Gender Equality
A father is wrapping his arms around his young son and both are smiling at the camera
29
Apr, 2026

Gender Equality, Transformation Partnerships

Reimagining Manhood for a More Gender-Equal World

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

Rehema, a participant with Transformation Partner, Landesa, smiles as she looks down at a table of woven baskets at an open air market
6
Jan, 2025

Gender Equality, Transformation Partnerships

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The Power of Women-Led Movements for Land Rights

The Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights works globally to elevate and catalyze the voices and leadership of grassroots women and women-led organizations who are driving the movement on land rights at local and national levels to realize both gender and climate justice. Under its Transformation Partnerships grant with Together Women Rise, in 2024 the Center carried out a range of activities to help reach its goal of achieving long-term, systemic gender equality impact. 

For example, in Tanzania, a series of trainings on women’s land rights was facilitated by the Landesa Stand for Her Land team.  The trainings equipped participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt transformative agroecological practices, understand women’s land rights, and leverage these tools for women’s economic empowerment.  Details

22
Feb, 2016

Impact, Gender Equality

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International Women’s Day – Women’s Equity vs. Equality

By Beth Ellen Holimon, Dining for Women Executive Director

International Women’s Day is March 8th and this year’s theme – “Pledge for Parity” – brings up the issue of equality. According to the World Economic Forum, the gender gap won’t close entirely until 2133. We know the benefits of closing the gender gap – Dining for Women Co-Founder Marsha Wallace addressed it in her blog and I addressed it in a blog as well. We know the importance of equality, but we also need to recognize the importance of equity. Details

27
Jan, 2016

2015, Together Women Rise, Education, Gender Equality

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Find Me Fascinated

The first time I talked with Jessica Posner, co-founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), was June 2011.   Shining Hope for Communities was Dining for Women’s featured grantee, and I had asked her to Skype with my chapter. It was about 2:00 a.m. in Kenya! We were riveted as she described the school and the vision that she and Kennedy, her life partner and SHOFCO co-founder, have for their organization. We were hooked by the vision but also by the story of Jessica and Kennedy, drawn together in life and in work. Jessica is from Denver, Colorado. Kennedy was born and raised in the slums of Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. Together they’ve established a thriving nonprofit that is changing the lives of precious girl students and also their community in Kibera. Details

27
Jan, 2016

Reserve Program, 2015, Gender Equality, Together Women Rise, Leadership, Economic Sustainability, Education

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Three Reserve Grants Awarded

Thanks to the generous support of our members and donors in 2015, DFW has awarded three reserve grants. These grants are awarded when excess funds are accumulated in our grant reserve fund. Reserve grantees are named alternates in previous grant cycles which means they were thoroughly vetted and met all of our rigorous criteria. These organizations were also required to submit updated information and budgets for evaluation prior to being awarded a reserve grant. The three reserve grantees for 2015 are:

Visions Global Empowerment (Ethiopia) — $46,728

Mercado Global (Guatemala) — $28,061.99

EDUCATE! (Uganda) — $15,000

Details

29
Nov, 2015

Gender Equality, Safety and Security

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Gender Equity: A Path to Peace

Recent terrorist attacks in Paris have resulted in shock and sadness among millions, making some question what, if anything, can be done to make a positive impact on the state of affairs that contributed to the violence. In others, it has generated a sense of urgency to do something, to make a difference.

This quote comes from a friend who posted her thoughts on Facebook: “So many things swirling in my mind this afternoon. Things about how enormous the problems and injustices in the world are, and how insignificant any one person’s efforts seem in the face of such immense wrong.” Another friend was so moved to take action that she decided to write a letter to a nonprofit she’s involved with, suggesting the creation of a program to bring women of the U.S. together with women in developing countries as a way to foster deeper knowledge of others, to break down barriers that keep us from seeing one another’s common humanity.

Details