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** FEBRUARY 19, 2021
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Dear Colleagues,

Elizabeth Headshot We’ve seen the predictable patterns of inequity play out again and again in the unfair distribution of COVID vaccines around the world, despite activists, political leaders, NGOs, and public health experts alike stressing the importance of equitable vaccine distribution. ([link removed])

Communities of color and marginalized genders can no longer absorb the brunt of the economic crisis and recession. That’s why your work is so important – you are not only infusing capital into grassroots solutions, but you’re also seizing this moment to demand more from our systems ([link removed]) and structures so that a global recovery reflects the lives and contributions of all genders and their families.

In the U.S., the vaccine’s distribution is completely at odds with demographic data ([link removed]) of those communities most affected by the pandemic. White and more affluent people have disproportionately snapped up vaccine doses—even from distribution centers intentionally placed in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, this is not unique to the U.S. Just this week, the U.N. secretary-general called on the world’s richest countries to create a task force to plan and coordinate a global COVID-19 vaccination plan ([link removed]) , urging the G-20 to take action. As noted by Mexico’s foreign minister, three quarters of the first doses of the vaccine have been administered to citizens in only 10 countries ([link removed]) , while more than 100 countries have received no vaccine doses. In fact, of the 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that have gone out for distribution across the globe — only 55 went to a low-income country ([link removed]) . The need could not be more critical, and yet the disparities are evident in every corner of the
globe.

Narratives that question the vaccine’s safety have proliferated online, making some women more hesitant to be vaccinated ([link removed]) . Despite scant scientific evidence of safety issues for women related to COVID-19 inoculation, the history of medical racism and reproductive violence inflicted upon women of color create justifiable distrust. In addition, pregnant women were excluded from three quarters of COVID treatment and vaccine trials ([link removed](20)30484-8/fulltext) , despite the fact that pregnant women who contract COVID-19 are more likely to end up in intensive care than other patients. While this does not indicate that the vaccine is unsafe for pregnant women or women who hope to become pregnant, the omission adds fuel to unfounded claims online
([link removed]) and reflects a broader pattern of women’s continued exclusion from clinical trials and other important medical research.

Trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people are another often-overlooked and underserved group, as those seeking vaccines also face the all-too-familiar barriers to accessible and gender-affirming health care services ([link removed]) , especially for patients whose documents may not match their gender identity or expression/presentation. This week, Women’s Funding Network moderated a discussion in partnership with Funders for Reproductive Equity ([link removed]) and Funders for LGBTQ Issues ([link removed]) , which explored the impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown TGNC lives, as well as opportunities for funders to partner with TGNC-led organizations to make meaningful, positive change.

To learn more about how philanthropy can support Black and Brown trans and gender non-conforming people and other communities disparately impacted by COVID-19, please check out all our discussions here ([link removed]) .

Thank you for all you do to create a more inclusive and just world for all. We need you now, more than ever.

Yours for equity and justice,

Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women’s Funding Network
President & CEO


** Meet WFN's Newest Staff Member!
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Join us in welcoming the newest addition to the WFN team: Communications Director Ellen Moorhouse ([link removed]) ! Ellen previously served as a Deputy Communications Director at RepresentUs where she designed and executed strategic communications for state and national campaigns. She earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with an honors certificate in International Relations and received her MBA with a concentration in Management from Elms College. Ellen will help us meet the needs of our network who have been asking WFN for additional support with national communications. Welcome, Ellen!


** WFN MEMBER NEWS
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Welcome our newest member, Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico! As the first Puerto Rican women's fund, the fund is directed and led by women from across Puerto Rico in collaboration with women from the Puerto Rican and Latinx diaspora. Though launching a day before the world-wide shutdown, they had an incredible year of impactful grantmaking to 20 grassroots women-led organizations. Their funding also helped catalyze the government of Puerto Rico to declare a state of emergency over gender violence ([link removed]) . To learn more, click here ([link removed].) .
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Join Echidna Giving and The Population Council’s GIRL Center as they present the findings and broader implications of the 2021 Girls Education Roadmap, a first-of-its-kind report that illuminates the state of global girls’ education to power evidence-based investments.

February 24, 2021
9:00am EST

Register here ([link removed]) .

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For The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts' next “Amplify!” series workshop, they will engage in a discussion on creating an effective succession plan during leadership transitions,

Amplify! Your Nonprofit’s Leadership Succession Plan ([link removed])
February 24, 2021
3:00-5:00pm

Purchase your ticket here ([link removed]) .
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Join The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls for their first "Champions of Change Summit: Bringing All Voices to the Table" ([link removed]) , where previous honorees of their Corporate Champion of Change Award and Gladys Black 'Woman of Distinction' Award will engage in a dialogue and panel discussion on best practices in diverse and inclusive leadership.

March 26, 2021
8:30am - 12:00pm
Purchase your tickets here ([link removed]) .
LAUNCHING INTO 2021! ([link removed])
Thank you to the following members who renewed their WFN membership for 2021. The deadline for renewals has now passed. We are so grateful to our incredible community for joining us. If you haven’t renewed, please be in touch with staff about an extension or a needs-based dues waiver. These are financially uncertain times and our priority is keeping our membership strong and united!
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Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Fund for Women & Girls

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New Hampshire Women's Foundation

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Women's Fund for the Fox Valley Region, Inc

Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico


** OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
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Join The Institute for Women's Policy Research as they discuss the need for systemic ways to transform cultural norms and implement greater data transparency. Women represent 57% of students in our nation’s colleges and universities and have outpaced men in degree attainment for decades, yet they are poorly represented among those commanding the highest salaries. Women of color are all but invisible among top earners.

Register here ([link removed]) .
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The Sex Workers' Giving Circle is launching their first report, Creating Community Is a Threat to Power: Three Years of Resourcing Revolution and Liberation at the Sex Worker Giving Circle, where you will hear from sex worker movement leaders, SWGC Fellows, and Third Wave funders.

March 4, 2021
2:00pm ET
Register here ([link removed]) by March 3.


** WEEKLY READ
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The latest New York Times' "In Her Words" newsletter ([link removed]) discusses the White House's new Gender Policy Council.
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Read an opinion piece ([link removed]) from Melinda Gates and David Malpass about the importance of prioritizing women and girls in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Read an opinion piece ([link removed]) about the legacy of Rush Limbaugh. "Rush Limbaugh made it clear: Women who desire power and self-determination weren’t real women at all."
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Human Rights Watch ([link removed]) declares that Mexico's senate should ensure protection for women with disabilities who are victims of violence.

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Norway's sovereign wealth fund, which is the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, is pushing companies it invests in to put more women on their boards. - CNBC ([link removed])
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This week, Gaza authorities issued travel restrictions for unmarried women, causing many women to protest against the decision by Gaza's Supreme Judicial Council. - Human Rights Watch ([link removed])

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WATCH: American Girl author Denise Lewis Patrick sits down with young changemakers Marley Davis, Paris Williams (and her mother Alicia) to discuss how they are empowering other Black women to transform the world.


** Browse the New WFN Website!
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