Research Archives

US News Measures Global Gender Equality in Best Countries Report

US News & World Report Provides Important Data on Gender Equality in its Best Countries Rankings

The Best Country report from US News & World Report is in its ninth year. As part of its ranking, the report includes information on a country’s commitment to gender equality.

Denmark is ranked number one on the category of Social Purpose, of which Gender Equality Commitment is one indicator. (Screenshot of US News and World Report)

The results show that international support for gender equality remains strong all across the globe, despite generational gaps. The very good news is that 89% of respondents believe that women should have the same rights as men. Oddly, support for gender equality is stronger among those aged 46 and older, with 94% in favor.

New: Convicted Felon Trump Tries to Roll Back Climate Justice

Maya Angelou famously said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” She may not have been talking about Donald Trump, but the advice seems especially pertinent to him.

There is no distinction between social justice and climate justice. The poorest suffer from a deteriorating climate and the majority of those suffering are women. They are often women with children who do not have the means to relocate to a safer location.

Donald Trump has taken extreme positions on climate action both in the past and today. (Image credit: We Don’t Have Time)

We Don’t Have Time is the world’s largest media platform for climate action. The organization was created after the election of Trump in 2016. This event made it plain that world leaders were not going to take significant action that would even slow down climate degradation. “Trump digs coal” was a slogan and an election pitch that helped him get elected.

Institutional Shake-Up: WPI Names New Interim Director

Following the resignation of Director Jeannie Infante Sager, The Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) has announced a new Interim Director.

Jacqueline Ackerman has been named to the role of Interim Director. Ackerman has been associated with WPI since 2012 and has held roles as Assistant and Associate Director of Research at WPI. Most recently, she served as Associate Director for WPI.

Outgoing Director of Women’s Philanthropy Institute, who recently participated in a webinar with Kiersten Marek and other women’s philanthropy experts. (Image credit: KLM)

‘Jaquie has been instrumental to the growth and evolution of WPI for close to a decade,” said outgoing director Jeannie Infante Sager. “[She has] led our research agenda, managed research reports and roll outs, served as primary author on many of our reports, and supervised grants and sponsorships. Her commitment to our mission and her enthusiasm for our work are evident, and I have no doubt that they will continue to make significant contributions women’s philanthropy.”

WPI Webinar: Women’s Political Giving Will Surge in 2024

On January 30, 2024, the Womens’ Philanthropy Institute (WPI) of Indiana University hosted a webinar to look into a crystal ball and discuss what members of the giving community believe is coming our way in the coming year.

Jeannie Sager of WPI kicked off the conversation with a thorough review of relevant topics. (Image Credit: WPI)

The moderator was Jeannie Sager, Executive Director of WPI. Panelists included

Elizabeth Barajas Romắn, President and CEO of the Women’s Funding Network (WFN);
Latanya Mapp Frett, President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA); and
Kiersten Marek, Founder and CEO of Philanthropy Women (PW)

To start, Jeannie Sager established five key trends as identified by research of WPI:

The Significance of Philanthropic Collectives for Black Women

To commemorate Black Philanthropy Month, let’s consider this: Of the $4.8 billion in philanthropic investments made in the south, less than one percent of that amount goes to Black women and girls. This is traditionally one of the most underserved populations in the south.

Southern Black Girls is an important philanthropic collective. (Image credit: Southern Black Girls)

This statistic is VERY disappointing. Southern Black Girls is a collective of Black women in philanthropy and they have made it their highest priority to disrupt the way philanthropy is done in the south. Their goal is to help change the status quo.

Southern Black Girls has been on a mission to raise $100 million over the next decade to financially empower the goals and dreams of Black girls and women across the south. Their signature giving vehicles – the Black Girl Dream Fund and the #BlackGirlJoyChallenge are starting to make those goals and dreams a reality.

Leadership Giving: Highlighting the Success of Women Leaders

The last couple of posts have had a focus on men and the difficulties they are supposedly facing. Let’s turn that around and focus on the success of women as leaders who stand up to their difficulties and manage to break out of the constraints they face and achieve some significant accomplishments. The first two below do just that.

Hypatia was the first great woman in science. (Image credit: Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution The Cosmic Companion)

One: Hypatia Capital

On the face of it, Hypatia Capital is an investment firm. However, the first two sentences of the mission statement very clearly indicate it is much more than that. It is an idea supported by concrete proof. Hypatia has created an ETF called WCEO. As the mission statement says:

Alarming, Affirming, Challenging: It’s HERE! Order Feminist Giving TODAY!

The wait is over for Philanthropy Women Editor-in-Chief Kiersten Marek’s new book, Feminist Giving: Creating New Frontiers in Social Change! Critics are describing the book as “alarming, affirming, and challenging,” and an “important new resource” for philanthropy and social justice movements.

It’s here!! Order *Feminist Giving* on Kobo and Lulu today!

Out TODAY as an eBook on Kobo and Lulu, Feminist Giving features some of the best research and insights from the feminist giving sphere in the last five years. Hard copy and Amazon editions are coming soon (cheer on those processors!), and we’ll be sure to let the whole world know as soon as they are available.

It’s About to Get Real: Feminist Giving Coming Out in September

Big news! My book, Feminist Giving: Creating New Frontiers in Social Change, is finally coming out!

I had been circulating a book proposal for a while and was not getting any good bites, so have finally decided to go with a “hybrid publisher” — where you can get maximum circulation prospects and also maintain copyright ownership of your work. In large part, I will be assembling my own team for marketing and distribution.

Publishing a Book is Hard, and Doesn’t Leave Much Time for Other Work

As you can imagine, it has been challenging to balance working on the book, my 75+ open caseload as a therapist, and finding time for Philanthropy Women. Lots is still happening in feminist philanthropy and I will be writing a round-up of the latest big doings next week.

F-GIRL Interview: Jessica Ryckman on Creating More Access to Justice

Editor’s Note: This interview in our Feminist Giving IRL series features Jessica Ryckman, Director of Fellowships at Equal Justice Works.

Q: What do you wish you had known when you started out in your profession?

A: Right now our nation is facing an unprecedented wave of setbacks that threaten basic human rights previously protected by law. Millions of Americans cannot afford legal assistance when facing life-changing situations, and a 2020 study found that there is only one legal aid attorney for every 10,000 people living at or below the poverty line. This is leaving a gap in our justice system at a time when access to legal aid is more needed than ever.

Jessica Ryckman, Director of Fellowships, Equal Justice Works. (Image credit: Jessica Ryckman)

When I began my career, I was aware of so many attorneys who dreamed of working in public service but were hindered by finances, equity, and accessibility. The cost of a legal education precluded many from entering public interest law upon graduation – or even discouraged attending law school at all. There were also fewer resources at law schools for first generation graduates, like me, who were interested in public interest law but lacked familiarity and mentors to help navigate the legal landscape and make educated choices about how to achieve a career in public service.

Deepening Support for Feminist Activism through Women’s Funds

Editor’s Note: The following Opinion piece is by Chiara de Luca and Bethan Cansfield, two women’s rights researchers based in London, UK.

As authoritarianism and inequality spread worldwide, and surveillance technology advances, feminist movements face increasing hurdles in their quest for social justice. Cyberattacks, repression of dissent and harassment against women and LGBTI human rights defenders worsened during the past two years in almost all regions of the world.

Chiara de Luca, Feminist researcher. (Image credit: Chiara de Luca)

Women’s funds have been at the forefront of standing in solidarity with feminist activists during the pandemic. The importance of funding feminist movements’ efforts to defend land rights, promote reproductive and sexual health, enhance political participation, and prevent violence against women is now widely recognized. In Argentina, Benin and Mexico, feminist activism brought changes in abortion laws. In North Macedonia, Moldova, Tunisia, and Turkey, feminist groups successfully campaigned for laws to end violence against women and girls. A recent ODI briefing found feminist movements contribute significantly to gender norm changes.

Category: Research