October 8 is DAF Day — a national day of giving through Donor Advised Funds. If you’ve never heard of a DAF before, you’re not alone. But if you give to Together Women Rise — or to any charity you care about — a DAF might be one of the most powerful tools you’re not yet using.
Here’s the good news: DAFs are simpler than they sound, and they can help you give more to the causes you love. Details
By Carson Jones, Together Women Rise Writing Intern
Together Women Rise strives to use an intersectional approach to gender equality— but what does intersectionality actually mean?
Imagine a girl who isn’t in school– which is the case for 122 million girls globally. At first glance, the solution may be simple: pay her school fees. But what if she also walks hours each day to collect water for her family? What if said family depends on her income to survive? What if she’s placed in an arranged marriage at 15? What if, even if she goes to school, she’s discriminated against for her ethnic or cultural identity? Education isn’t the only barrier; it’s one of many. That’s where intersectionality comes in,
Intersectionality is described as a framework that acknowledges the overlap between certain parts of one’s identity, such as race, gender, class, or sexuality. The goal is to recognize that these factors interact to produce unique, blended realities, rather than treating them as individual issues that produce individual realities. At Rise, there is an emphasis on acknowledging intersectionality through racism, classism, environmental injustice, oppression, and all types of marginalization.
While it may seem like a new, complex idea, practicing intersectionality does not have to be difficult. The goal is tangible, long-term, deep-rooted change that addresses the very core of the issue rather than a surface layer. An acknowledgement of its importance – and existence – is the first step. Details
I love recipes that give me an excuse to pull out some of the more unusual spices in my cabinet – especially the ones I bought for another recipe and that have been sitting there waiting to be loved again. This meal started with an Ethiopian roast chicken recipe that caught my attention because it used nigella seeds, but what I ended up making went in a different direction. Details
(Pictured above: Ann Child, Patricia Payne, Betsy Teutsch, Corrine Blakemore, Leslye Heilig, Ruth Bates, and Karyne Bury.)
Change begins with people who are willing to take action in their communities. That is exactly what Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS is all about: people coming together to take action in support of women and girls worldwide.
We advocate to the U.S. Congress for sustained funding for global health, education, and women’s empowerment programs that contribute to achieving gender equality. In 2026, we are engaging with Senators and Representatives through both face-to-face and virtual meetings, written messages, and letters to the editor in a wide array of publications. Details
This month we are featuring Marilyn Murphy, chapter leader of the CA, Thousands Oaks – 1 chapter. Marilyn has spent her adult life traveling the world, leading a small travel company and founding the WOW Travel Club in 2006. She had an instant interest in starting a Together Women Rise chapter when she heard about the organization and our mission. Now retired, Marilyn is focused on promoting her new book (a memoir about her travels as a 24-year-old) and managing her 15-year chapter.
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By Carson Jones, Together Women Rise Communications Intern
With the recent erosion of women’s rights, increasing political polarization, and isolationism, the safety of women and girls is at greater risk than ever before. They face gender-based issues that emerge from spaces that are supposed to be safe and empowering. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and widespread Internet access, women’s security is pulled from the physical realm into the digital one.
While men and boys in the Global South are still far more likely to have online access, women and girls have gained digital access at a substantial rate over the last decade. According to the GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2026, 84% of women in low and middle-income countries now own a mobile phone of some type, 64% own a smartphone, and 65% use mobile Internet. The women who are online often face exploitation, extortion, and harassment. Details
By Claire O’Donnell, Together Women Rise Transformation Partnerships Writer
Long before the concept of “conservation” existed, women were doing the work. Tending to fields and forests. Reading the soil and the seasons. Rural and Indigenous women have always been among the earth’s original caretakers. Today, they remain on the frontlines, restoring degraded land, protecting biodiversity, and growing more than half the world’s food.
And yet, the land they tend rarely belongs to them.
Only 23% of countries have laws granting women and men equal land rights, and even in those where laws exist on paper, centuries of discriminatory norms leave millions of women with rights they cannot access and land they cannot claim. Details
By Kaitlyn Grigsby-Hall, Together Women Rise Development Director
Summer is here, which means the children in our lives are out of school and often spending more time with us. For the many Together Women Rise members who are parents and grandparents, these long July and August afternoons are a wonderful chance to pass along something that lasts a lifetime: the simple, deep satisfaction of giving to others. Details
Susan McGee has lived in Florida for the past 44 years. She is a retired special education teacher, and her husband is former military, so they moved around a lot over the years. When they settled in Florida, Susan became a guardian ad litem and volunteered with the Girl Scouts. Florida is also where she learned about Together Women Rise and helped form the FL, Gainesville–1 chapter. She is now a chapter leader of the spin-off, FL, Gainesville–2 chapter. Details
This month we spotlight “One Day’s Wages” and their work to improve maternal health outcomes in Afghanistan. Given the focus on safe childbirth for mother and child, it seemed fitting to feature a celebratory dish, one that screams “joy.” Sheer Pera (or Sheer Pira) is an Afghani dessert that is often part of the meal during celebratory occasions. A milk fudge with flavors that are quintessentially Afghani, it has notes of rose and cardamom and incorporates dried nuts. For how decadent and delicious it tastes, Sheer Pera is remarkably simple to make. The cardamom powder, rose water (or rose essence), and pistachios are not optional ingredients as they give the fudge the flavor that makes it Afghani fudge. In addition to pistachios, one could add almonds or walnuts as well. With an under 30-minute cook time, this fudge comes together easily and is incredibly delicious. Serve with hot chai for teatime or enjoy as dessert.
Sheer Pera/Pira
Servings: 24 pieces
Cook time: 30 minutes
Cooling/setting time: 1 – 2 hours
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cups Sugar
4 cups milk powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
1 teaspoon rose essence
½ cup coarsely chopped pistachios
½ teaspoon salt
Dried rose petals, to garnish
Equipment:
Stew pot
Parchment paper
9×9 cake pan
Directions:
Grease the cake pan and line it with parchment. Set aside.
Add water and sugar to the pot and heat on medium. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce to simmer and allow the syrup to reduce – this should take 15 – 20 minutes.
Add the rose essence, cardamom powder, and salt. When a thick, syrup-like consistency is reached, slowly add the milk powder while stirring continuously. Adding slowly and stirring vigorously is key to prevent clumps from forming.
Fold in the pistachios, reserving a small amount to garnish. Pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan. Garnish with rose petals and the reserved pistachios.
Allow it to cool and set for about an hour. Score into shapes and then invert the pan over a plate/cutting board and peel off the parchment. Serve with hot chai or as dessert.
Recipe and photo credit: Vinola V. Munyon
“But isn’t Chicken Biryani an Indian dish?” Yes, for sure, but Indian flavors and dishes feature prominently in the Kenyan diet. This is due, in large part, to trade and migration, especially during the period of British colonial rule. Details
By Claire O’Donnell, Together Women Rise Transformation Partnerships Writer
Women make up half of the world and yet, only 0.02% of global news coverage focuses on issues that disproportionately affect women. If the world’s news were a year, these issues would get less than eighteen hours of it. If it were a globe, the coverage of issues disproportionately affecting women would fit entirely on Fiji.
This is not an accidental oversight. It is a portrait of whose stories our society has decided matter. The stories a culture tells are not merely a reflection of its values, they are also the mechanisms by which those values are shaped, generation after generation. When half of humanity is condensed to a footnote, that absence is reflected in legislation, healthcare, policy, courtrooms and the daily realities of women everywhere. Details
This month we feature dZi Foundation’s MaUKa Initiative which empowers marginalized women in Nepal with comprehensive finance and entrepreneurship training to support sustainable agri-enterprises. Details
By Claire O’Donnell, Together Women Rise Volunteer
The gender equality movement has spent decades expanding what is possible for women and girls, rewriting the rules of who they can be, how they can live, and what they can demand from the world. But there’s a quieter, unresolved gap at the heart of that progress.
Anyone who works in this space has experienced it: rooms filled with commitment and urgency, yet conspicuously missing men. While women and girls have been offered new scripts for who they can be, men and boys, largely, have not. Despite our changing world, the traditional “provider” identity is still the thing men most commonly name when asked what manhood means to them. Details
This month we feature Global Pediatric Alliance and their impactful work in our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Our support goes toward improving access to quality, equitable and respectful maternal health services for marginalized Mayan women in Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula. Details
As government and private funding for foreign aid and gender equality programs declines, Together Women Rise is planning to expand its grants program in support of women and girls in the Global South.
“When public and private funders step back, people-powered movements must step up — and that’s exactly what we are doing at Together Women Rise,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, CEO. “This year, we are investing more than ever in our grants program, and we just announced a new strategic plan which sets out our bold strategy for increasing grantmaking by 75 percent over the next three years.” Details
April invites us to pause and recognize something truly powerful: the impact of people who choose to give their time, their energy, and their hearts. Volunteer Appreciation Month is more than a moment on the calendar—it’s a chance to honor the individuals whose generosity strengthens our communities and keeps our mission moving forward. Details
By Marilyn Watson, member of the CA, Berkeley – 2 Together Women Rise chapter
Colorful, chaotic, inspiring. These are but a few adjectives that come to mind as I think back on my Together Women Rise journey to India in February 2026. In order to fully appreciate the grantees we would visit, we were given a varied and fascinating feel for India, past and present, in between site visits. Our guide, Jaya, waxed on for hours, literally, on the historic touch points of this ancient country, the modern views of religion, current customs and regional adaptations in language, folk art, and agriculture. Details
Melinda Pedersen is the founding chapter leader of the CA, Humboldt-1 chapter. The chapter has raised over $49,000 for Together Women Rise since its inception in 2013, but up until 2026, had never hosted a fundraiser. The chapter decided to take on this new venture, and the results were incredible. In February, Melinda led her chapter in hosting a production of The Vagina Monologues which brought in close to 900 people, and raised over $5,000, over the three-night run.
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With spring bringing us more daylight, warmer temperatures, and the first days of farmers markets and seasonal harvests, we are taking a look back this month at some of our favorite recipes based on the cuisine of Uganda. Over the years, our recipe team has found inspiration in the depth of beautiful food offerings from this country. Let these ideas bring something new to your chapter’s potluck or your family dinner table. Hearty greens are plentiful this time of year and they offer an economical and healthy addition to meals. Enjoy! And don’t miss dessert. Details
Did you know there’s a way to make your gift to Together Women Rise go even further — while also saving on your taxes? If you own stocks, mutual funds, or other securities that have grown in value over time, donating those shares directly to Rise rather than selling them first can be a powerful win-win. Details
In the spotlight this month is CAMFED’s Transition Program in Zambia. This program supports young women when they transition out of school by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and resources to establish a livelihood. Details
Whether you are an employee deciding about your annual benefits at election time or an employer deciding which benefits to offer, make your workplace benefits work for you. Your benefits can maximize your savings for retirement and lower your tax bill. Assuming you already have an emergency fund, consider the following questions to determine in what order to fund your benefit buckets:
Debra Berman and Jean Wohlever are co-chapter leaders of the MI, Ann Arbor – 2 chapter. Debra, a Rise member for 6 years, and Jean, a member for 4 years, also serve in additional volunteer roles with us. Debra is a member of the Featured Grants Committee and former Regional Leader, and Jean Wohlever is a current Chapter Support Liaison. A former ICU nurse, business owner, and Technology Customer Experience Manager, Debra left corporate America to travel the world with her wonderful husband in 2016. Jean had a career as an economics advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has lived all over the country including Connecticut, California, and now, Michigan. Details
This month we feature Freely in Hope and their work in Kenya that focuses on ending sexual violence by equipping survivors and advocates with the tools, resources, and support they need to take the lead in breaking the cycle of abuse. Details
With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the use of Qualified Charitable Distributions [QCD] from your Individual Retirement Account [IRA] remains a tax-savvy option for making charitable gifts and, for many people, is now an even more appealing choice. Making QCDs can lower your taxable income and reduce the tax due on withdrawals from your IRA, all while benefiting your favorite charity.
A QCD is a direct gift from your IRA to a qualified charity. Once you reach the age of 70.5, you can use QCDs for your charitable planning. A gift made through a QCD also counts toward your annual Required Minimum Distribution [RMD]. (Your RMD is taxed as ordinary income.) Reducing your RMD total by the QCD amount lowers your adjusted gross income and taxable income and, therefore, your income tax due. A QCD also provides an opportunity to leverage your charitable gift: you deposited the money into the IRA without paying taxes, the money grew tax-deferred for the time it was in the account, and the money is received by the charity as a tax-free gift. Details
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed some special moments with your loved ones this holiday season. I was thrilled to have my nine-month old grandson visiting for the holidays, along with my three daughters and their partners!
As we kick off 2026, I am filled with deep gratitude for the commitment and generosity of everyone in our Together Women Rise community. 2025 was a difficult year … in fact, in 23 years of Rise, we have never faced a more critical moment of need. Yet, even in the face of this crisis, our community stepped up! Many grantees found ways to adapt, streamline, and continue their essential work with remarkable creativity and courage. Our members rose to meet the moment with generous year-end gifts to support our ambitious annual appeal goal. While we are still tallying all the year-end donations, I can already report that our 2025 fundraising results are historic – we raised more funds than ever before with our Annual Appeal! I look forward to sharing our final results with you soon. Details
