Greetings!
This month at Boston Women’s Fund our hearts have been heavy as the war in Ukraine continues. We’re devastated over the widespread destruction and hardship that everyone in Ukraine is facing, and on top of this, we know that marginalized populations are at an even higher risk in times of war.
Millions of women and children have been displaced, putting them at higher risk for gender-based violence, and lack access to healthcare. Police have delayed and prevented people of color from boarding transportation leaving Ukraine. Transwomen and gender non-conforming individuals whose gender identity is different from their government IDs are trapped in the country under a law requiring military service for men. Others in the LGBTQIA+ community who are able to leave often arrive in locations that are unsafe for queer people.
We must also acknowledge that many countries are experiencing war today, and the hardship their communities are enduring has continued with little recognition here in the U.S.
As we reflect on our vision for a world where power, opportunity, and access are not limited by gender, we are reminded that the liberation work we are dedicated to pursuing here in Greater Boston is work that’s needed in many, many places. This month, 11 states advanced anti-trans legislation. From the Florida bill signed into law this week forbidding discussion of LGBTQIA+ identities in the classroom, to several bills barring transgirls from participating in school sports, to others outlawing gender-affirming medical care, this wave of legislation only further emphasizes that transwomen’s wellbeing is at risk — all of this during Women’s History Month, no less.
We believe that our liberation is bound together. Until we see ourselves at the intersection of each other’s humanity, we will never be free from oppression. BWF continues to look to grassroots leaders who are developing solutions to transform the dominant culture and usher in a reality of racial, gender, economic and social justice for all. To that end, we’ve chosen three new organizations to support through our Movement Building Grant. We’ve also gathered a list of ways you can act now for justice at home and abroad, including an opportunity to work alongside our team.
Read on for ways to get involved and a deeper look inside this month at BWF.
|
|
Audre Lorde. 1980.
Photo by K. Kendall, CC BY 2.0., via Wikimedia Commons
|
|
"I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."
– Audre Lorde
|
|
Announcing Our 2022 Movement Building Grantees!
|
|
Abilities Dance photo by Jaypix.
|
|
As a part of our commitment to democratizing philanthropy, we practice participatory grantmaking, a process that decentralizes power by allowing communities to decide which organizations and initiatives receive funding. We could not have chosen our new grantees without our 11-person volunteer Allocation Committee, whose hard work, hours of research, conversation with community members and group discussion determined our Movement Building Grant recipients. We can’t thank them enough for their hard work!
Each of our new grantees is working to improve the lives of women, girls and gender-expansive individuals across Greater Boston. We caught up with the leaders from each organization and could go on for days about the significance of their work, but we’d love for you to hear their stories in their own words. Check out our Q&A with Abilities Dance, Neighborhood Birth Center, and Sisters Unchained.
|
|
BWF Seeks a Youth Leadership Coordinator
|
|
Join the BWF team! Are you our new Youth Leadership Coordinator?
This is a part-time, hybrid role for a creative thinker with youth facilitation or teaching experience. As Youth Leadership Coordinator, you'll work with BWF staff to develop, grow and coordinate our youth leadership in philanthropy program. We will continue accepting applications until this role is filled. For more details, check out the full job description here and apply today!
|
|
*Statistics show that women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC as well as other structurally marginalized groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. If this position excites you, BWF encourages you to apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications
|
|
Join our Healing Justice Retreat
|
|
Boston Women's Fund and Access Strategies invite you to join our first digital healing retreat, “Healing and Peace Paint Party” with Kyia Watkins on April 11th! This retreat is for Black and Indigenous women, genderqueer, and nonbinary people in the community.
All art supplies will be provided free of charge. Sign up by April 5th to receive your painting supplies on time.
Monday, April 11th on Zoom.
10:00 am -12:00 pm
|
|
|
Urgent Response Fund for Ukraine
Donate to Urgent Action Fund’s rapid response grants helping women, trans, and nonbinary activists in Ukraine. The fund supports requests from individuals and organizations seeking: emergency evacuations and relocations; shelter; legal, financial, and medical support; security and disaster survival training; and more. Donate here.
Support the Prison Moratorium
Two grassroots organizations, including our past grantee Families for Justice as Healing, filed a bill that would stop construction on the new women’s prison in Massachusetts through a 5-year moratorium and instead shift the budget toward addressing the root causes of incarceration. Use these call scripts to take action today and urge your elected officials to support the bill. Learn more here.
Abilities Dance’s Annual Performance, “Intersections”
Abilities Dance is shifting the dominant culture around disability rights through advocacy and education. Attend their annual performance centering on BIPOC disabled folks, both local and national, past and present. New England Film Orchestra will provide live accompaniment. The performance takes place on April 22nd and 23rd at 8 pm, online or in person at the Multicultural Arts Center. Get tickets here.
Neighborhood Birth Center’s Virtual Events
Join Neighborhood Birth Center’s Fireside Chat on Instagram Live, featuring very special guests, on April 11th at 5 pm! They'll also release their video #reimaginingbirth on the same day, right at the start of Black Maternal Health Week, and will be holding several corresponding virtual events. Follow them on Instagram for details on how to join in.
Sisters Unchained’s Paid Summer Intensive
This April, applications open for Sisters Unchained’s paid summer intensive for young women! Anyone interested in learning more about how to apply is encouraged to get in touch. For details, email Ayana at ayana@sistersunchained.com.
|
|
This month, our team participated in a workshop called “Uprooting White Supremacy in Organizations” by AORTA, as well as “Gender 101” by Ericka Hart. Both learning experiences have challenged us to reassess our internal processes and culture to continue to create an environment that reflects the liberation and genuine belonging we wish to see in the world.
|
|
What We're Listening to: This song by the Carolina Chocolate Drops; a "Lullaby" for Black girls by Tasha, and "Octavia," a song by Jamila Woods, inspired by Octavia Butler.
|
|
*Disclaimer: The above media do not reflect the views of Boston Women's Fund and are not endorsed by Boston Women's Fund. These are the items our board and staff are currently engaging with to further their learning and/or rest and find joy.
|
|
Share this newsletter with others here:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|