Charity

[WonkyDonk87]

I've been thinking of setting up a DD for a charity donation to make each month, but would like it to be a cause I'm invested in rather than one of the big national health based ones or generic dogs/cats/donkeys. I'd really like to find a good cause that directly supports women but don't know where to start finding a good one (ie where most of the money actually goes to the cause rather than getting swallowed up by 'admin fees'). Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

www.fistulafoundation.org/

Ever since reading about women dealing with this...

Medicin Sans Frontiers are my heroes. Whilst they don't specifically focus on women, providing child birth support for women in third world countries is a big priority. If you go to their website and look at some of their doctor's diaries, you will see lots of things which specifically help women.

I've taken to Googling Boards of Directors. So far; Fistula Foundation, not bad for women. CAMFED (women's education) very good Board, lots of women. MSF pretty good, around half and half.

My theory is that female leadership makes it slightly less likely to be encouraging widespread abuse of women.

Amnesty, more men than women (natch). International Red Cross; sausage fest. White sausage fest. Old, white sausage fest.

I give to the young woman’s trust, you can read about the work they do here -

www.youngwomenstrust.org/assets/0000/8799/YWT_IMPACT_210_x_210_12pp_V06_AW_low.pdf

You’re doing it way more conscientiously than me. I started giving the odd bit when I went to the pub in Liverpool because they matched donations. I heard about things they have done around the world and when the red nose day came along, I gave to MSF.

i've just set up a DD to women's aid for similar reasons to you OP

For those suggesting MSF, please be aware that like the UN, Oxfam & Save The Children, MSF has a history of staffers committing sexual abuse of other staffers & the vulnerable populations it aims/claims to help. In 2017/18, female ex-employees went public with complaints of a "toxic" culture within MSF & said male staff's exploitation of women in the 3rd-world for sex is "blatant & widespread."

MSF reported firing 19 people in 2017 for sexual abuse or harassment, 10 people in 2016. Out of a total staff of nearly 40,000, those are small numbers. But still...

www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44523086

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/14/french-aid-group-msf-medecins-sans-frontieres-abuse-cases-last-year

I know MSF has had a dodgy history wrt sex with vulnerable women. I looked past this because I lnow about their good work. As I’ve said above, I didn’t do a lot of research. I think people like FPFW would really appreciate donations. Its up to each person to make their own decisions.

Wateraid

It's a tragedy that there are still places without clean water and basic sanitation. And the 'cost' of that is far harder on women and girls - because guess who misses education to fetch water? And has more babies than they want because so many die?

Thanks for your responses - thinking about how they are set up from an organisational level is something I'd not considered but will do now too. Will get researching!

Late to the thread but there was a piece about Horatio's Garden on radio 4 Today the other day as I was driving to work, with an interview with his mother. He was killed by a polar bear whilst on a school trip and his parents set up the charity in his memory. He had talked about the need for beautiful spaces outside the hospital for spinal and long term patients.
Looking at the website the gardens look so beautiful I really want to visit one, I may take my mother to see one in the summer. So I think this would be a great charity to support.

www.horatiosgarden.org.uk/

Another charity you could consider is Romillys Challenge (Friends of Street Children)

This is run by parents of DD's School friend. Their second daughter, Romilly tragically died age 14 from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. (DH and I are very safety conscious regarding this but that's another story). Her devastated parents set up this charity to support street children in Africa in her memory. I can absolutely tell you every penny is spent on supporting the children. There are no paid executives etc, the only employees of the charity are those people who work in the shelters. It is a tiny charity supporting two shelters for street children and sometimes sponsoring their further education as funds allow. I love that it is small, practical and you can absolutely see where your money will go.

romillyschallenge.wordpress.com/

Hamari Muskan in Kolkata India, working with children and their mothers in red light areas and setting up small businesses to help women exit from prostitution. I have details if you are interested.

@WonkyDonk87 bumping your thread :)

The Howard League has done excellent work for a long time on prison reform. They don't have an official position on gender identity, but the Director, Frances Crook, has been really very outspoken about the need to protect women in prison from opportunistic men.

I like Mary's Meals
The founder and his family live close to me and I know someone who was on the board until very recently. The founder is a Catholic but I believe what they say in their statement that they are for people of all faiths and none.
They provide meals for children at school, giving an incentive for children to attend school and recieve an education. Where possible they buy the food locally to support farmers and provide children they know and eat.

"and provide children with something they know and eat." that should have said

How about Womankind, OP? Charity entirely devoted to helping women around the world. Good feminist credentials.
Provides legal advice for rural women in 3rd world countries suffering domestic abuse or at risk of having land taken away by male relatives, campaigns against fgm, funds domestic violence refuges, provides empowerment forums for schoolgirls, etc.

I give to Pause, which is a programme that works with women in this country who have had multiple children taken into care because of a myriad of complex issues including mental health, poverty, domestic violence and housing issues. They focus on women, where most social services etc have to focus on the children and their programmes have incredible success rates considering the issues they work on with their service users. www.pause.org.uk

Thanks Babdoc, I've stopped my direct debits to Amnesty International and NSPCC in recent weeks and was looking for replacements - Womankind fits the bill.

Try Plan International? Good mixed board of directors and emphasis on supporting the community by supporting girls in particular.

Angryresister that sounds really up my street. I'm already involved with supporting women in prostitution so looking to support the same group internationally would definitely fit what I'm looking for

Beyond FGM
is an amazing charity, they work in a very remote part of Kenya where FGM rates are very high, like 80-90%- are run on a shoestring, all money raised goes directly to the work on the ground, not only do they educate and empower girls but men and community leaders too

Freedom Programme is a really important charity which is run solely on donations and sales of its books etc so as to remain independent.

"The Programme was primarily designed for women as victims of domestic violence, since research shows that in the vast majority of cases of serious abuse are male on female. However, the programme, when provided as an intensive two day course, is also suitable for men, whether abusive and wishing to change their attitudes and behaviour or whether victims of same sex domestic abuse themselves.

The Freedom Programme examines the roles played by attitudes and beliefs on the actions of abusive men and the responses of victims and survivors. The aim is to help them to make sense of and understand what has happened to them, instead of the whole experience just feeling like a horrible mess. The Freedom Programme also describes in detail how children are affected by being exposed to this kind of abuse and very importantly how their lives are improved when the abuse is removed.

The programme usually lasts for 11 or 12 weeks and is FREE. It provided by hundreds of agencies across the UK. Some of them are rolling so women can join at any time but this varies according to local needs, etc.

Click here to search for one in your area or contact our Freedom Programme help line 01942 262 270 or contact our help desk: [email protected]. "

freedomprogramme.co.uk/

twitter.com/FreedomProgramm

oooh, didn't know FP was on twitter- a bolloxology free zone, I like it