One area of philanthropy that impacts women heavily is philanthropy aimed at ending sexual and domestic violence, now also called “gender-based violence.” And a surprising new partner in addressing this problem is the NFL.
An encouraging sign in this arena is the NFL’s recent multiyear commitment of $10 million to a group of affiliated organizations in order to pursue the goal of “ending gender-based violence in one generation.”
Earlier this week, Raliance.org announced the kick-off ThisGEN Youth Summit, bringing together high school students from across the country to build advocacy in the fight to end gender-based violence.
Raliance.org serves as the central hub for three top organizations in the country working to end sexual violence: the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA)-PreventConnect and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV). Other support for this event came from The Close-Up Foundation and It’s on Us.
From the NFL press release:
Eighty high school sophomores and juniors from 25 states and Washington, D.C. will engage in leadership and learning opportunities to explore efforts to stop gender-based violence. Students will learn to use social media and messaging to change public opinion and discourse; to leverage the influence of sports and athletes; and to catalyze individuals through community organizing and advocacy to end gender-based violence. The five-day event (March 6-10) culminates in a march and rally on Capitol Hill where participants will declare their specific calls to action to propel the movement forward. "Educating, engaging and empowering students alongside Raliance to become active in our mission of shifting the way that people think about sexual assault is truly an honor," said Rebecca Kaplan, Director, It's On Us. "We hope that attendees will bring what they learn back to their high schools and host It's On Us Spring Week of Action events this April." The ThisGEN Youth Summit, made possible through seed funding for Raliance from the National Football League (NFL), aims to help today’s youth leaders build a culture that sees the value and dignity of every person and eradicates gender-based violence. Gender-based violence refers to abuse within unequal relationships between men and women and broadly encompasses acts that result in physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering. Every year, approximately 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced sexual violence victimization other than rape at some point in their lifetime. For more information about the ThisGEN Youth Summit, visit: www.raliance.org.
Related:
NFL-Supported Raliance Grants to Ten Orgs Fighting Sexual Violence
Trevor Project Granted Amazing $100K from NFL Player Carl Nassib
Gender Based Violence Gets New Media and Donor Attention
