Hunnicutt Foundation seeks to help women to realize their potential. We believe that investing in women fundamentally strengthens families and societies. Our Women's Empowerment Program develops women's leadership, strengthens women's organizations, increases women's rights and ensures their personal security, and creates new political and economic opportunities for women across the city of San Francisco.

 

Mobilizing women has proved powerful in order to accelerate progress in each country, through facilitating networking, coordination, and collaboration among women and women’s groups.

 

We believe that by working with others, we can do more than anyone can do on their own. The best way to unlock human potential is through the power of creative cooperation.

 

Of the 1.2 billion people that live in absolute poverty, the majority are women and girls. Over a quarter of a million women die each year from largely preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Women play critical roles in food production and preparation, but in many cultures, they consume the poorest quality food and are the first to face hunger when food is scarce. 

 

Poverty-fighting and humanitarian action programs need to place a special focus on empowering women and girls. They also are an important part of the solutions needed to truly overcome poverty. History shows us that when equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help their families and entire communities escape poverty.

 

When women earn an income, they reinvest the vast majority of it in the well-being of their families. For every year a girl spends in school, she raises her family income by up to 20 percent. Educated girls grow into educated women, who have healthier babies and are more likely to educate their children. Empowerment is not just about giving women training. Empowerment is more than that. It means that relationships and social structures that shape the lives of women and girls must change.

 

Women’s empowerment can only be achieved when we include men and boys. Men are often those who define and keep women and girls within boundaries. When we engage with them they realize that the empowerment of their wives, daughters, and sisters benefits the whole family and community.

 

Promoting gender equality and empowering women is one of the keys to lifting entire families out of poverty – and it defines our programs.