Register Now to Attend the 2024 Empowered WE Rise Event
It’s been 20 years since Women’s Empowerment International (WE) gave its first grant to help women start on stronger economic paths and break cycles of poverty.
While progress has been made in promoting women’s economic empowerment in society, significant challenges and disparities persist globally. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies that tackle structural barriers, promote gender equality in education and employment, and enact supportive policies and legal frameworks. That’s where WE comes in, helping to fund programs for women locally and internationally that work to break barriers and open opportunities for financial stability and self-sufficiency.
“Advancing gender equality is key to addressing and reducing poverty. But, despite all of the statistics that point toward this, less than 2% of charitable giving in the U.S. goes to women’s and girls’ organizations,” said Sarah Adams, WE Executive Director. “WE works to fill this gap.”
Back in 2003, when Co-founders Win Cox and Leigh Fenly decided to start Women’s Empower International, it was a calling that they imagined locally and abroad uniting women with the larger vision of creating stronger economies. Together they built a local network of support and got directly involved with the populations affected.
In 2004, WE sent its first grant payment of $4,025 to Grameen de la Frontera, which was the perfect start because the organization directly focused on the economic growth of women. With this first grantee, WE formed a close relationship and founders and board members traveled to Sonora, Mexico to see WE’s funding in action. This involvement then became one of the distinguishing qualities about WE that put it in a category of its own.
Over the years, WE has partnered with organizations in nine countries, getting to know the nonprofits and women in the regions, understanding their way of life and how WE can help.
As of 2024, WE has provided over 2.6 million dollars. WE funds microloans, small business development, job and skill training, and other economic empowerment programs for women experiencing poverty, locally and around the world and has made its impact by:
- Assisting women in launching businesses that help sustain families through microloan programs and business development support and training
- Helping young women locally purchase cars, so that they can attend school, maintain steady employment, and take care of their children and families
- Providing microloans to grandmothers in Uganda to fund their ability to create sustainable businesses to help take care of and educate orphaned grandchildren
- Contributing to increasing women’s income in Haiti through their operation of community health stores
- Providing financial literacy training for girls through an innovative mobile-based app
- Supporting loan support groups for women in Mexico who have experienced human trafficking, immigration challenges, and other traumas
- Helping to provide new sources of income for Indigenous Maya women in Guatemala, along with leadership training and growth opportunities
On September 22nd, join Women’s Empowerment International for a very special afternoon celebrating 20 years of grantmaking at the Farmer & The Seahorse, at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines from 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm. The event will include 200 attendees—of all genders.
Guests will enjoy food, drinks, live music, a beautiful venue, inspirational programming featuring messages from the founders and funding partners, and a keynote address from Nancy Maldonado, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Rady Children’s Hospital and the former President & CEO of the Chicano Federation of San Diego County. In addition, we will hear a special message from Linda L. Katz the recipient of WE’s 2024 Woman of Empowerment Award, who is the Founding President of The San Diego Women’s Foundation and Co-Founder of Women Give San Diego. Linda also currently sits on advisory councils for Salaam Youth and Community Center and the San Diego Center for Children.
To raise funds people will have the opportunity to participate in silent and live auctions and browse through a Maker Fair with women entrepreneurs from local WE grant-funded programs. All net proceeds of the event will benefit WE grants distributed to vetted, high-impact nonprofits in San Diego County and around the world implementing women’s economic empowerment programs. Proceeds will be raised through sponsorships, ticket sales, auctions, and a paddle raise, and general donations. Register Now at: https://womenempowerment.org/fall-fundraiser/ and contribute to the economic empowerment of women and families.
