Leadership

In many ways, the struggle for political suffrage and the right to vote marks the struggle for equal rights for women. In 1893 New Zealand was the first nation to accord women the right to vote. Since then there has been a surge in women's political and civic participation around the world.

In the aftermath of genocide and military conflict in Rwanda and Afghanistan respectively, women parliamentarians have been elected in record numbers by those who recognize their leadership qualities. In 2005, both Liberia and Chile elected their first female head of state. In Kuwait, women have finally won a significant victory, the right to vote.

Despite such achievements, women still account for a fraction of all positions in national governments and face discrimination in all facets of civic and political life.

At the international level, the picture is similarly bleak. There has never been a woman as Secretary General of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank —   all key institutions that possess significant global political and economic influence. Women still struggle for equal protection under the law, and in many parts of the world they are unable to inherit land, challenge divorce or custody laws or be treated as adults.

The Global Fund for Women awards grants to ensure that women's voices are heard and heeded in efforts  to advance women's leadership and decision making at all levels of society. We support leadership development programs for women who have traditionally been excluded from decision making in their communities, including women with disabilities, young women, widows and women from ethnic or sexual minority communities.  Our grants underwrite voter education, legal literacy and political candidacy programs. We also support associations of women lawyers seeking to guarantee women's legal and civil rights.