1 in every 3 women around the globe will experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. This equates to roughly 736 million women. Factors such as culture, tradition, hindered access to education, and the social stigma that surrounds domestic violence, are just a few of the barriers women experience. Fortunately, many charities are taking on this battle and finding ways to support women’s health and protection. So we had to ask: What are the best charities that fight for women’s safety?

The best charities that fight for women’s safety are the Fistula Foundation, V-Day, and Every Mother Counts. Charities such as End Violence Against Women and Futures Without Violence fight to improve gender-based violence emergency response and survivor care.

Whether you want to support the reform of discriminatory laws, improve emergency response to gender-based violence, or advance treatments for life-threatening women’s health issues, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities that fight for women’s safety are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities That Fight for Women’s Safety Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, impact, and transparency ratings and achievements.

They operate across the world from cities and rural areas to areas affected by war, supporting the safety of vulnerable women. 

All of these charities support women’s safety either by aiding women with serious gender-based health and reproductive concerns or by fighting to protect women from violence. They do this by raising awareness, lobbying governments, educating women, and improving gender-based violence emergency response.

Yet, while each has their own primary focus, they all share the same goal of fighting for women’s safety.

These Are the 9 Best Charities That Fight for Women’s Safety in 2024

Below are our favorite charities that fight for women’s safety (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

Best Charities That Fight for Women’s Safety

Fistula Foundation

V-Day

Every Mother Counts

End Violence Against Women International

Futures Without Violence

Global Rights for Women

Orchid Project

Women for Women International

Pathfinder International

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

Fistula Foundation: Providing Women with Solace – One Surgery at a Time

The Fistula Foundation was founded in 2000 by father and daughter, Richard Haas and Shaleece Haas to support a hospital in Ethiopia to treat obstetric fistula, a devastating childbirth injury. Today, the organization facilitates these life-transforming surgeries for women across the globe. 

The Fistula Foundation has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. The charity also holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Our goal is to end the needless suffering of women with fistula or untreated tears, restoring their health and ability to fully contribute to their families and communities.”

Fistula Foundation

The Fistula Foundation provides treatment for women with obstetric fistula and for women who have sustained perineal tears. They accomplish this through partnerships with comprehensively vetted local hospitals and doctors located in rural communities across the Indian Subcontinent and Africa, where these conditions are most prevalent. Furthermore, through their community outreach program, the Fistula Foundation places local health workers at the forefront of designing awareness plans that will effectively educate their local communities on obstetric fistula and prevent social stigma against these women. 

Today, the Fistula Foundation operates at over 150 sites in 33 countries. For example, from 2009 to 2022, the organization performed more than 60,000 treatment surgeries.  From 2014 to 2022, 8,365 fistula surgeries were performed in Kenya and Zambia alone. In these two countries, the organization has a network of 14 surgeons and 63 nurses trained in fistula care. 

The Fistula Foundation accepts donations directly through their website. The organization also accepts cryptocurrency donations, and you can search to see if your employer offers donation matching.

V-Day: Harnessing the Power of Art to End Violence Against Women

V-Day was founded in 1998 by Eve Ensler to end violence against women and girls through the power of art. Today, the organization uses art as a tool to raise funds for various programs from domestic violence shelters to rape crisis centers. 

V-Day has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“We will do the work of dismantling the systems that allow violence in all of its forms to fester. Day in and day out. Until the violence stops. For all women, for all girls, for Mother Earth.”

V-Day

V-day uses art to raise awareness and fund a network of activists, crisis shelters, and artists to empower women to take action against gender-based violence. For example, their City of Joy program educates and supports socially rejected survivors of gender-based violence to become community leaders, small business owners, and landowners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Additionally,  V-Day financially and politically supports grassroots organizations that are fighting for women’s safety around the world. 

Since their founding, V-Day has raised over $120 million to support safe houses rape crisis centers, anti-violence groups, and domestic violence shelters. For example, the organization funded over 13,000 safe houses and community-based anti-violence programs in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. V-Day also empowered 1,472 socially rejected survivors of gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through their City of Joy program from 2011 to 2022. Their One Billion Rising campaign supports over 35 breakout organizations and has gained the support of women from more than 200 countries.

You can donate to V–Day directly on their website. You can also support V-Day by taking action such as creating purposeful art in their Raise the Vibration movement or by purchasing items from their online shop.

Every Mother Counts: Combatting the Number of Global Maternal Deaths

Every Mother Counts was founded in 2010 by Christy Turlington Burns to reduce the number of deaths from complications during labor and delivery. Today, the organization actively works across the globe to improve maternal care.

Every Mother Counts receives a score of 100 out of 100 from Charity Navigator. The charity also earned the Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“To make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere.”

Every Mother Counts

With 60% of all maternal deaths happening in only 10 countries, Every Mother Counts has programs to raise awareness, improve accessibility to proper maternal care, and develop community-based programs that support the needs of local women. The charity has local partnerships in Bangladesh, Haiti, Guatemala, Tanzania, and the United States. They focus on training midwives through these partnerships to accommodate the typical home births in the rural areas of developing countries. This also means investing financially in the strategies of the local programs such as the Asociación de las Comadronas del Area Mam (ACAM) which provides a birth center and mobile clinics for the women of the department of Quetzaltenango in Guatemala.

Since their founding, Every Mother Counts has invested $24 million in 16 countries to combat maternal deaths. For example, the charity raised $5 million to invest in maternal safety by supporting runners in charity runs. Every Mother Counts has also served over 12,000 people in Bangladesh by training local midwives to run birth centers. Furthermore, they served over 14,000 people in Guatemala and over 68,000 people in Haiti by supporting local hospitals and rural community clinics.

You can donate to Every Mother Counts directly on their website, or you can support the charity by participating in one of their charity run fundraising events.

End Violence Against Women International: Improving Police Response to Gender-Based Violence

End Violence Against Women International was founded in 2003 by Sergeant Joanne Archambault to put an end to gender-based violence. Today, the organization works to improve emergency response, investigative response, and sentencing response to gender-based violence against women.

End Violence Against Women International earned a score of 99 out of 100 from Charity Navigator. The charity also earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We promote victim-centered, multidisciplinary collaboration, which strengthens the response of the criminal justice system, other professionals, allies, and the general public — making communities safer.”

End Violence Against Women International

End Violence Against Women International runs training programs to improve the emergency response to sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as to improve the legal investigation process and commensurate sentencing for such crimes. These training programs include ones specifically designed for law enforcement response and sexual assault medical forensic examination. Furthermore, the organization has supported the development of technology to improve access to sexual assault information. 

Since their founding, End Violence Against Women International has raised $9.8 million for emergency response and investigation training programs that protect women affected by gender-based violence. For example, the charity has been able to garner government funding for five training, investigation, and reporting projects that have been issued over 16 awards collectively. From 2004 to 2021, the organization received 13.8 million page views of the End Violence Against Women’s training website which translates into 250,000 hours of training for professionals.

You can support End Violence Against Women International by donating on their website or by joining their email list to stay informed on their projects and achievements.

Futures Without Violence: Spreading Knowledge to Fight Gender-Based Violence 

Futures Without Violence was founded in 1980 by Esta Soler to combat violence against women and children. Today, the organization supports women’s safety by educating communities on gender-based violence and training emergency response personnel.

Futures without Violence has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. The charity has also earned a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“A future without violence that provides education, safety, justice, and hope.”

Futures Without Violence

Futures without Violence operates programs that address human trafficking, gender-based violence on university campuses, discriminatory laws that comprise female safety, and survivor care. For example, their program to support survivors of human trafficking advocates for improved emergency response and employment opportunities. One way they are accomplishing this is through Project Catalyst which is a government-funded project to address the improvement of emergency response to IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) and human trafficking. Additionally, Futures without Violence has a university leadership program that combats gender-based violence on campuses by empowering female students to advocate for women’s safety. 

Since their founding, Futures without Violence has Implemented the National Leadership Institute: Changing the Narrative on Campus Gender-Based Violence at 20 universities to address sexual assault and gender-based violence. Furthermore, from 2017-2021, Project Catalyst trained 45 community-based domestic violence programs and 51 community health centers that included a total of 1,445 organizational staff. 

You can donate to Futures without Violence through their website. You can also support the charity by becoming a Changemaker or by sharing their fact sheets to raise awareness of gender-based violence. 

Global Rights for Women: Battling for a Woman’s Right to Live Free From Violence

Global Rights for Women was founded in 2014 by Cheryl Thomas to stimulate legal reform and facilitate systematic change to protect women everywhere. Today, the organization has fostered partnerships with like-minded organizations to raise awareness for gender-based violence.

Global Rights for Women has earned a score of 100 out of 100 on Charity Navigator. GuideStar has also given the charity the Platinum Seal of Transparency.

“To work with leaders around the world to advance women and girls’ human right to live free from violence.”

Global Rights for Women

Global Rights for Women focuses on programs to improve laws and raise awareness to advance the mindset of communities across the globe to reinforce women’s safety. The organization accomplishes this by engaging directly with survivors to deploy better responses and communal attitudes toward violence against women and girls. Additionally, they host training sessions in various countries, including Vietnam and Greece, to improve emergency and legal responses to gender-based violence.

Since their founding, Global Rights for Women has supported law improvements in communities across the world that affected over 65 million women. They have accomplished this in part due to partnerships with over 60 different international partners. For example, in 2021, the organization hosted 45 events across the globe with a focus on improving the emergency response and legal response to gender-based violence. Furthermore, in 2022, they held a risk assessment training session where 75 police and practitioners in Greece were in attendance. Global Rights for Women found that 30% of all women globally will be impacted by improved support and justice through their Global Rights for Women Prosecutor Training Toolkit in Southeast Asia.

You can make a direct donation to Global Rights for Women through their website. You can also get involved through volunteer work in areas such as design, writing, public relation, fundraising, and social media. 

Orchid Project: Fighting to End the Harmful Practice of FGM

The Orchid Project was founded in 2011 by Julia Lalla-Maharajh to put an end to female genital mutilation (FGM). Today, the charity has programs in place to influence governments and educate communities on the extremely harmful impacts of FGM.

According to their financial report, Orchid Project spent 99% of their total income on charitable activities.

“[Continue to] catalyze the global movement to end female genital cutting (FGC).”

Orchid Project

Orchid Projects works to educate communities across the globe through partnerships with local organizations. They directly impact local governments by collaborating with global leaders to eliminate FGM. Furthermore, the organization has opened the channels of communication by hosting sharing workshops where women can learn, share their experiences, and brainstorm FGM solutions.

Today, the Orchid Project actively works with local advocacy organizations in 7 countries, and they have been able to host sharing workshops in 5 countries. Furthermore, in partnership with Tostan, the Orchid Project contributed to 117 communities in Senegal declaring a formal release from practicing FGM in 2017. 

You can support the Orchid Project by donating directly to the organization. Another way you can support the charity is by starting a fundraiser individually or with your business.

Women for Women International: Tending to Women Impacted by War

Women for Women International was founded in 1993 by a married couple, Amjad Atallah and Zainab Salbi, to provide relief for women impacted by war. Today, the organization has programs in place to address the needs of women displaced by war.

Women for Women International earned a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“Create a world in which all women determine the course of their lives and reach their full potential.”

Women for Women International

Women for Women International focuses on women’s vulnerability during wartime as they are often the targets of rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery. They accomplish this through their Stronger Women, Stronger Nations Program which aims to stop war isolation and provide a safe space for women. Additionally, they operate a Men’s Engagement Program in multiple countries to enrich men to progress from oppressive ideologies to empowering women.

Since their founding, Women for Women International has worked directly with over 530,000 women and operated programs in 8 countries. For example, in 2021, the organization enrolled 1,893 women in Afghanistan in their Stronger Women, Stronger Nations Program through their 12 training centers. Furthermore, from 2002 to 2022, the charity worked with 42,560 men through their Men’s Engagement Program in 6 countries. 

Women for Women International accepts donations directly through their website. You can also support the charity by volunteering or by joining their Book Club.

Pathfinder International: Securing Women’s Futures by Expanding Access to Contraceptives

Pathfinder International was founded in 1957 by Clarence Gamble to give women access to intrinsic sexual and reproductive health care. Today, the organization has many programs to keep women safe, from programs to distribute contraception to programs that facilitate safe labor and delivery. 

Charity Navigator awarded Pathfinder International a score of 86 out of 100 for finance and accountability. The charity also earned the Platinum Seal for Transparency from GuideStar.

“A world where everyone has access to contraception, where there are zero new HIV infections, where no woman dies from preventable pregnancy-related complications, and where everyone leads a healthy sexual and reproductive life.”

Pathfinder

Pathfinder International focuses on programs for maternal and newborn care (including special care for HIV and AIDS), contraception access and education, and gender equality. Through their HIV and AIDS maternal and newborn care program, the charity addresses preventing transfer from the mother to the child. In addition, the charity’s programs to address gender equality do so by distributing knowledge in communities to mitigate gender-based violence, educating health facilities to improve local response to gender-based violence, and influencing local governments to reform legislation

Today, Pathfinder International works in over 20 countries and 91% of the staff for their teams and programs are from those countries. For example, the charity launched the Integrated Family Planning Program in Mozambique where they provided nearly 5 million couples with protection against pregnancy from 2016 to 2021. During this same time period, Pathfinder International trained 4,912 health providers on current types of contraceptives.

You can donate to Pathfinder International through their website. You can also support the charity by setting up a Facebook fundraiser. 

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities that fight for women’s safety. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarise yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. The charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to fighting for women’s safety – based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

Sources

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• V-Day
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• Orchid Project
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