Welcome to the weekly newsletter from the Women's Funding Network.

WEEKLY NEWS // APRIL 12, 2022

// A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO

Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week

This week marks the fifth Black Maternal Health Week [[link removed]], officially recognized in 2021 in the U.S., and we join in support and solidarity with global advocates working with the United Nations to recognize April 11th as the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights. Last year I joined with WFN Board Member and Founder of I Be Black Girl, Ashlei Spivey [[link removed]] in highlighting the need for specific support to Black maternal health as Black mothers are three times as likely to die from pregnancy related issues as white women in the United States.

“At the core, this is about ensuring Black women and birthing folks don’t just live through their birthing experience, but actually thrive. We deserve power and choice over our birthing experiences. When we center the voices, experiences, leadership, and solutions of Black women in maternal health, all women will benefit.”

Read the Full Op-ed Here [[link removed]]

Visit the Black Mamas Matter Alliance [[link removed]] to learn more about their events this week, download their toolkit [[link removed]], and join us in supporting a global platform to advance policy grounded in a human rights framework, cultivate research, talent and knowledge that exits in Black communities, advance care for Black Mamas, and shift the cultural narrative to support all Black birthing people.

Elizabeth Barajas-Román

Women’s Funding Network

President & CEO

Upcoming BMMA events

Black Maternal Health Week takes place every year from April 11 –17 and was officially recognized by the White House [[link removed]] on April 13th, 2021. Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW is a week of awareness, activism, and community building. Upcoming events include:

Wednesday April 13th, 1 P.M. EST:

- Policy Leaders in Conversation during #BMHW22 REGISTER [[link removed]]

Wednesday, April 13th, 3:30 P.M. EST

- #BMHW22 Tweet Chat

Thursday, April 14th:

- Annual Fundraising Day DONATE [[link removed]]

Friday, April 15th, 2 – 3 P.M. EST BMH x CLTR:

- NATAL Fireside Chat REGISTER [[link removed]]

Saturday, April 16th:

- Centering Black Families: BMMA x SisterSong NHM Walk REGISTER [[link removed]]

Sunday, April 17th: Get to Know the Alliance Spotlight Campaign

WFN Member News

Thank you to Grantmakers for Girls of Color [[link removed]] for renewing membership for 2022.

Teresa Younger, President and CEO of Ms. Foundation for Women, was interviewed on what Judge Jackson’s nomination means to her via The 19th News: What Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination means to Black women [[link removed]].

WFN Board Member Gina Jackson's organization, Return to the Heart, will be hosting a 3-day experience in South Dakota this June, designed to immerse participants in Native history and culture. The event will span Pine Ridge Reservation, travel to one of the deepest caves in the world, and end beside stunning Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills. To sign up to learn more, visit here [[link removed]].

The Fight for Gender Justice, Part III: The Next Generation of Gender Justice

Join the Ms. Foundation for Women, NYU Law’s Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network, the Georgetown Law center on Poverty and Inequality for a virtual webinar. From empowering young people on gender justice issues to rethinking gender norms, the panel will explore how various advocates are laying the groundwork for long-term change.

Wednesday, April 13, 6 p.m. EDT/10 p.m. UTC. Register Here [[link removed]].

Join Women’s Foundation California for an intimate virtual conversation celebrating child care activist and MacArthur Genius Award winner Sophia Bracy Harris [[link removed]] on her powerful memoir, Finding My Own Way: A Journey to Wholeness Against the Odds [[link removed]]. Listen as Sophia shares her incredible journey to wholeness with Surina Khan, CEO of Women’s Foundation California [[link removed]], on her life, the impact of her work and the lessons she’s learned. The conversation will delve into Sophia’s powerful work and legacy from her experience growing up as a Black girl in Elmore County Alabama to her dedication to children of Alabama as the director of Federation of Child Care Centers of Alabama (FOCAL).

When: Wednesday, April 27, 5 p.m. PDT/12 a.m. UTC. Register here [[link removed]].

NewMexicoWomen.org and partner organizations comprising the NM Healthy Masculinities Collaborative launched the New Mexico Healthy Masculinities Toolkit [[link removed]], a free resource and collection of readings, workshops, and exercises that engage communities around the topic of exploring healthy masculinity and reimagining gender frameworks as essential to gender justice and healing.

Join them Wednesday, April 13 at 5:30pm ET for a virtual toolkit launch event, hosted by Together for Brother’s BRO Program (register here [[link removed]]). Attendees will learn more about the toolkit and try some of the toolkit’s activities.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation invites you to their 5th Annual Gala [[link removed]], with dinner, dancing, and the announcement of this year’s AmplifiHER awardee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

May 14, 2022 | Wentworth Country Club | Register here [[link removed]].

Opportunities and Resources

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched The Working Dinner COVID-19 Video Series [[link removed]], where experts both inside the foundation and out, reflect on the pandemic and what they’ve learned these past two years. In their second episode [[link removed]], titled Inequities and the Road to Recovery, Melinda French Gates sits down for a candid conversation with health and gender equality experts.

One of the lesser-known impacts of COVID-19 is how it has intensified existing gender inequalities. In East Africa, this has had a variety of effects that have prevented girls from returning to their education, such as economic hardship and teen pregnancy. Learn about the impact COVID has had on adolescent girls in East Africa and how Kitenga Girls Secondary School defied the trends HERE [[link removed]] from Girls Education Collaborative.

Mary's Pence is currently hiring for a ESPERA Team Lead. Experience working with women on economic security and social and emotional wellness is a must. To learn more about the position, as well as other opportunities for volunteering or board service, click here [[link removed]].

Giving Tuesday has released a new report, "A Closer Look at Informal Giving, Mutual Aid, and Community Care in a Global Context [[link removed]]," which finds that people around the world express their generosity in many ways; no matter where, it is rare that people only give in one way. Join them Thursday, April 14th at 1pm ET / 5pm GMT for a discussion on the history and traditions of giving in communities. Register here. [[link removed]]

WFRI is seeking a dynamic fund development director to lead fundraising efforts. This person should have an understanding of the intersectional need for gender equity, as well as the challenges and opportunities of working for a small nonprofit. A mix of fundraising experience, including event planning, grant writing, and peer-to-peer funding is sought. Detailed job description and application here [[link removed]].

What We're Reading

The confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson makes her the first Black woman to ever sit on the nation’s highest court. — IWPR [[link removed]]

Japan’s women-led start-ups are making period cups and the pill a thing. — T [[link removed]] he Washington Post [[link removed]]

Spain bans harassment of women entering abortion clinics. — N [[link removed]] PR [[link removed]]

Read an op-ed [[link removed]] about female investors: "If female investors have any weakness, it’s their mistaken belief that they’re not good investors."

What We're Watching

A displaced Ukrainian women’s choir sings [[link removed]] in defiance of Putin: Dyvyna’s repertoire of 300 folk songs from Donetsk is an artistic refutation of Russia’s claims over Ukrainian culture.

Have a story to share?

Email Ellen at [[email protected]]

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