International Women’s Day 2020: 12 charities to donate to now to support the sisterhood

Whether you are able to donate financially or lend your voice to raising awareness of their work

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This year International Women’s Day is being marked on Sunday 8 March.

An annual global celebration of women, IWD simultaneously acknowledges the advances already made in the fight for gender parity as well as the distance we still have to go.

The event is now over 100 years old (first held in 1911) and in recent years has become both more widely known and widely commercialised than ever before.

As a result it is easy to be cynical - seeing brands using it as a marketing exercise, making money or selling merchandise to women and then rejecting the basic principles of equality for the other 364 days of the year.

But at its core International Women’s Day is about striving for women’s advancement and raising other women up - the theme for 2020 is ‘an equal world is an enabled world’ - so why not use the day to show your support for female-focused charities?

Whether you are able to donate financially (on a one-off or regular basis) or lend your voice to raising awareness of their work, here are 12 charities to support this IWD.

The Girls’ Network

The Girls’ Network is a mentoring scheme founded in 2013 by secondary school teachers, Charly and Becca. They work with secondary-school age girls to improve confidence, increase professional connections and encourage conversations about career prospects.

Although it started in north London it now operates across Greater London, Sussex, Portsmouth, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, the North East and Liverpool supporting 1,000 people each year.

After a year of mentoring they say 96 per cent of the girls feel more confident and positive about their future. Donations will directly support the mentoring programme and help expand to new regions.

To donate click here.

Girls out loud

Founded in 2009 by Jane Kenyon, Girls Out Loud is a charity that works and campaigns for teenage girls.

They provide on-site intensive coaching programmes for at-risk girls aged 13 to 15 years old. They also set up speed mentoring events and a “big sister” programme for a period of 12 months where girls are mentored on personal identity, role models and career aspirations.

You can volunteer your time to help the programmes or make a financial donation - this can be a one-off or monthly subscription.

To donate click here.

Rosa

Rosa is a charitable fund set up to support women and girls in the UK. The vision of the charity is “equality and justice for all women and girls”.

Started in 2008 they want to give an equal voice, make women safe and free from violence, enjoy good health and economic justice.

The charity says “while many women and girls here do enjoy freedom of choice and the opportunity for success in their lives, that’s simply not true for all”. Donations will go towards supporting grass root projects.

To donate click here.

Fawcett society

The leading charity campaigning for gender equality in the UK, the vision of the Fawcett Society is a world where women and girls are free to fulfil their potential.

The charity has been going since 1866, when at just 19, Millicent Fawcett collected signatures on a petition for women’s votes. She went on to lead the national suffrage campaign and made this cause her lifetime’s work.

Today the Fawcett Society aims to close the gender pay gap, secure equal power, challenge attitudes and change minds. You can donate £10, £20 or £50 - the website tells you how your money will be spent depending on how much you are able to give.

To donate click here.

Plan International

Since 1937, Plan International has been promoting the rights of children and girls around the world. Working with partners in more than 45 countries they strive for a world that values girls, promotes their rights and ends injustice.

They provide essential services, often denied to girls, including education, healthcare, clean water and accessible toilets. In the UK they also work on issues such as street harassment and period poverty.

You can sponsor a girl for just £20 a month, make a one-off or regular donation or sign up for free to support the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign.

To donate click here.

Women’s Aid

Women’s Aid is a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services for women and girls and build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated. They have been instrumental in policy advocacy, such as the Domestic Abuse bill.

They also support the funding of women’s refuges, campaigning for more resources and set up live-saving projects like the rail refuge system. You can make a monthly or one-off donation.

To donate click here.

Imkaan

Imkaan are the only UK-based, second-tier women's organisation dedicated to addressing violence against black and minoritised women and girls.

They also work extensively to combat violence against women and girls, and provide intersectional responses to problems affecting women.

They work in areas like sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, forced marriage, grooming and so-called “honour based” violence.

In the last year they have raised nearly £4,000 in donations but are always looking for more assistance.

To donate click here.

Muslim women’s network

The Muslim women’s network is an Islamic feminist movement in the UK, formally established in 2003 to give independent advice on public policy issues relating to Muslim women.

The founding members of the group included Baronness Haleh Afshar and Cassandra Balchin. They credit themselves for “openly talking about difficult issues that are often swept under the carpet”.

They aim to ensure concerns and voices of Muslim women reach decision makers, to promote Muslim female role models and to highlight the lived experiences of Muslim women. You can donate to them via PayPal.

To donate click here.

Marie Stopes

Marie Stopes has been helping people with their reproductive health options for over 40 years since it was founded in 1976.

In the UK it provides NHS-funded and self-funded abortion and vasectomy care through local clinics all over England, and is one of the largest providers of abortion services. Marie Stopes International works across 37 countries giving contraceptive care to women who need it.

For a donation of £10 you can pay for contraception for a woman living in a developing country.

To donate click here.

Bloody Good period

Bloody Good Period provides menstrual supplies for asylum seekers, refugees and those who can’t afford them as well as menstrual education for those less likely to access it.

Gabby Edlin, founder of Bloody Good Period says: “I love that giving pads is saying, ‘we’ve got this covered, you don’t ever need to worry about your period when you’ve got so much else to worry about.’”

A donation of £8.45 buys one pack of day pads and one pack of night pads. A donation of £11.78 buys one pack of day pads, one back of night pads and one pack of pantyliners. A donation of £17.01 buys two packs of day pads, one pack of night pads and two packs of pantyliners.

To donate click here.

Women in sport

The charity Women in Sport was founded in 1984, with the goal of giving every woman and girl in the UK the opportunity to experience the transformational rewards of sport.

There are over 700,000 more inactive women than men in the UK and only 8 per cent of girls are reaching recommended exercise guidelines.

Women in Sport aims to combat this through local projects and awareness raising. You can donate any amount and will get a newsletter updating you on their progress and work.

To donate click here.

Young Women’s Trust

Young Women’s Trust is a feminist organisation working to achieve economic justice for young women. It gives free coaching to women, as well as help with job applications and CV writing.

The charity aims to unlock women’s potential, smash career stereotypes, value women’s unpaid work and build equal workplaces.

“Our vision is one where young women have the freedom to choose work that fosters their talents and are paid fair wages in secure workplaces. And society prospers because young women's contribution is valued,” reads the website.

You can donate on a one-off or regular basis.

To donate click here.