Women's Center Global Women's Issues
For information on global women's issues, click on the links below.
Some of the issues affecting women across the globe include:
The Global Gag Rule
On January 22, 2001, his first official day in office and the anniversary of Roe v.
Wade, US President George W. Bush issued an executive order reinstating the "global
gag rule," a Reagan/Bush Sr. policy that bars family planning programs outside the
U.S. that receive federal aid from using separate, private monies for abortion counseling,
services, referrals, and lobbying activities targeting their own government. Under
this policy, international family planning programs that provide a wide range of resources,
including gynecological exams, AIDS prevention and treatment, and contraception, are
forced to lose a large percentage of their operating costs, or to discontinue services
formerly paid for by private dollars. With no other option, young women in developing
nations will again turn to illegal abortions, too many of them dying as a result of
serious infections.
Source: Feminist Majority Foundation
Economic Security
Women perform two-thirds of all labor and produce more than half of the world's food.
Yet, women own only about one percent of the world's assets, and represent 70 percent
of those living in absolute poverty. We support efforts that increase women's ability
to contribute to and benefit from economic growth and development.
Violence Against Women
The abuse of women and girls is endemic in most societies around the world. One in
three women will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise violated in her lifetime.
Rape as a weapon of war is a feature of conflicts from Sudan to Iraq. We support programs
that offer immediate services to victims of violence, raise awareness about their
rights and advocate for an end to all forms of violence.
Education
Two-thirds of the world's uneducated children are girls, and two-thirds of the world's
illiterate adults are women. Numerous studies have demonstrated that educating women
and girls is the single most effective strategy to ensure the well-being and health
of children, and the long-term success of developing economies. We invest in programs
that ensure access to education for women and girls at all stages of their lives.
Health
In developing countries maternal mortality is the leading cause of death for women
of reproductive age. Women and girls lack access to the most basic health care services
and are at the highest risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including
HIV/AIDS. Our grants educate women about basic health and sanitation practices, demand
government accountability for ensuring good public health policy and provide critical
services to the most under-served populations.
Leadership
Although women make up 51 percent of the world's population, they hold only 16 percent
of parliamentary and congressional seats worldwide. Their presence in corporate and
civic leadership positions remains limited by entrenched gender bias. Women's civic
and political participation is essential to the achievement of open and democratic
societies. We support women's leadership in civic organizations, in local government
and in decision-making bodies at the highest levels of governance.
Source: Global Fund for Women
For more information on global women's issues, click on the links below:
Women for Women Internationalmobilizes women to change their lives by bringing a holistic approach to addressing
the unique needs of women in conflict 
and post-conflict environments. We begin by working with women who may have lost everything
in conflict and often have nowhere else to turn. Participation in our one-year program
launches women on a journey from victim to survivor to active citizen. We identify
services to support graduates of the program as they continue to strive for greater
social, economic and political participation in their communities.
Pathfinder Internationalbelieves that reproductive health is a basic human right. When parents can choose
the timing of pregnancies and the size of their families, women's lives are improved
and children grow up healthier. Pathfinder 
International provides women, men, and adolescents throughout the developing world
with access to quality family planning and reproductive health information and services.
Pathfinder works to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, to provide care to women suffering
from the complications of unsafe abortion, and to advocate for sound reproductive
health policies in the U.S. and abroad.
MADREis an international women's human rights organization that works in partnership with
community-based women's organizations worldwide to address 
issues of health and reproductive rights, economic development, education, and other
human rights. MADRE provides resources, training, and support to enable our sister
organizations to meet concrete needs in their communities while working to shift the
balance of power to promote long-term development and social justice.
The Global Fund for Women is an international network of women and men committed to a world of equality and
social justice. We advocate for and defend women's human rights by making grants to
support women's groups around the world.
Global Grassroots is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which invests in social 
entrepreneurship to advance women's wellbeing in poor countries. Our Mission is to
unite, empower and support relief of poor, distressed and underprivileged women worldwide.