiaries waiting for adults to solve their problems. They are problem-solvers, peer supporters, students, entrepreneurs, caregivers, advocates, and future community leaders.”
Stories like these point to broader cultural trends toward women’s freedom, equality, and choice.
“Girls are growing up with much greater expectations of equality, independence and having a voice in their own lives,” said Connie Duran, the president of Puerta Abierta.
“They question things that previous generations of women were often expected simply to accept.”
But Connie reminds us that there is another side to the story:
“I see two changes happening at the same time, and the tension between them worries me.”
“Violence remains deeply present in our society,” Connie continued. “We see increasingly violent language, toxic relationships, and ways of resolving conflict that normalize aggression.”
Harder reality stories remind us that violence and vulnerability continue to be real hurdles women and girls continue to face.
Nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, a figure that has changed little over the past two decades.
Fiona Peart at the Orchid Project highlights the lethal reality of some of these hurdles, noting that female genital mutalitation (FGM) “is the fourth leading cause of death of girls in African countries where it is practiced, taking the lives of over 44,000 girls a year. That translates to 1 girl dying every 12 minutes.”
Beyond physical violence, Neema Kashindi Glorieurse of Union des Agriculteurs de Fizi in Congo points toward stalled progress in economic sovereignty:
“We do not talk enough about the difficulties women face in accessing land, agricultural inputs, credit, markets and decision-making spaces,” said Neema.
“A woman may work on a farm every day while still having limited control over the land or income generated from her work,” said Neema.
“Women are deeply involved in agriculture, food production, small businesses, household responsibilities and community activities, but much of this work remains invisible,” she continued.
Gerald also points to ongoing structural issues that continue to impact girls:
“A girl may receive a school uniform or sanitary products, but if her family cannot afford food, if she is expected to care for younger siblings, or if she faces pressure to marry early, staying in school remains difficult.”
“Supporting girls therefore requires us to look beyond the individual girl and strengthen the environment around her,” said Gerald.
Aid cuts have also had dire impacts on local nonprofits stewarding gender equality.
“Aid cuts have meant needing to find a fifth of our yearly income elsewhere. But the global backlash against gender equality has left us with few places to look,” shared Fiona.
Neema echoed this concern:
“When resources decrease, activities such as agricultural training, women’s economic empowerment, access to inputs and community support can be reduced or interrupted. For rural communities, these are not abstract programs; they directly affect people’s ability to produce food, generate income and support their families.”
“What we wish the world understood is that aid cuts are ultimately felt by people,” said Neema.
“For a girl who needs menstrual supplies to remain in school, a woman who needs livelihood support, or a family struggling to meet needs, a reduction in funding directly affects her opportunities and choices,” echoed Gerald.
A fragile balance is shifting for women and girls against this complicated landscape.
And still, women and girls are building, questioning, organizing and imagining what comes next. They are charting entirely new pathways that weren’t once possible for themselves and for others.
Chealsia Smedley of the Freedom Story told us about female village leaders who are currently expanding their work to serve as first responders for children. They stepped in when three children were abandoned by their parents, helped a mother regain custody of her child, and are helping migrant families access education for their children. “When women lead, it builds safer environments for everyone,” Chealsia shared.
Ultimately, both realities are happening, and both deserve our attention. Women and building better futures, and there are still many odds stacked against them.
Is this where a more holistic approach to funding women and girls begins? With recognizing that opportunity and care are not separate needs.
Locally-led nonprofits can connect girls with tangible resources: scholarships, educational opportunities, financial assistance, and the materials they need to pursue their goals or meet their immediate needs.
But nonprofits are also made of people who listen, care, encourage, and show up. People who can remind a girl of her worth, whether she’s ready to climb a mountain or simply learning to love herself where she is.
“Through our work at this organization, we encourage girls to view power as the ability to choose self-love—not as an act of revenge or retaliation, but as an opportunity to transform our surroundings,” said Nathali Perez Córdoba, Remar Occidente A.C.
“This means embracing our limitations and imperfections, acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses, and finding true power in resilience, forgiveness, and collaboration, Nathalia continued.
“When we cultivate the ability to love ourselves—without self-criticism, self-pity, or the desire to trample on others—we discover our true power.”
“This power carries a profound responsibility: the responsibility to avoid creating situations that could harm us internally or externally, to avoid harming others, and, above all, to be proactive wherever we may be,” Nathali concluded.
Imagine what becomes possible when more girls have people like Nathali in their lives. People who see their potential without overlooking their present, and who remind them that their worth doesn’t depend on what they achieve.
Connie is proud of the eight girls who graduated from university through Puerta Abierta after enduring childhoods of abuse and abandonment. But she is careful about what those achievements mean, and who gets to define empowerment.
“I don’t believe an organization can “give” empowerment to a girl,” said Connie.
“What we can give her are the conditions and tools that make real choice possible: education, emotional security, critical thinking, confidence, economic opportunities, healthy relationships and the experience of having her voice taken seriously.”
“A girl does not have a choice simply because an adult tells her she is free to choose. She has a choice when she has enough tools and opportunities to make a decision and enough independence and support to live with that decision.”
“For me, that is empowerment.”
“What really matters to me is seeing them become women who make their own decisions, form healthy relationships, and imagine futures that are different from the circumstances in which they grew up. One of the most important thing I have learned from 22 years of this work is that trauma does not need to remain the central story of a woman’s life.”
Because a girl’s life is not defined by what she has survived, or even by what she goes on to achieve.
It is hers to live.
Connie, Nathali, Shogher, Clemence, Gerald, Neema, Fiona, and Chealsia are among the people creating more possibilities for women and girls in their communities. Their work takes many forms, from education and emotional care to advocacy and community leadership.
Get to know the people and organizations behind the perspectives shared in this article, and discover how you can be part of their work.
Find exactly what you're looking for in our Learn Library by searching for specific words or phrases related to the content you need.
