NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The PIMCO Foundation, PIMCO’s charitable arm, has launched WomenForward, a coalition that includes 12 nonprofit partners working to empower girls and women around the world through inspired investment, amplified voices, and collective action.
On March 8, the group will call on the global community to commit to or increase investments in the lives of women and girls as part of International Women’s Day.
WomenForward partners work with diverse populations on a host of issues as they tackle the many obstacles preventing gender equality, including deeply ingrained societal behaviors and barriers. Initiatives include facilitating access to education for young women in post-conflict and developing countries; combatting rape culture by empowering survivors; championing girls’ voices by providing mentors; and helping low-income and immigrant women launch new careers and start or scale new businesses.
Although progress has been made toward gender equality, much work remains. Globally, women’s participation in the workforce is unequal to men’s; one in three women still experience physical or sexual violence; and twice as many girls as boys will never start school.
“The PIMCO Foundation and 12 of its female-focused grantees have come together as WomenForward – a coalition for change – because we believe partnerships are key to advancing rights for women and girls,” says Sarah Middleton, Executive Director of the PIMCO Foundation. “We can no longer rely on incremental change as stand-alone organizations; instead, we must team up, take action, and make the desired change happen.”
WomenForward coalition members include:
Callisto
Figure Skating in Harlem
Girls Write Now
Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA)
Hot Bread Kitchen
Mercado Global
Plan International USA
Rising Tide Capital
SHE-CAN
Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE)
Thistle Farms
Trickle Up
To learn more, please visit: https://www.pimco.com/en-us/our-firm/foundation/introducing-womenforward and https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/53511-womenforward?locale=en.
About the PIMCO Foundation
The PIMCO Foundation is the philanthropic arm of PIMCO, based in Newport Beach, California, which helps people around the world to reach their full potential by engaging, empowering and investing in communities. It carries out its mission by identifying areas of urgent community need and volunteering time and financial resources to support high impact projects and programs. The Foundation’s website can be accessed directly at www.pimco.com/pimcofoundation and on social media @PIMCOFoundation.
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