Dear Friends,
Warm greetings on the occasion of Women's History Month!
In March the world celebrates women around the world by paying tribute to the memory of women garment workers in the USA who protested discrimination and sought justice in the workplace. One hundred years after this struggle March 8th is a national holiday in many parts of the globe. This year I was privileged to spend it in Kathmandu marching in solidarity with 300 women as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of Tewa, the Women's Fund of Nepal.
I found energy, hope and inspiration as I walked beside people from every part of Nepal -- a poor country just recovering from years of civil conflict. The march was a brightly colored collection of multi-ethnic smiling faces carrying banners calling for peace, justice and equality in Hindi, English and Nepali. It included young children, girls with t-shirts and jeans, Muslim women with headscarves, blind women walking in a loving chain of sisters and many caring male allies.
Tewa is now a beloved institution for transformative philanthropy in Nepal. The Global Fund is particularly proud to have provided seed money for a women's fund that now raises 60 percent of its grant budget. Our 12 years of investment in Tewa were more than evident in their new building that includes shared office space, a children's center and a community hall. Surrounded by emerald and mustard terraced fields and the towering Himalayas, Tewa's new surroundings are in total concert with its highest aspirations for an inclusive philanthropy of justice and respect.
At the Global Fund we don't wait for March 8th to celebrate women's accomplishments, energy and resilience. We recognize them every day. It is wonderful to think what our supporters have helped the women of Nepal accomplish. It is extraordinary to realize that one of the poorest nations in the world that has built a space for women where they don't just hold up half the sky -- they spread their wings and fly.
In Solidarity,
Kavita N. Ramdas
President and CEO
Global Fund for Women
A Global Celebration
In the past weeks we've received hundreds of e-mails from both grantees and donors excitedly sharing their stories and photos from International Women's Day. At last count over 100 events have been held in 35 countries in honor of March 8th. The next edition of our newsletter -- which you'll receive at the end of April -- will feature more of the events.
One of our grantees in Iraq, the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, created this poster on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. The group's International Women's Day poster reads "No subjugation of women under occupation, terrorism and a sectarian religious government. Long live freedom and equality."
Below, members of several Croatian grantee groups marched in Zagreb on March 8th as part of the Women's Network of Croatia. Their signs read, "Safety, employment, solidarity."
Keeping Up-to-Date with the Global Fund
Instead of visiting the Global Fund's website every day to read our latest blog posts and news from our grantees, we'll keep you up to date when you subscribe to our RSS feed. Subscribing to our feed will allow you to read the headlines of our new stories every time we update our site. It's a tool to help you save time and stay posted on the Global Fund's network of powerful women.
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Honoring Our Roots
Frances Kissling, one of the co-founders of the Global Fund, was honored this month for her 25 years of leadership at Catholics for a Free Choice. Her work was also recently featured in the New York Times.
Global Fund on ABC
 Want to spread the word about the Global Fund?
Our local Bay Area ABC channel recently did a 4-minute report on the Global Fund. Reporter Carolyn Tyler speaks with Kavita Ramdas, Dechen Tsering and shares footage from our recent trip to Kenya. You can send this link to all your friends to help spread the word about our grantmaking.
Lydia Cacho wins Amnesty International Award
Lydia Cacho Ribeiro is one of Mexico's leading defenders of children's and women's rights. An investigative journalist and a specialist on gender-based violence. She founded and directs the Centro Integral de Atención a las Mujeres in Cancún, a crisis center and shelter for victims of sex crimes, gender-based violence, and trafficking. Lydia is the 2007 recipient of Amnesty International's Ginetta Sagan Fund Award. Please join us in honoring her important work.
Wednesday, March 28 • 7:00 pm
Women's Building
3543 18th Street
San Francisco
Please RSVP by Friday March 23
On the Move!
From a dizzying three-peak climb to an ultra-marathon, some dynamic members of our community are extending their personal victories to their sisters around the world. Global Fund supporter and staff member Frances Prochilo, has raised over $1,000 for the Global Fund for Women through her participation in the American River 50-Mile Endurance Run, taking place in April in San Francisco.
In the UK, Becky Slack will participate in the Three Peaks Challenge in August, climbing peaks Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scarfell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales -- all in 24 hours! Becky is using her endeavor to raise awareness about -- and funds for -- the Global Fund for Women. To make your athletic accomplishments count for women around the world, just have your supporters give online in your honor and enter your event for the occasion, e.g. "Frances's marathon" or "Becky's climb."
Thank you to all the incredible athletes who are on the move for the Global Fund for Women!
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