A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER
Reflecting on what we accomplished together in 2020
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In 2020, as the world responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rise Up Leaders adapted and persevered to successfully advocate for 16 new and improved laws, policies, and programs, impacting over 4.7 million people in Nigeria, India, Guatemala, and Malawi. With Rise Up’s support, these courageous leaders expanded access to education and healthcare for girls and women and advocated for their rights on national and international platforms.
And because of supporters like you, Rise Up launched new programs in Brazil and South Africa, welcomed 89 new Rise Up Leaders to our powerful global network, and provided more than $600,000 in direct funding to leaders and their organizations. We’re proud of what we accomplished together and deeply grateful for your support.
Read our 2020 Annual Report to learn more about how Rise Up provides visionary local leaders with the training, funding, and resources they need to create transformative change for girls and women.
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In honor of International Women’s Day, Rise Up hosted a virtual meet-up to highlight how community and corporate leaders can play an essential role in creating a more gender-equal world. Mary Chandler, CEO of the Cummins Foundation, and Rise Up Leader Chris Cox, who currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, spoke with our founder and executive director, Denise Dunning, about their work to advance gender equity. Inspired by this year’s International Women’s Day theme of #ChooseToChallenge, we invited attendees to join us in pledging to take action to help forge a more gender-equal world.
As Chris shared during the event, “We need to have diverse voices in all of these conversations...to ensure that girls like my niece can grow up in a world where she knows no ceilings.”
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SEEKING JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS
OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
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Meet Joyce Nomagugu Msomi, a Rise Up Leader in South Africa, who is raising her voice for the rights of survivors of gender-based violence.
“I wanted to make sure that no more women and girls will be killed because of their gender, so I am helping ensure that women are well-educated about their rights and able to obtain immediate protection and seek justice without any fear of being killed.”
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RISE UP LEADERS IN THE NEWS
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RISE UP LEADERS IN FEMILIST 100
Rise Up Leaders Bella Akhagba from Nigeria, Japleen Pasricha from India, and Memory Banda from Malawi were featured on the 2021 FemiList100, a curated list of 100 women from the Global South, working in the fields of foreign policy, peacebuilding, law, activism, and development.
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CONGRATULATIONS ANDRÉS!
Andrés Costilla Castro (pictured in center), a Rise Up Leader from Mexico and relentless activist for LGBTQ rights, was recently appointed director of sexual diversity for San Luis Potosí state. We look forward to sharing more about the incredible work Andrés and his team are doing to advance LGBTQ rights and gender equity.
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A ROLE MODEL FOR GIRLS
Rise Up Leader Marta Tsehay (pictured on right) from Ethiopia was recently highlighted as a professional role model for girls by Career Girls. Marta shared, "I encourage every young girl to dream more and aspire more, because we are the result of our dreams and aspirations."
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CHAMPIONING GENDER EQUITY
Rise Up Leader Yusha’u Muhammad Abubakar (pictured on left) from Nigeria was honored by Kaduna State's Department of Human Services with an award for his advocacy against gender-based violence during an event for International Women’s Day.
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UPLIFTING VOICES IN NIGERIA
Betty Abah, a Rise Up Leader from Nigeria, was featured in Amnesty International Nigeria's International Women’s Day video featuring 16 women activists sharing how they #ChooseToChallenge and uplift the voices and stories of Nigerian women.
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The Rise Up Leadership Council (LC) is a committed network of our supporters and an active learning community. This month we were honored to host Tamara Kreinin, director of the Reproductive Health program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, to advance the LC’s 2021 learning agenda. Tamara highlighted how sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice have been impacted by COVID-19 and the connection between gender justice and an individual’s ability to control their own reproductive health and choices.
“There are many things that add up to gender justice, but bodily autonomy to me is at the core. If we want to do something about income, if we want to do something about violence, we’ve got to give women control of their bodies.”
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Rise Up activates women and girls to transform their lives, families, and communities through investment in local solutions, strengthening leadership, and building movements. Since 2009, Rise Up's powerful network of over 600 leaders has advocated for over 120 laws and policies impacting 135 million people in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the US. Rise Up is based at the Public Health Institute (PHI), a leader in global health and development for over 50 years.
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