Advocacy
Ann Child, Patricia Payne, Betsy Teutsch, Corrine Blakemore, Leslye Heilig, Ruth Bates, Karyne Bury, and Karyne's mom.
26
Aug, 2026

Advocacy

Rise Participates in RESULTS Conference

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS 

(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

Advocacy Group with RESULTS with picture of Capitol Hill
15
Dec, 2025

Advocacy

Advocacy Group with RESULTS: Looking Ahead to 2026

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Group with RESULTS 

The Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS is Rise–ing in the coming year to restore and strengthen essential U.S. support for women and girls worldwide. To be even more effective this year, we will merge our advocacy interventions with those of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) advocates from the RESULTS Global Partners Program.  

We will offer webinars with special speakers at least once each quarter and more often in special circumstances. In between webinars we will send out monthly calls for specific actions for Rise advocates to take according to the legislative calendar. We will also provide hands-on coaching support with tools for effective advocacy, through sessions tailored to the needs of each advocate.  Details

Advocacy Group with RESULTS with picture of Capitol Hill
1
Dec, 2025

Advocacy

Victory in November: A Massive Global Health Win and the Road Ahead

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Group with RESULTS 

On Friday, November 21st, the current U.S. Administration recommitted to matching contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with $1 for every $2 from other donors and pledged $4.6 billion in funding. This pledge still needs to be honored by Congress in the FY26 budget and protected from future rescissions, so our work is far from over. But our tireless advocates can take a well-deserved bow!

Our Together Women Rise Advocacy Group With RESULTS works year-round to convince Members of Congress (MOCs) in both the House and Senate to fund global health and education programs. These investments are vital for the success of Rise grantees and for women and girls around the world. Through webinars and coaching calls, we share information, learn new strategies to increase our effectiveness, and take timely action together. Details

Advocacy Group with RESULTS with picture of Capitol Hill
29
Oct, 2025

Advocacy

Advocacy Update: Impact of Government Shutdown on Women & Girls

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Group with RESULTS 

Our Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS advocates for U.S. policy and funding that benefits our grantees and women and girls around the globe. We are focused on preserving vital U.S. foreign assistance for health and education programs despite the current administration’s drastic cuts starting with the dismantling of USAID. In our webinars we share information, encourage each other, and learn strategies that increase the effectiveness of our voices.   Details

Advocacy Group with RESULTS with picture of Capitol Hill
28
Aug, 2025

Advocacy

Building a Stronger Future Through Advocacy Together

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS 

Joining the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS can help our grantees by providing the resources they need from their local services such as vaccines and other medications, food for malnourished children, and improvements in the quality of public education. Through our advocacy webinars and experienced coaches assigned to mentor each advocate, we can show you how to be an effective advocate for these programs.   Details

Jun 24, 2025

Advocacy

A Critical Period for Global Health and Education Programs

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS 

The Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS is working to defend foreign assistance funding. As they review the Administration’s mega bill for the coming year, both the House and Senate proposals currently call for slashed funding and/or outright closure of almost all US foreign assistance.

In our webinar on June 17, we heard remarkable and moving stories from our guest speaker, Laurel Fain, gleaned from her 24 years as a USAID health officer in countries in Africa and Asia. Laurel discussed how local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government workers are trying to continue their efforts after the abrupt halt of USAID programs. A continued supply of medicines, nutritional supplements, and other goods, such as bed nets to ward off malaria, is what these workers need most urgently.

Details

Together Women Rise and Results logos
29
May, 2025

Advocacy

Advocacy in Action!

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS 

In the first 100 days of the new Administration, Together Women Rise advocates reached out to our Members of Congress to stress the importance of maintaining key foreign assistance programs that benefit women and children across the globe.

Details

Together Women Rise and Results logos
20
Mar, 2025

Advocacy

Together Women Rise Advocates Defend Foreign Aid

Written By: Susan Wright, Rise Advocacy Co-Chair

Together Women Rise advocates are fully engaged with our partner, RESULTS, to fight the suspension of U.S. foreign aid and the dismantling of USAID. We know that many Rise grantees are facing disruptions or elimination of programming as a result of the administration’s actions. We need to continue to counteract this stoppage of U.S. foreign assistance that threatens the millions of people who depend on food, medicine, health services and other support from USAID, as well as other programs such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Details

Together Women Rise and Results logos
23
Jan, 2025

Advocacy

“We Were Made for Times Like These”: Advocacy Orientation Recap

Written By: Margaret Moodian, Ed.D., Rise Advocacy Co-Chair

Last night’s Together Women Rise advocacy webinar inspired our advocacy team, including many who joined us for the first time. The theme, “We Were Made for Times Like These”, resonated with everyone in attendance, serving as a powerful reminder that although the future may seem uncertain, we have the tools and the determination to make a difference. Our constitutionally-assured access to the corridors of power in Washington provides us with an incredible opportunity to advocate on behalf of women and girls around the world who lack a voice. Details

Results advocates meeting with Sen Padilla foreign policy advisor Jake Bentham
17
Dec, 2024

Advocacy

Join Our Advocacy Efforts to Sustain and Build Upon Our Grantees’ Success

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS  

Together Women Rise provides much-needed support for community-based organizations working to improve agency and life skills and provides opportunities for girls and women to thrive in difficult conditions. However, these organizations also need functioning health and education systems to succeed.  For example, Together Women Rise’s December Featured Grantee, GAIA Vaccine Foundation, works with support from the international program Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, national health authorities, and local schools to ensure that the HPV vaccine is available when girls are ready to be vaccinated. This is why advocating for US support of international organizations such as Gavi or the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, as well as for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen health and education systems in low-income countries, is essential to Rise’s actions. Particularly in the current context of potentially drastic cuts in many of these programs, it is important for our elected officials to know that their constituents strongly support these programs and want to see them continued.  

Details

Together Women Rise and Results logos
25
Sep, 2024

Advocacy

How to Maximize Your Power for Change

Inspiring Guest Speakers Share Invaluable Insights: Together Women Rise Advocacy Webinar Recap

by Margaret Moodian, Ed.D., Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS

Our Rise advocacy chapter is flourishing! On Tuesday, September 24, we hosted an insightful and engaging webinar for current Rise advocates and those interested in joining our efforts. We were honored to have several distinguished guest speakers: Beverley Francis-Gibson, the inspiring CEO of Together Women Rise; Terry Van Horne, former Lead District Representative for Rep. Mike Levin (CA-45); Sahaletou Yelebo, Global Advocacy Associate at Integrate Health; and Dr. Leslye Heilig, former co-chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter. 

Details

A gallery of Results webinar participants on Zoom
27
Aug, 2024

Advocacy

The Transformative Power of Grassroots Advocacy with Together Women Rise and RESULTS

Margaret Moodian, Ed.D., Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS

I started my advocacy journey in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when I led an international nonprofit called TIAS ARMS. This work resulted in a virtual pen pal program where I partnered with California Congressman Mike Levin’s office and the former Ambassador to South Africa, Eric Bost. In 2021, I joined a fantastic Together Women Rise chapter in Orange County, CA, led by Elizabeth Boretz. Because of my previous experience, I was drawn to their grassroots advocacy group with RESULTS. Details

A gallery of Results webinar participants on Zoom
25
Jun, 2024

Advocacy

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Advocacy in 2024 – More Important Than Ever!

By Susan Wright, Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS and leader of our CA, Berkeley-2 chapter

The women and girls our grantees serve cannot thrive without access to basic health and education programs and other services, including vaccines and reproductive health supplies. Advocacy to obtain adequate funds for these broader programs is necessary to achieve Together Women Rise’s mission to achieve global gender equality.

Details

30
Nov, 2023

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

It Takes a Pioneer

By Ken Patterson, Co-Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS and Director, Grassroots Impact with RESULTS

Five years ago, Together Women Rise started exploring a partnership with RESULTS, a constituent advocacy organization working on US federal policy affecting women and girls around the world. The idea was to complement the great work Together Women Rise is doing supporting women’s organizations on the ground with systemic policy change that would create change at scale.  

Dr. Leslye Heilig (MA, Great Barrington-3 chapter) took part in the original exploration of the Together Women Rise and RESULTS partnership and has been leading the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group since the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding four years ago. Leslye was somewhat new to advocacy as the partnership was getting started, but she saw the potential. She decided to be a role model of the power of change through advocacy and learned how to build a relationship with her members of Congress, use her voice in the media, and inspire skeptics who may have lost faith in our government.  

According to Rise CEO Beverley Francis-Gibson, “Leslye has been a committed volunteer leader and ambassador for the impact that advocacy can have when members are given the tools. We are so grateful for her many years of dedicated service to ensuring that Together Women Rise and RESULTS work together to champion many causes.”

Details

Sep 27, 2023

Advocacy

Take Action Today on the READ Act Reauthorization

Authored by: Meg Gardiner, Global Education Policy Manager, RESULTS

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently said, “Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes.” We know that conflict and displacement are a major cause of 250 million children globally being out of school. We must call upon Congress to reauthorize the READ Act so that the U.S. does its part to ensure children everywhere get the education they deserve. Details

Advocacy
30
May, 2023

Featured Year, Advocacy, 2023

Advocacy Update: Help Pass the READ Act

For the past two months our Advocacy Group with RESULTS has been taking a deep dive on The READ Act Reauthorization (H.R.681, S.41), which supports basic education around the world with a focus on girls. This legislation focuses on enhanced strategies for the improvement of foundational literacy and numeracy, which are essential elements of a quality basic education. And we know that educating girls is one of the most important things we can do to advance gender equality!  

In low- and middle-income countries, up to 70% of 10-year-olds are unable to read a simple text. The longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to return, and the World Bank estimates that this generation of students will lose $17 trillion in lifetime earnings due to a lack of basic education. And quality primary education isn’t the only challenge. Around 200 million youth ages 12-17 are currently out of secondary school, and 80 percent of children in low-income countries lack access to preschool. But within these numbers, the harsh reality is that girls are the most severely impacted and the most likely to be left out of school or fail to return due to child marriage or pregnancy. 

Details

Mar 27, 2023

Advocacy

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Advocate for US funds!

By Susan Wright, leader of the Together Women Rise CA, Oakland chapter and member of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS. Susan is also a former Peace Corps volunteer and staff member with USAID. 

 

International assistance accounts for less than 1% of the US federal budget, but it still represents an important proportion of all foreign aid. Over 20% of all US foreign aid supports health and education programs vital for women and girls, whether through global, multi-donor programs or through funding for country-specific activities. US funds provide critical inputs such as medications; training of doctors, educators, and nurses; and development of country-specific educational materials. Without US government support for these broader efforts, the work of grantees funded by Together Women Rise and the ability of women and girls to take advantage of their activities would be severely hampered.  Details

20
Dec, 2022

News, Advocacy

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Advocacy Accomplishments in 2022

2022 was a very successful year for Together Women Rise’s Advocacy Group with RESULTS. There were many accomplishments to celebrate: the successful replenishment of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; the passage of the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act; progress toward passage of both the End TB Now Act and the READ Act Reauthorization. It has truly been an exceptional year. Details

Nov 22, 2022

Advocacy

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Advocacy Update

While many might think there is nothing to do in this post-election period, our Together Women Rise advocates are stepping up their advocacy in order to get legislation onto the President’s desk for signature before the end of the year. In particular, we are still reaching out to Senate and House offices for their co-sponsorship of the End TB Now Act and the READ Act Reauthorization. We cannot afford to let another year pass without ensuring that money allocated during the appropriations process is spent in the most effective manner. It is essential that we reverse course on TB and girls education to make up for horrible losses in progress due to COVID-19. Details

Oct 26, 2022

Advocacy

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Advocacy: Moving the Needle Toward Gender Equality

The main goal of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS is to guide us in building deep relationships with our members of Congress (MoCs) and their staff. These relationships then become the way we influence policies and funding affecting women and girls around the world. As we approach election day, there is no better time to begin this relationship-building than by joining campaign events, town halls, and the many other forms of voter engagement that are now occurring pre-election. During these events we connect with candidates and educate the public about the issues we work on. It’s the interview process before, we the people, hire representatives to work for us in government. Details

Aug 30, 2022

Advocacy

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Advocating for Global Education

As summer comes to an end and we ready our kids to return to school, there are many children missing out on education. In many low-income countries, children — especially girls — will not be returning to school due to inadequate education systems, discrimination, early and forced marriage, or pregnancy as a result of transactional sex or gender-based violence. And when this happens, most girls are unable to return to school. Their education comes to an abrupt end, and their futures are forever changed. Details

May 26, 2022

Advocacy

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The Impact of COVID & the Ukraine War on Global Malnutrition

It was a pleasure speaking about why and what we are advocating for at Together Women Rise’s May national webinar. For those of who missed it, the recording can be found here. Our past two grantees—Yamba Malawi and Second Mile Haiti—are excellent examples of why and how we can address malnutrition. It is important to both support our grantees and their direct services as well as to advocate for Congress to fund nutrition, maternal and child health on a macro level. Each of these approaches — and even better, both together — will go a long way toward eliminating the tragedy of malnutrition. Details

Apr 25, 2022

Advocacy

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How We Advocate for Funding—The Appropriations Process

As Together Women Rise advocates, we mostly work on two kinds of legislation –authorizing legislation and appropriations legislation. Authorizing legislation creates and/or expands programs that have authority for multiple years and need to be reauthorized. An example would be the global nutrition bills that we’ve been working on recently, HR4693 and S2956. Details

23
Feb, 2022

Advocacy

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Advocacy Update: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria

This month I want to talk about The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (Global Fund), for which the US is hosting its Seventh Replenishment Conference later this year. Together Women Rise advocates learned about the Global Fund on our Feb 15th webinar. Click HERE to see the webinar recording and slides. Details

Nov 23, 2021

Advocacy

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Take Action to Address Global Malnutrition

By Dr. Leslye Heilig, Chair of the Together Women Rise Advocacy Group With RESULTS

 

Last month I spoke about my outrage over our failure to do more in the face of the COVID-19  pandemic. As some of my colleagues say,  this represents over five million policy failures, as we have surpassed this number of reported global deaths, though the true number is likely far greater.  Details

Oct 28, 2021

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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Where is the Outrage?

I keep asking myself this question: where is the outrage? How have people become numb to the struggles of those who do not have access to the COVID-19 vaccines? Ten thousand people die globally every single day on top of the millions who have already died. Yet there still is not a plan to ensure vaccine access to everyone. Where is our empathy, our morality, our conscience? Details

Sep 29, 2021

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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Advocacy Group Addresses Global COVID Vaccine Access

For the past couple of months, our Together Women Rise Advocacy Group with RESULTS has been working on global COVID vaccine access. We see this as an essential action if we wish to foster global gender equality, and it is the only solution to the COVID-19 pandemic available to use right now. During this pandemic, we have lost enormous ground with respect to global development. According to the United States Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) and the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria: Details

Aug 23, 2021

Advocacy

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“How Can I Qualify as a Together Women Rise Advocate?”

By Jim Hennigan, Global Advocacy Group

Being an advocate seems daunting – and all the more so if we’re speaking up for others because there’s the added pressure of making sure we stick to their message.

What many people don’t realize is that we’ve all been lifelong advocates — for ourselves, our families, our schools, communities, and more. A lesson that most of us have learned over that long arc of advocacy experience is that we are most effective when we speak for ourselves and share the unique message that comes from our hearts. Details

Jun 29, 2021

Advocacy

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Advocacy Update

June has been an exceptionally busy time for our advocacy group. Many of us attended the RESULTS International Conference held on June 12 and 13, followed by Advocacy Week during which we joined other advocates to meet with congressional offices. You can listen to many of the speakers and workshops from this conference here.  In particular, I recommend the session on global education, which included Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala’s father, and Maryjacob Okwuosa, a Youth Leader for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), from Nigeria. One of my other favorite sessions discussed nutrition and global health equity. Feel free to wander through the recordings as there were many excellent speakers. Details

Apr 29, 2021

Advocacy

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Advocating for Global Education

In April, the Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter With RESULTS was busy making time-sensitive appropriations requests for FY22. Now we are asking our members of Congress (MOC’s) to sign on to letters in support of global education and nutrition within the foreign affairs budget. This year we are requesting large increases for global nutrition — $300 million, which is twice what was allocated last year; and $150 million for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which is an increase of $25 million over last year. Details

Mar 25, 2021

Together Women Rise, Storytelling, Advocacy

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Advocacy Chapter Harnesses the Power Of Women

By Jim Hennigan, member of Together Women Rise National Advocacy Committee and the Advocacy Chapter With RESULTS


If there’s one thought that haunts me, it’s the fact that for all of the greatest women we can name, there are hundreds – probably thousands – more of them of equal talent and courage and character who are unknown to the world because they never had an on-ramp to opportunity.
Details

Dec 17, 2020

Advocacy

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Advocacy Update: First 100 Days Campaign

With elections behind us and a new Administration taking office this month, there is change in the air. What a perfect opportunity to join us as we build relationships with the new Congress to influence policies affecting women and girls! Dining for Women’s partnership with RESULTS has helped us build new relationships and new skill sets which are changing the world for women and girls. Now is a great time to come on board and raise your voice. Details

Oct 26, 2020

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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Dining for Women Advocacy Update

Advocacy, as I heard recently in a webinar on human migration and child health, is no longer an elective pursuit. It is the positive actions we take to make change. Right now, public health is our priority as the world is facing a once-in-a-generation pandemic. COVID has and will continue to change the world as we know it, and the most marginalized— women and girls—are suffering the most. As the Gates Foundation said recently in its 2020 Goalkeepers Report: “We’ve been set back about 25 years in 25 weeks.” It further states that “What the world does in the next few months matters a great deal.” Details

27
Aug, 2020

Advocacy

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Congress Left DC: Time to Make Noise in the Media!

By Ken Patterson, Director, Grassroots Impact for RESULTS, DFW’s Advocacy Partner

Congress left DC for the long August recess with no agreement on a Covid-19 supplemental spending bill. This has left millions of people in the U.S. and around the world in dangerous predicaments. Governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in low- and middle-income countries are struggling to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on regular efforts to combat diseases, vaccinate children, provide basic maternal care, combat malnutrition, and provide basic education. (See graphic on COVID-19 impact on global health.) Some are projecting that progress on global health could be set back 10-20 years. And women and girls are impacted the most! Details

31
Jul, 2020

Advocacy

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A DFW Member’s Advocacy Experience

By Tonnie Cummings, member of WA, Vancouver-1

 

I have been a member of the Vancouver, WA chapter of Dining for Women (DFW) for 10 years. A couple of months ago, I decided I wanted to take a more active role in helping marginalized women and girls. I looked at the DFW Advocacy Chapter webpage, where I learned about DFW’s partnership with RESULTS. RESULTS is a grassroots organization that promotes policies to end global poverty. Their goals dovetail nicely with DFW’s. I participated in the June DFW Advocacy Chapter meeting and a RESULTS orientation call, and then I joined my local RESULTS chapter. My timing was perfect! Details

Jun 25, 2020

Advocacy

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Raise Your Voices for a Global Response to the Global Pandemic

June has been a very busy month for our DFW Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS. On June 17, we had our chapter’s monthly webinar and learned about giving an “EPIC Laser Talk” when talking with our members of Congress. The EPIC format is used effectively by our partner, RESULTS, and stands for:  Engage, Problem, Illustrate or Inform, and Call to Action. Details

May 27, 2020

Advocacy

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Update: DFW Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS

By Leslye Heilig, DFW Advocacy Committee Chair

 

We have now held our third monthly advocacy meeting since we launched our partnership with RESULTS. I am so encouraged by the interest and the active participation. We can change the world, now with one letter to the editor at a time. Advocacy is a positive and rewarding activity, one that holds more value with each additional day of this pandemic and new world we are navigating.  Details

28
Apr, 2020

Advocacy

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Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS Update

When Rep. William Timmons (SC-4) signed a letter supporting an additional $1 billion in funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, it sent minor shock waves among groups that advocate for Global Fund support. Rep. Timmons’ participation was important because he is a newcomer to these types of letters and could help influence other SC representatives. People were asking around DC, “Who got Timmons to sign on?” and the answer came back to them: “It happened because of DFW members working with RESULTS!” Thank you to Rep. Timmons, and a huge THANK YOU to the DFW members who contacted and encouraged their local representatives to urge them to take action. Details

1
Jun, 2018

Advocacy

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Millions of Women and Girls Are Threatened by Cuts to U.S. Foreign Aid

By Betsy Dunklin, Chair of Dining for Women’s Advocacy Committee

Experts on the well-received advocacy panel at our National Conference (see photo) emphasized that NOW is the perfect time to add your voice to your dollars to help impoverished women and girls in developing countries.

Action on the just-passed FY2018 and proposed FY2019 budgets is taking place in both the House and Senate over the next month or so. The Administration has proposed a more than 30% cut to the International Affairs (IA) budget for FY2019. The IA budget is historically just 1% of the total US budget. Details

Apr 26, 2018

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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Act Now to Impact the 2019 Foreign Aid Budget

By Betsy Dunklin, Advocacy Committee Chair

 

Support is growing internationally to put women and girls at the core of a country’s foreign aid to end extreme poverty.  Will you add your voice to keep the U.S. moving in this direction? Now is a perfect time to tell your representatives in Congress how you feel. It is especially important to counter the administration’s renewed proposal to slash programs aimed at global poverty reduction. Details

Oct 26, 2017

Advocacy

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U.S. Foreign Aid, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Dining for Women is collaborating with Oxfam America to elevate the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment in U.S. foreign aid. Oxfam, a global social justice organization working to end extreme poverty, offers resources and a depth of experience in this field that is valuable to Dining for Women as we develop our Grassroots Advocacy Program. We, in turn, have an extensive network of members passionate about improving the lives of women and girls in developing nations. By combining forces, we can increase the emphasis on U.S. foreign aid focusing on gender equality.

Details

27
Sep, 2017

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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Understanding the International Affairs Piece of the Federal Budget Pie

By Nancy Jacobsen, member of DFW’s Advocacy Committee and the CA, Tiburon-1 chapter

Remember the pie chart from the Advocacy Committee blog in the September issue of The Dish? Many of you may have been surprised to learn that only 1% of the U.S. federal budget goes to international affairs. This month, we are going to dive more deeply into how that 1% is broken down and how the federal budget, including the amount designated for international affairs, is determined. It is important to know how this process works if we are to understand how we, as DFW members, can make an impact on behalf of women and girls. Details

28
Aug, 2017

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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U.S. Foreign Aid: Dispelling the Myths

In Tajikistan, Mahkfirat Saidrahmonova is showing other women in her community what it takes to successfully run subsistence farms thanks to a program called Feed the Future.

In Afghanistan, a challenging but rewarding internship program is providing Sayeda Korga with job skills that will give her independence and economic security as part of a program called Promote: Women in Government. Details

May 30, 2017

Together Women Rise, Advocacy

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U.S. Foreign Assistance: An Issue for Women and Girls

By Betsy Dunklin, Dining for Women Advocacy Committee Chair

Did you see that ecstatic dance of joy at the end of the video on Mali Health, our May grantee? It epitomizes what Dining for Women members often note, that despite extreme poverty and oppression, these women find happiness from their new-found skills, their support of one another, and, perhaps most of all, a sense of power and control over their own lives. And they use this to change the power dynamics within their families, their communities, and their nations. Details

29
Mar, 2017

Chapters, For leaders, For chapters, Best Practices, Advocacy

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Advocacy: A Best Practice to Change the World

By Betsy Dunklin, DFW Advocacy Committee Chair

When our board of directors adopted advocacy as one of DFW’s four programs, it put into place something that many members have been requesting for years. In fact, at DFW’s national conference in 2013, members called for a plan to add our voices to our dollars. They wanted DFW to have a larger role, through advocacy, in setting U.S. public policy related to poverty and inequality for women and girls in developing nations. Making advocacy part of DFW’s 2020 Vision is exciting because it means we can make an even bigger impact — by combining our collective donations, our collective knowledge, and our collective voices! Details