Take Action!

Fri., Feb. 24, 2006

Find out how you can support campaigns for gender equality, work with other women to promote peace, and make your voice heard on policies that affect the rights of women and girls.

Women all over the country can participate in grassroots-level activism led by CODEPINK, which advocates creative ways for women to promote peace. Join their �Women Say No to War� Campaign, which will be gathering signatures to deliver to U.S. embassies worldwide on International Women�s Day on March 8. Get more creative ideas from their resource toolbox, including doing a banner drop or joining a training camp!

� Fem. Maj. Foundation

You can support efforts to uphold gender equality and women�s reproductive rights around the globe alongside the Feminist Majority Foundation. Keep up to date with their monthly events calendar; and the site�s action page suggests several ways to get involved, including how to support women in Iraq. Or, how about buying a �Born Feminist� baby outfit at their online store!?

The indigenous peoples and women�s human rights organization Madre offers a number of suggestions of ways you can help at their Get Involved page. Ideas include donating Spanish-language children's books and hygiene supplies to their �Helping Hands� campaign. Or, you can sign up for their e-bulletin MADRE Speaks. Madre also encourages U.S. citizens to write to their Congress members and support endeavors to promote human justice issues worldwide.

The Women�s Edge Coalition offers a number of action alerts related to reforming trade agreements in developing countries to benefit women. These initiatives need Congressional support, which only comes

through constituent pressure. The coalition also asks for your support in their �Invest in Women, Make a World of Difference� campaign, which will provide small grants to women business owners devastated by the Indian tsunami over a year ago. And, don�t forget the Million Women Challenge�a nationwide effort to challenge one million American women to call for a safer, better world.

An International Women�s Health Coalition (IWHC) report entitled �Stay Informed, Take Action: An Advocate�s Guide to Legislation that Impacts Women and Young People,� will keep you up-to-date on legislation affecting women�s health and rights. Through their Get Involved page you can also help IWHC support local organizations responding to recent natural disasters. IWHC provides donor support to organizations that serve women and children in African, Asian, and Latin American countries.

PEACE X PEACE Circle © Peace X Peace

The PEACE X PEACE movement encourages women in their communities to come together to share their lives and experiences with other women around the globe. Start by inviting friends and family to watch the documentary PEACE X PEACE: Women on the Frontlines, which provides an exclusive view of the world through the eyes of ten determined and compassionate women building peace out of conflict and crisis. Then find out how you can join a local Celebrate Peace Tour or start your own Circle. (For more on PEACE X PEACE Circles, see �My Experience� in the �From the Frontlines� section.)

Citizen participation is crucial to gathering support for gender equality and the Center for Health and Gender Equity asks that readers write to their political representatives in support of this aim and other international policies that advance women�s health and human rights. Stay tuned with updates.

Muslim and Christian faith leaders at CEDPA workshop

The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) promotes female empowerment in all societies through a wide variety of health and education initiatives. Find out more about the projects they support, or sign up for their bimonthly e-newsletter. Shopping online through igive.com or greatergood.com can net a donation of up to 27 percent of your purchase for CEDPA.

The Women�s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace needs donor funding for its grassroots projects on improving technology and leadership opportunities for

women in developing countries. You can stay informed of upcoming events through their alerts and announcements calendar and keep up-to-date with their quarterly e-newsletter. Finally, their online store features books and multimedia learning materials to support women�s causes.

** Talkback! No better way to raise the profile of an issue than to talk about it with your friends and peers. Add your thoughts to Perspectives' Community Space!