According to the web site Just Give, women are statistically more likely to suffer from greater health, poverty and violence issues in their lifetime. Many charities assist men, women and children but some charitable organizations are specifically targeted to helping women. Charities are available to help women on an international, national and local level. These are some of the most well known charities which offer assistance to women in need.
Statistics on Assistance Needed by Women
The web site, Just Give, has some startling statistics on women in need; Just Give states that:
- women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression
- in the U.S., 25% of women will suffer abuse
- women make up 70% of the world's poor, two thirds of which are unable to read and write
- female genital mutilation has been inflicted on approximately 85 million to 115 million women.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
There are several cancer organizations set up to help women but Susan G. Komen for the Cure is perhaps the most well known cancer charity. Breast cancer statistics vary world wide but it was expected that 1.3 million new cases of breast cancer in women would occur in 2007 (latest statistics available: source American Cancer Society).
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is involved in many events to raise both awareness and money to help women with cancer. However, the unique Susan G. Komen event is the Race for the Cure. It is held annually, both in the U.S. and worldwide, to celebrate breast cancer survivorship, to honor those women who have died from breast cancer and raise funds to help in further research.
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) report that one in six women are sexually assaulted, 60% of sexual assaults are not reported and although 73% of rape victims know their attacker, only 6% of rapists serve jail time. RAINN is the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the U.S. and operates free, confidential hotlines. RAINN aims to:
- educate the public
- help sexual assault victims
- help ensure rapists are brought to justice.
Women for Women International
Women for Women International is a well known charitable organization that assists women who have suffered as a result of war. Women for Women International helps women to re-build their lives through job training, financial aid, education, emotional support, and small business assistance in war torn areas of the world such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Kosovo.
In addition to donations, Women to Women International has a sponsorship program which offers a direct sponsorship with a woman in need and consequently builds a relationship of trust and support between the sponsor and the sponsored women. Women for Women International have both a U.K. and a U.S. web site.
Visit the Women for Women International web site for more information.
CARE – Assisting Women in Poverty and Disaster Zones
CARE is one of the world's leading charitable organizations that helps fight global poverty, with a particular emphasis on assisting in the needs of women. CARE state that women are core to a community's survival and are vital in health education, as caregivers and family support and as a means of re-vitalizing businesses and the local economy. CARE'S most recent assistance has been to survivors of the Haiti earthquake disaster.
Supporting Women's Charities
Many celebrities support women's charities too, using their celebrity status to bring the work of particular charities to people's attention. However, it doesn't matter how little or how much one person can give to a particular charity. Every charity is thankful of each donation it receives which allows it to continue charitable work to help women, whatever the circumstances.
For further information:
- Susan G. Komen for the Cure: 1-877-GO KOMEN
- Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
- CARE: 1-800-521-CARE or +1-404-681-2552
Sharon Falsetto - Sharon Falsetto is a business owner, certified clinical aromatherapist & professional writer with a life-long interest in plants.
