Every woman and girl deserves the fundamental human right to live freely and pursue her dreams. Yet, inequality continues to shut doors of opportunity and limit independence for women and girls around the world, particularly across the global south where millions of women live in extreme poverty.
And the ongoing pandemic has been disastrous for women and girls. After the gains we have made in past years, the setbacks are truly devastating!
By raising awareness of the barriers facing women around the world and by creating opportunities for women and girls to thrive, our Together Women Rise community is truly making life-changing differences!
Please invest in global gender equality by making your year-end donation to our 2021 annual appeal. Your gift will help ensure that every woman and girl can live freely, pursue her dreams, and reach her full potential!
|
|
Our Thanks to Retiring Board Members
 We extend our immense gratitude to Susan Stall and Cynthia Radford who recently completed their terms on our board of directors. "We thank Susan Stall for her nine years of service and leadership with Together Women Rise,” said Lynn O’Connell, Board Chair. “Susan served as Chair from 2016-19 and led us through a new strategic plan, chapter growth, and much more. Meanwhile, she has also been a chapter leader. Her leadership and vision have placed an indelible mark on the organization going forward. I personally, and on behalf of the board, thank Susan for her selfless commitment of time and wisdom as well as her passion for advancing global gender equality."
 Cynthia Radford served as a board member for six years, and as Chair of the board’s Membership Education & Engagement Oversight Committee for five years. "Cynthia has been a light and a joy to work with as a board member. But her service has gone much beyond this as she has carefully planned out staff and board events each year of her tenure. And her professional expertise in leadership coaching has been a great benefit to our board of directors in helping us do the best work possible for the organization. Thank you, Cynthia!"
Together Women Rise slate of officers for the 2021-22 term:
Lynn O’Connell – Board Chair
Jo DeBolt – Vice Chair
Kathy Fitts – Treasurer
Caren Senter – Secretary
READ BOARD BIOS
|
|
Welcome to Our New Volunteer Manager
 We are excited to welcome Zaneta Taylor as our new Volunteer Manager! Zaneta brings over seven years of community volunteer recruitment, retention, and recognition to our organization. Her career has always focused on women and girls’ empowerment while connecting people with their purpose through volunteerism. Most recently, she served as External Volunteer Program Coordinator for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. Zaneta lives in Lawrenceville, GA with her husband and two boys. You can read her full bio by clicking the link below. Please welcome Zaneta to Rise! She can be reached at zaneta@togetherwomenrise.org.
SEE STAFF BIOS
|
|
Systems Change? To Help Women? What’s Up with That?
Part 1 in a series of blogs by Scott Osborne, a long-time member of our Grant Selection Committee
 The systems that make up our world were designed by men. From Tokyo to Tijuana, from Delhi to Denver, the workplaces, banks, bus routes, parliaments, voting requirements, and nearly everything else, were created by men, for men.
As a result, today our world is gender unequal by virtually every measure.
READ BLOG
|
|
Where is the Outrage Over Global Vaccine Access?
Only one in seven COVID vaccine doses promised to the world’s poorest countries have been delivered ... Of 1.8 billion doses pledged by wealthy nations, just 261 million (14%) have arrived in low-income countries. Dr. Leslye Heilig, Co-Chair of our Advocacy Group with RESULTS, asks the question: where is the outrage that we still do not have a plan to ensure vaccine access to everyone?
READ BLOG
|
|
Philanthropy Together Offers Racial Equity Community of Practice
 Philanthropy Together is relaunching its Racial Equity Community of Practice for giving circle members to deepen their commitment to building a philanthropic sector centered on racial equity. All Together Women Rise members are welcome to join this ongoing, active learning space. You will gain access to monthly live sessions, recorded webinars, online facilitated discussions, and curated resources and tools – all at no cost to participate. For more info and to sign up, please click here.
|
|
|
Join us on Nov 3rd to discuss Standing in the Way: From Trafficking Victim to Human Rights Activist. Our special guests will be the co-authors Anjali Tamang and Sarah Symons, co-founder of Her Future Coalition, one of our past grantees. This compelling memoir shares Anjali’s incredible story of being trafficked at age twelve from her village in Nepal to the red light areas of Kolkata, India. Despite enduring the worst abuse imaginable, today Anjali is working to combat trafficking and protect the next generation of girls in her community. This event is OPEN to anyone so please invite a friend to join you! REGISTER HERE.
|
|
Other Upcoming Events
All Together Women Rise events are recorded and made available for on-demand viewing. Please visit the Upcoming Events page on our website, or click here for a list of recordings.
Nov 4 -- National Monthly Webinar at 8 pm ET. Special guest speaker will be Jehan Seirafi, Executive Director of Sunsar Maya, our November Featured Grantee. REGISTER HERE.
Nov 16 at 7 pm ET and Nov 17 at 9 pm ET – Advocacy Webinars. SIGN UP here to receive information about our Advocacy Group with RESULTS and receive the webinar links.
Dec 1 at 8 pm ET – Special webinar on "Leveraging Your Gifts to Together Women Rise", by Cheryl Holland, Certified Financial Planner, President and Founder of Abacus Planning Group, and member of our SC, Columbia-2 chapter. REGISTER HERE.
|
|
Time for Holiday Shopping? Check Out Our Marketplace
Check out our Marketplace for gifts for everyone on your list, and Together Women Rise will receive a portion of all sales. Doing your holiday shopping on Amazon? Be sure to select Together Women Rise as your charitable organization at smile.amazon.com!
|
|
Our November Featured Project:
Improving Literacy for Women in Nepal
|
|
Illiteracy traps Nepali women in an endless cycle of dependence on husbands and family members, limits their life expectancy, and leads to intergenerational poverty. It hinders access to medical care and other services, and increases the likelihood of domestic abuse, substance abuse, chronic stress, and mental health issues. Our November Featured Project with Sunsar Maya will teach women conversational and written English, Nepali, mathematics, and life skills. It will provide women with the education and support they need to transform their lives and build pathways out of poverty.
UN Sustainable Development Goals that this project addresses:
|
|
Our Conversation with Jehan Seirafi, Executive Director of Sunsar Maya,
is available here. |
|
|
The Proven Platter: Nepalese Momos
By Vinola V. Munyon, Recipe Co-Curator
|
|
Momos are quintessentially Nepalese. These flavor-packed, bite-sized dumplings are so popular that they are sold by street food vendors and also feature prominently on menus of upscale restaurants in Nepal.
SEE RECIPE
SEE ALL RECIPES FROM NEPAL
|
|
Our November Sustained Grantee Project:
Bond Street Theatre
|
|
This month's Sustained Grantee Project, with Bond Street Theatre, gives women and girls the tools and training to speak out for equal rights through theatre, leadership and advocacy training, and informational performances in their communities. With our Sustained Grant, Bond Street Theatre had been bringing its creative arts model to Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Malaysia over the past few years. Rise has now approved Bond Street's request to withdraw from Afghanistan and Myanmar due to security concerns in these countries. Their work in Malaysia addressing the issue of trafficking and child marriage is continuing as planned, and they have replaced their work in Myanmar and Afghanistan with a gender-based violence/rape prevention program with adolescents in South Africa.
Get an update from Bond Street Theatre in this month’s Sustained Grantee Spotlight.
|
|
UN Sustainable Development Goals that this project addresses:
|
|
Grantee Updates
 Shining Hope for Communities (Featured Grantee in 2011; Sustained Grantee 2015-17) This month, the Kenyan Ministry of Health authorized SHOFCO’s Kibera clinics to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in the slums—a crucial step towards providing equitable access to the vaccine. In the coming weeks, members of the SHOFCO Urban Network and its community health workers will ramp up outreach to the community on the importance of vaccination and address misinformation. SHOFCO is also expanding its vaccine efforts to mobile clinics set up in the community, raising awareness, and increasing access to the vaccine.
 Women’s Global Education Project (Featured Grantee in July 2018) Amy Maglio, Founder & Executive Director, has been awarded the Women of Peace Corps Legacy’s 2021 Deborah Harding Women of Achievement Award. The award honors Peace Corps volunteers whose contributions have made a significant difference in the lives of women and girls around the world.
|
|
|
|
|
In Sept, the MN, St. Paul-1 chapter, led by Nancy Walden, Marghe Tabar, and Mary Fleming, was joined by Jill LaLonde, Executive Director of OneVillage Partners, our Featured Grantee for the month. Members were able to hear about OVP’s work and see some of the materials used in financial literacy classes.
|
|
|
NC, Southport – 1
Led by Carolyn Penharlow |
| | |
|
|
