Activyst is a combination of two words - active and catalyst - because when girls are active, it’s a catalyst for change in their lives. Three American women were inspired to found Activyst based on their personal experiences.  Their mission is to change the world by helping girls play sports.

Photo courtesy of Activyst

Through selling bold and functional athletic bags, Activyst generates funding for girls’ sports organizations worldwide. The benefits of girls involvement in sports have been proven by studies showing that a girl who plays sports is less likely to get pregnant or stay in an abusive relationship. She is more educated, healthier, and happier. Unfortunately, girls’ sports opportunities are often least available where they’re most needed. In many under-served communities, playing sports is not an option for girls.

See a promotional video for the organization here.

Panzi Foundation

The Panzi Foundation DRC and Panzi Foundation USA work together to support the ongoing work of Panzi hospital  in Bukavu, the largest city in South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The hospital functions as a general hospital for the local population, however it is especially known for its care for survivors of sexual violence and women suffering from complex gynecological conditions such as obstetric fistula. Panzi hospital, created in 1999, is currently run by renowned Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege, who was honored by the United Nations with the 2008 prize for human rights, was the recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen award, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice. The only hospital in South Kivu offering this support, Panzi hospital is a critical safe haven for hundreds of sexual violence survivors, and is currently running over capacity as women flee there for treatment.

International Models Project on Women’s Rights

The International Models Project on Women’s Rights (IMPOWR) is an initiative established by the American Bar Association in 2008 to create a collaborative online database of information on gender-equality law reform efforts around the world. The initiative works to utilize the internet to foster information sharing throughout the global community of gender law experts, project leaders, and activists to achieve goals of gender equality. IMPOWR is especially focused on facilitating the realization of goals set out by the 1980 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. The IMPOWR website and database facilitates the comparison of law reform for gender equality on individual countries, access to various information resources, and collaboration between nonprofits, governments, and other groups working to promote gender law reform.

Women Under Siege Project

Part of the Women’s Media Center, Women Under Siege is a journalism project that investigates how rape and other forms of sexualized violence are used as tools in genocide and conflict. The project, originated by Gloria Steinem, builds on the lessons revealed during the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement regarding rape and sexualized violence against women under the belief that understanding what happened then can help to prevent or prepare for the mass sexual assaults of other conflicts. Focusing on today’s conflicts such as the ones in Bosnia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Women Under Siege explore the linkage between past, current, and future atrocities to heighten public awareness about their causes and preventions. The project is centered around two main components: public education about rape as a weapon and strategic tool of war and an action plan for the creation of legal, diplomatic, and public interventions to insure that various powerful agencies respond to this phenomena.

Disaster Watch

Disaster Watch is an initiative of Huairou Commission working in India, Turkey, Honduras, and Jamaica that aids grassroots women’s collectives to develop disaster response initiatives and enhance the performance of government aid agencies. Disaster Watch acknowledges the destructive nature of natural disasters but perceives them as an opportunity to rebuild communities and the lives of women specifically. The organization’s strategy involves engaging the full partnership of local women whose intimate knowledge about community needs and resources are valuable to the recovery of affected communities. This process has lasting effects because the women involved in rebuilding their post-disaster communities become socially and politically integrated in positions of greater responsibility and authority in the local community and its governance, developing a culture of resourcefulness and equal representation.

The Grandmother Project

The Grandmother Project (GMP) is an organization working for sustainable development and positive change in communities in various African countries. At the core of GMP is the belief that culture is a resource in development and that elders, especially grandmothers, play a special role in teaching and caring for children and women. GMP views grandmothers as a resource that should be utilized to empower young girls and women, explicitly involving them as key actors in development programs. To build consensus on priority action regarding sustainable change in communities, GMP promotes participatory adult education methods based on dialogue and problem-solving between men and women. Currently, GMP is working on a project called “Culture, Education and Development” which involves a series of activities with teachers, grandmothers, mothers and adolescent girls to create a supportive environment for girls to pursue education and avoid early marriage and teen pregnancy.

Women’s Leaders for WASH

‘Women Leaders for WASH’ works to promote women at the center of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene activities. Women are the most affected by lack of adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Women are often best able to manage and raise awareness of WASH interventions due to their roles in the household. The organization brings together distinguished women leaders from around the world to advocate for improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services. They represent broad constituencies, both as individual public figures, and as part of a dynamic group of women leaders.

The Central America Women’s Network

Operating out of the UK, The Central America Women’s Network (CAWN) raises awareness about women’s rights and international development in Central America. CAWN supports women seeking economic and labor rights, working for maternal health and the right to abortion, and women fighting gender-based violence. The organization works with local women’s organizations fighting for the rights of women, workers, and indigenous peoples. It also supports economic justice movements around the world. CAWN carries out its mission by connecting women’s organizations in Europe, Central America and other regions, providing information about women’s rights through social media and research reports, and lobbying and advocating to influence relevant policies at the UK and European Union levels.

UN Foundation

The UN Foundation believes that empowering women and girls with educational and economic opportunities and securing their health and human rights is one of the best investments to make for families, communities, and the world. The UN Foundation works with the UN and NGO, corporate and government partners to promote gender equality; advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (including family planning); advocate for increased resources and funding for programs and activities benefiting adolescent girls; eliminate gender-based violence; combat climate change; and improve maternal health care using integrated health systems and mobile technology. Its campaigns include the Every Woman, Every Child campaign and the Girl Up campaign.

Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)

Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) aims to empower women to act politically to reduce violence and militarism and redirect excessive military resources toward unmet human and environmental needs. WAND was originally founded in 1982 as Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament. Since 1991, WAND has focused on achieving real security through training, educating, and assisting activists, women legislators, and organizations. WAND’s efforts include: lobbying and legislation; in-person and online training sessions on media, messaging, lobbying, and leadership; the WAND PAC, which supports women who are running for U.S. Congress; and through its WiLL (Women Legislators Lobby) program, a national non-partisan network of women state legislators.