Significant Stats that Girl Power Makes a Difference

I've said it before.  I'm a believer in Girl Power.  It may sound naive, but I really do believe that if the female half of our race got the education she needed, wasn't chronically disregarded and undervalued, and was able to make the living that she needed that the world would be entirely different place.  That is not to say that violence, poverty, injustice, illness, and fear would disappear.  However, I think it would be a good first step toward bringing those things to a manageable level.

I'm not one to go plugging corporate philanthropy arms, but I just gotta send out a big HIGH FIVE to the Nike Foundation.  In 2008, they helped to launch the "Girl Effect" website which addresses the possibility of societal change by having girls help girls.  Take a look at this video:

On their website, The Nike Foundation clearly articulates how helping a girl makes a difference.  So in case you didn't know...

"Evidence shows that bolstering girls’ health, education and prosperity will build prospects for her family and her country’s economic prosperity. Tap her potential and the world benefits:

• Ensure she has seven or more years of education and she will marry four years later and have 2.2 fewer children.

• When 10 percent more girls go to secondary school, the country’s economy grows by 3 percent.

• When an educated girl earns income she reinvests 90 percent in her family, compared to 35 percent for a boy.

• When women have the skills to participate in public life, government corruption declines."

The site goes on to say:

"Yet, despite her proven potential, in today’s developing countries she is more likely to be uneducated, a child bride, exposed to HIV/AIDS. And about half a cent of every international development dollar is directed to her; 99.4 percent of funding goes elsewhere. The world is missing out on a tremendous opportunity for change."

The Nike Foundation focuses on the developing world.  And yes, that is important.  However, I wonder if, here at home, we are giving our girls a chance too?  I see commercial sexual exploitation of girls, the shunning of teens who get pregnant, and a subset of women who are kept in poverty and powerlessness because people assume that it is a path they have chosen versus a circumstance where they have made the best choices they could make and are still left holding the short end of the stick.

Life certainly isn't fair and no one promises fairness.  However, what happens if those of us who are blessed, get off our high horse and show a little compassion to our sisters who have never had a good break.  What if those of us who have the luxury of a relatively healthy upbringing and who are pretty decent moms help those moms who have never known that? What could we change?  How do we start?

Comments

[Dana Jensen]

You pose a great question here, one that we are attempting to tackle as well.

The AARP Women's Leadership Circle funds a scholarship program aimed at arming women with the life skills they need to lead successful and fulfilling lives.

The program provides scholarship funds to women ages 40 and older seeking new job skills, training, and educational opportunities so they will be more financially secure as they age.

You can check out more about our program here:
http://www.aarp.org/wlc or follow us on twitter at @AARPwlc

Keep up the great work!
Dana

[Carol]

Thanks Dana!
Early on in the days of Dollar Philanthropy, I became cyber friends with a person from the Washington Area Women's Foundation. They really are focused on helping women in their area gain the life skills they need to be successful. In general Women's Foundations are very good at this. Many have great stories. I quietly wish that there was someone who could come up with the powerful stats to be able to tell that story.

[Brendon]

This is a great post. Helping young women should be a major priority for the general public's charitable giving.

Women do some wonderful things, especially in the world of philanthropy, and deserve to be recognized for their efforts. My organization, CafeGive, was co-founded by two women and a man for the purpose of helping everyday people raise money for their favorite non-profit organizations. CafeGive is an online shopping portal which donates a portion of every purchase made to a charity, at no extra cost to the shopper. What makes CG different from other such sites is the ability for the shopper to choose which cause gets their money from an ever-growing list of 39.

Among the great causes from which to choose, we have most recently added Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon. This is a cause which helps young girls become smart, confident women through educational programs and other such resources. This is just one example of a non-profit we host which benefits girls. Others include the Black Women in Sport Foundation and Breast Friends (supporting breast cancer research).

I encourage you to come check out our site at http://cafegive.com. All it takes is visiting the “shop” page to choose from one of our nearly 350 merchants. From there you are taken to the company’s webpage, and the transaction is completed normally. If you are already an avid online shopper, why not check to see if the store you’re looking for is on CafeGive? It’s a great way to benefit your favorite cause without having to change your shopping habits. And if your passion is helping underprivileged girls learn to be confident, contributing members of society, we’ve got you covered.