In the Washington metropolitan region, nearly half a million women and girls are living in or near poverty. We all have a stake in building the economic security of our region’s women and girls. The Women’s Foundation works to mobilize our community and provide solutions to eliminate the persistent barriers that disproportionately hinder women and girls from achieving economic security.
Washington Area Women's Foundation
It’s been one year since the inception of DC Youth Moving Forward, (DCYMF) a youth advocacy leadership program that myself and a beautiful community helped shape. The experience has been none other than a labor of love. DCYMF was initially birthed after working with a group of impeccable high school students to organize a youth-led […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
We’re Rising. We’re Mobilizing. We’re Making History – That’s the tagline of the 2020 Women’s March taking place this Saturday in Washington, DC and in cities across the country, but the tagline could also be viewed as a rallying call for 2020 and beyond. We’ve entered a new decade and with that an opportunity to re-imagine […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
Last month I had the honor of speaking as a panelist at the “Declare Equity for Girls: Power & Policy Luncheon” by Crittenton Services of Greater Washington. As a poet, I am used to speaking on stages, navigating green rooms, and gauging audiences but something about this experience felt different. Not only was there a […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
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Washington Area Women's Foundation
This post is second of a two part-series focused on philanthropy’s role in ending homelessness in collaboration with Funders Together to End Homelessness. It originally appeared on The Center for Effective Philanthropy on April 4, 2019. The affordable housing crisis isn’t new. It isn’t even an “emerging” crisis. Our country has been in the midst […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
This post is the first of a two part-series focused on philanthropy’s role in ending homelessness in collaboration with Funders Together to End Homelessness. On a given night, close to 7,000 people are living in shelters or on the streets in the District of Columbia. Many more are at high risk of experiencing homelessness, dependent […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
A few weeks ago, Dr. Jamila Perritt and I represented Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s DC Family Planning Project (DCFPP) on a panel at the annual Society of Family Planning (SFP) Conference. The panel was about prioritizing equity and community engagement in contraceptive access work. We told attendees that the progress of the DC initiative so […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
Every day, we see targeted efforts to limit the rights, diminish the dignity, and harm the lives of immigrants, in particular immigrants of color. Throughout American history, immigration laws have been rooted in anti-blackness to privilege some immigrant communities over others, a deliberate strategy to define the demographic makeup of who gets to become a […] Read More
Washington Area Women's Foundation
Just a couple of weekends ago, I heard an episode of Bitch Media’s Popaganda podcast that sought to reframe sex work by exploring the legal and financial realities of the trade. My ears perked up when this episode started; DC is in the middle of considering full decriminalization of the sex trade. I have been […] Read More
