Our Values and Equity
WomenStrong’s work is guided by a commitment to equity and staying true to our defined organizational values.
At WomenStrong, we view equity as a steadfast commitment to fairness, justice, and inclusivity.
We actively acknowledge and address historical disparities, systemic barriers, and power imbalances.
Our goal is to ensure that all our grantee partners have equitable access to information, resources, opportunities, and decision-making processes related to their engagement with WomenStrong activities. This commitment involves fostering authentic relationships where mutual respect, trust, and cultural context are valued and amplified.
Equity means actively ceding power to our partners, valuing their expertise, and centering their voices in all our endeavors.
We recognize our own limitations as an institution, and we strive to be as transparent as possible with our partners, to ensure alignment in expectations. Together, we create a safe and brave space where our staff and partners feel welcome to engage, lead, and thrive.
Creating inclusive multilingual spaces allows for authenticity.
We want to ensure that all voices are heard and understood. WomenStrong is committed to language justice in our work with partners from across the world, to allow for greater sharing of knowledge and learning.
Our Values
We believe in the transformative power of women in groups to create meaningful change. We believe that when women are given the chance to connect, to build community, and to collaborate across geographies, they can move the needle toward equity for girls and women worldwide.
WomenStrong strives to uphold a lens of equity within all interactions. We acknowledge the very real effects in everyday interactions of racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, classism, homophobia, religious discrimination, and the intersection of these and other systems, and we seek to provide a safe and brave space where everyone can engage to our fullest potential.
We practice trust-based grantmaking as a direct challenge to the traditional manifestations of philanthropy; disrupting inequitable power dynamics, removing burdensome reporting requirements, lifting funding restrictions, and increasing transparency.
We strive to create an inclusive space to inspire and celebrate one another, fostering a sense of community that appreciates diverse experiences. Celebration can only happen if all voices in the room are heard and included.
We strive to treat everyone with respect and compassion, acknowledging and valuing cultural differences while recognizing our common humanity and essential dignity.
The root of our work is based on listening and responding to the expressed needs of those we serve, valuing local context and culture, and learning from all approaches.
We believe tremendous learning is possible regardless of outcome. We welcome different definitions of success, experimentation, and rethinking what works and what does not.
We believe that only a multifaceted and inclusive approach can create stronger, more resilient organizations that address the needs of urban women and girls. We value curiosity, creativity, shared leadership, and “mic passing” among all stakeholders, while being mindful of and addressing power dynamics.
We believe in creating the conditions for creative solutions and more effective programming. We encourage the sharing of learning, including best practices, challenges, and/or innovative ideas that will contribute to global efforts for gender equity.
We acknowledge that to serve others well, we must support each other and care for ourselves. We strive for the highest level of collaboration and excellence which, we acknowledge, requires consistent investment in professional development, a sustainable work-life balance, open dialogue, and mentoring of each other.
How we’re living our values and striving for equity.
