Every woman and girl has a right to reach her full potential.

Through the Every Last One campaign, our goal in 2016 was to empower more than 30 million women and girls to live safer, healthier, more productive lives by 2022. By the power of God and the support of our donors and partners, we exceeded our goal — reaching more than 30.1 million women and girls!

Join us now, as we begin our 2030 plan to equip and empower 150 million women and girls to reach their full potential.

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Strong Women Strong World Fund

About World Vision’s Strong Women Strong World®

World Vision believes ending extreme poverty is possible. But it won’t happen as long as half the people in the world are held back. As a leader in gender equality for decades, World Vision integrates a gender lens into everything we do because we know that when women and girls gain equal access and opportunity, children are better cared for, families are stronger, and communities are more prosperous.

 

In 2012, World Vision’s Strong Women Strong World (SWSW) was established to equip and empower philanthropists to be a voice for women and girls. We are a community committed to mobilizing others to come together to empower women and girls to live life in all its fullness, a connection for women and men worldwide who recognize that gender equality is the key to lasting social change, and a catalyst for change, providing voice and resources to end extreme poverty and gender injustice.

 

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The need

Women and girls in poverty face unique obstacles that keep them from reaching their full potential.

The global water crisis hits girls and women the hardest. In fact, they spend an estimated 200 million hours hauling water – hours they can’t spend getting an education, learning a skill, or earning an income.

Harmful cultural practices including female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced early marriage are still prevalent.

Every minute, 22 girls under the age of 18 are married, and the number is rising due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Nearly 1 billion women do not have access to financial services. And more than 70% of women-owned small and medium enterprises have inadequate or no access to financial services.

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Women and girls response

Our response

World Vision intentionally focuses on women and girls in every aspect of our work because we know that when women and girls reach their potential, everyone wins.

We bring clean water close to home which frees up precious hours for girls and women. And menstrual hygiene management programs help girls stay in school.

World Vision is the leading non-governmental provider of clean water in the developing world, reaching one new person with clean water every 10 seconds.

We work to free girls from FGM and to empower and equip families with realistic alternatives to the bride-price economy.

Our programs engage children, youth, parents, community leaders, and faith leaders to challenge the status-quo together.

We equip and empower women economically by increasing their knowledge, business and farming skills, financial literacy, leadership opportunities, access to financial services, and incomes.

Our impact

As a reflection of God’s love for men and women, World Vision has been a leader in gender equality work for decades. It’s integrated into everything we do because when women and girls gain equal access and opportunity, children are better cared for, families are stronger, and communities are more prosperous.

Together with our donor partners, we are making a significant impact in the lives of women and girls globally, empowering them to overcome the unique obstacles they face. We exceed our last goal of empowering 30 million women and girls to live safer, healthier, and more productive lives — reaching 30.1 million — and now we’re aiming to reach 150 million more by 2030. Here is the progress we have made together towards our audacious new eight-year goal:

576,608

576,608 women and girls gained access to clean water close to home.

2.3M

2.3M received life-saving emergency assistance including food, protection, and livelihoods training.

106,545

106,545 gained access to financial services, savings groups, agricultural training, technology, and markets.

53,129

53,129 women and girls benefited from programs that educated community members, increased protection, and challenged harmful cultural norms such as child marriage.

626,529

626,529 women and girls gained access to healthcare.

Our partners

We are blessed to partner with hundreds of philanthropists and advocates and couldn’t do this work without them. And we’re able to reach more people because of our highly collaborative local and global partnerships within private and public sectors.

Dana Dornsife, donor partner, California

“The quickest way to empower a woman is to make sure she has clean water. And then, she can soar.”

Sherrie-Woodring2

"I trust that my partnership with World Vision makes a difference in the lives of girls and women."

Sheree Funk

"Nothing compares with seeing a child drink clean water for the first time. The sparkle in her eyes tells you her life just changed for the better, and you are never the same"

Our team of experts

Kathryn Compton Kathryn Compton
Chief Development Officer, Strong Women Strong World
Dr. Jacqueline Ogega Dr. Jacqueline Ogega
Senior Director, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)
Charity Wallace Charity Wallace
Senior Advisor, World Vision Strong Women Strong World
Margaret Schuler Margaret Schuler
Senior Vice President, International Programs
Dr. Greg Allgood Dr. Greg Allgood
Chief Development Officer, Water
Mona Davies Mona Davies
Technical Director, Economic Empowerment
Christopher Shore Christopher Shore
Chief Development Officer, Economic Empowerment

How You Can Help

How You Can Help

Every $1 given to the Strong Women Strong World Fund will be matched with a $1 donation to programs that empower women and girls, thanks to our generous SWSW partner, Clean Water Here.

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Available now to purchase!
Long-time SWSW partner and author Dale Hanson Bourke’s new book Strong Girls, Strong World  is out now, learn more or purchase at the link below.

 

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