Activism Resources

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

9to5 National Association of Working Women

National Association of Working Women is the largest membership organization of working women in the country. Founded in 1973 by a group of Boston clerical workers, 9to5 has grown from a simple newsletter to a grassroots force of nearly 15,000 women. They inspired the movie and the song, Nine to Five, and have helped working women win many victories over the years.

About-Face

About-Face is a media literacy organization focused on the impact mass media has on the physical, mental and emotional well being of women and girls. Through practical and activist methods we challenge our culture's overemphasis on physical appearance. By encouraging critical thinking about the media, and personal empowerment, About-face works to engender positive body-esteem in girls and women of all ages, sizes, races and backgrounds.

Advancing Women

Advancing Women's mission is to create a network for women to share career strategies and provide employment opportunities and cutting edge resources that power women's success. Advancing Women was the first women's community and web site to fuse the power of the Net, as a communication, networking and information tool, with the compelling agenda of women seeking the most effective means of advancing their career and business goals.

Alliance for Justice

The Alliance for Justice is a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations. Since its inception in 1979, the Alliance has worked to advance the cause of justice for all Americans, strengthening public interest and communities' abilities to influence public policy, as well as fostering the next generation of advocates.

American Association of University Women

The American Association of University Women is a national organization that promotes education and equity for all women and girls—the site contains information about grants awarded and more.

American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union is the nation's foremost advocate of individual rights -- litigating, legislating, and educating the public on a broad array of issues affecting individual freedom in the U.S.

American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations

The mission of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is to improve the lives of working families—to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation. To accomplish this mission, the AFL-CIO will build and change the American labor movement.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In particular, Amnesty International campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners; end political killings and "disappearances"; and oppose human rights abuses by opposition groups.

Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment

As an acronym, AWARE stands for Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment, but don't interpret the word "arming" too literally. The name implies that one can (and indeed should) be armed with courage, spirit, knowledge, and determination, whether or not one is armed with an extrinsic weapon. AWARE is a source of training, information, and support for people, primarily women, learning how to cope with violence. AWARE training is focused on self-protection and self-defense skills that can enable women to avoid, resist, and survive situations ranging from low levels of aggression to extremely violent assault.

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) fosters organization in low-income communities. Because ACORN believes that social change comes from the bottom up, organizers are on the streets every day, knocking on doors and recruiting new members. Major campaigns, whether around housing, or jobs, or voter registration, are designed to reach the unorganized majority of low and moderate-income people - the key constituency that must be mobilized for a progressive movement for social change in this country to succeed.

Center for American Women and Politics

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) is a university-based research, education and public service center. Its mission is to promote greater understanding and knowledge about women's participation in politics and government and to enhance women's influence and leadership in public life.

Center for Gender and Refugee Studies

The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS) seeks to enhance the protection of women's human rights by providing expertise and resources in support of women asylum-seekers, at the levels of both practice and policy.

Center for Research on Women, Wellesley College

Center for Research on Women, Wellesley College, for more than 20 years the CRW has been in the forefront of research in which the central questions are shaped by the experiences and perspectives of women. An interdisciplinary community of scholars are engaged in research, programs and publications which examine the lives of women, men and children in a changing world.

Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers

The Center for Women's Global Leadership develops and facilitates women's leadership for women's human rights and social justice worldwide. Its programs promote the leadership of women and advance feminist perspectives in policy-making processes in local, national and international arenas. Since 1990, the Global Center has fostered women's leadership in the area of human rights through women's global leadership institutes, strategic planning activities, international mobilization campaigns, UN monitoring, global education endeavors, publications, and a resource center.

Centre for Development and Population Activities

The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) is a women-focused nonprofit international organization founded in 1975. CEDPA's mission is to empower women at all levels of society to be full partners in development. Strategies include building the capacities of development institutions and networks, mobilizing women's participation at the policy level, linking reproductive health services and women's empowerment, and making youth an integral part of the development agenda.

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is a non-governmental organization that promotes women's human rights. It works internationally to combat sexual exploitation in all its forms, especially prostitution and trafficking in women and children, in particularly girls.

Congressional e-mail addresses

Find your representatives' email addresses and let your voice be heard (or read).

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the most comprehensive and detailed international agreement that seeks the advancement of women. It establishes rights for women in areas not previously subject to international standards, provides a universal definition of discrimination against women so that those who would discriminate on the basis of sex can no longer claim that no clear definition exists and calls for action in nearly every field of human endeavor: politics, law, employment, education, health care, commercial transactions and domestic relations.

ECPAT International

End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) is a global network of organizations and individuals working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.

Emily's List

Emily's List: Pro-Choice Democratic Women--identifies viable pro-choice Democratic women candidates for key federal and statewide offices.

Feminists for Animal Rights

Feminists for Animal Rights (FAR) is a non-profit national educational organization dedicated to ending all forms of abuse against women, animals and the earth. Welcome to our online exploration of the interconnections between the exploitation of women and animals and how you can help bring about a more caring society for all.

Feminist Majority Foundation

The Feminist Majority Foundation views feminism as a global movement dedicated to equality and seeks to eliminate discrimination of all kinds — sex, race, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, disability, and marital status. And, like feminists since the late 19th Century, we advocate nonviolence and work to eliminate social and economic injustice.

Flora Tristán Center of the Peruvian Woman

This is the homepage, in Spanish, of Peru's first, and still important, feminist nonprofit organization, founded in 1979, called the Flora Tristan Center of the Peruvian Woman (Flora Tristan * Centro de la Mujer Peruana). Links include Information, Essays, Publications, and the Center's magazine "Chacarera."

Gender Ads Project

The Gender Ads Project is a Web site dedicated to understanding the contexts of sexism and advertising, gender and advertising, women and advertising, men and advertising, advertising and violence, advertising and racism, as well as social change and advertising (gender and ads, sexism and ads, sexist ads, race and ads, violence and ads, social change and ads, gender and popular culture, sexism and popular culture)

Global Exchange

Global Exchange is a human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political, and social justice around the world. Since our founding in 1988, we have been striving to increase global awareness among the US public while building international partnerships around the world.

Grandmothers for Peace International

Grandmothers for Peace International is inspired and motivated by peace, but realize that in today's dangerous world we can no longer keep or promote peace by sitting in our rocking chairs! We remain an all-volunteer organization and prefer to maintain an informal structure that encourages others to start, with very little effort, chapters in their communities.

Human Rights Law Group

International Human Rights Law Group is a nonprofit organization of human rights and legal professionals engaged in human rights advocacy, litigation and training around the world. The mission is to help empower local advocates to expand the scope of human rights protections for men and women and to promote broad participation in building human rights standards and procedures at the national, regional and international levels.

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.

International Center for Research on Women

The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and based in Washington, D.C., with an office in India. ICRW's work has three distinct dimensions-research, technical support for capacity building, and advocacy.

International Federation of University Women

International Federation of University Women is a nonprofit, non- governmental organization of more than 180,000 women graduates worldwide. Together with its 66 national federations and associations, IFUW works locally, nationally and internationally to improve the status of women and girls, to promote lifelong education, and to enable graduate women to use their expertise to effect change.

International Forum on Globalization

The goal of the International Forum on Globalization is twofold: (1) Expose the multiple effects of economic globalization in order to stimulate debate, and (2) Seek to reverse the globalization process by encouraging ideas and activities which revitalize local economies and communities, and ensure long term ecological stability.

Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science

Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science is dedicated to integrating women into nontraditional careers by providing training and technical assistance and publications to the educational system and employers.

Institute for Women's Policy Research

Institute for Women's Policy Research is a public policy research organization dedicated to informing and stimulating the debate on public policy issues of critical importance to women and their families. IWPR focuses on issues of poverty and welfare, employment and earnings, work and family issues, the economic and social aspects of health care and domestic violence, and women's civic and political participation.

MADRE

MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that works in partnership with women's community-based groups worldwide to address issues of health, economic development and other human rights.

Ms. Foundation for Women

Ms. Foundation for Women, a national, multi-issue, public women's fund, supports the efforts of women and girls to govern their own lives and influence the world around them. We fund and assist women's self-help organizing efforts, and pursue changes in public consciousness, law, philanthropy, and social policy.

Myra Sadker Advocates

Myra Sadker Advocates is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equity in and beyond schools. By working to eliminate gender bias, the advocacy enhances the academic, psychological, economic and physical potential of America's children. It advocates support for research, training and special programs for teachers, parents, children and all those whose work and interest touch the lives of children.

National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League

National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League believes that it is critical that those who value the freedom and independence we enjoy in this country work hard now to protect a woman's right to choose. That basic American right is seriously at risk.

National Committee on Pay Equity

The National Committee on Pay Equity is a membership coalition of over 180 organizations, including labor unions; women's and civil rights groups; religious, professional, legal and educational associations; and state and local pay equity networks; and individual men and women working to eliminate sex- and race-based wage discrimination.

National Council for Research on Women

The National Council for Research on Women, founded in 1981, is a working alliance of 84 women's research and policy centers, more than 3,000 affiliates and a network of over 200 international centers. NCRW's mission is to enhance the connections among research, policy analysis, advocacy, and innovative programming on behalf of women and girls.

National Eating Disorders Association

National Eating Disorders Association is dedicated to providing education, resources and support to those affected by eating disorders.

National Organization for Women

National Organization for Women, with over 500,000 contributing members, is the largest feminist organization in the US. Since NOW was founded in 1966, we have struggled to end the injustice and inequality women face daily.

Public Citizen

Public Citizen, founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, is the consumer's eyes and ears in Washington. With the support of more than 150,000 people, we fight for safer drugs and medical devices, cleaner and safer energy sources, a cleaner environment, fair trade, and a more open and democratic government. We stand up for you against thousands of special interest lobbyists--well-heeled agents for drug companies, the automakers, big energy interests, and the like.

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network

The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that operates a national toll-free hotline for victims of sexual assault. RAINN was founded by singer/songwriter Tori Amos (who is herself a rape survivor) and was funded with initial grants from the Atlantic Group and the Warner Music Group.

Sisterhood is Global Institute

Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) seeks to deepen the understanding of women's rights at the local, national, regional and global levels, and to strengthen the capacity of women to exercise these rights. With members in 70 countries, SIGI currently maintains a network of over 1,300 individuals and organizations.

Stop Family Violence

Stop Family Violence is devoted to helping fight all forms of family violence and to providing information about services that are available to families that are in need of assistance.

Third Wave

Third Wave is the only national organization created by and for young women. The goal of Third Wave is to harness the energy of young women and men like yourself by sharing information and resources between young women, together creating a community in which members can coalesce, network, strategize, and ultimately take action around issues that affect us all.

UNIFEM

United Nations Development Fund for Women promotes women's empowerment and gender equality. It works to ensure the participation of women in all levels of development planning and practice, and acts as a catalyst within the UN system, supporting efforts that link the needs and concerns of women to all critical issues on the national, regional and global agendas. UNIFEM focuses its work at the country level within the context of the United Nations Resident Coordinator System. Playing a strong advocacy role, the Fund concentrates on fostering a multilateral policy dialogue on women's empowerment.

United States Commission on Civil Rights

The United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) is an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding agency of the Executive Branch, first established under the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Women's Environmental Development Organization

Women's Environmental Development Organization (WEDO) is an international advocacy organization that seeks to increase the power of women worldwide as policymakers at all levels in governments, institutions and forums to achieve economic and social justice, a healthy and peaceful planet, and human rights for all.

Women's Human Rights Net

Women's Human Rights Net is a collaborative Information & Communication Technology (ICT) project developed by an international coalition of women's organizations. whrNET aims to strengthen advocacy for women's human rights through the effective utilization of information and communication technologies. The sponsoring organizations are part of a global movement for women's human rights that has grown steadily since the World Conference of Human Rights (Vienna, 1993) and the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995). whrNET is jointly sponsored and supported by its partner organizations and is governed by an elected International Executive Committee.

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was founded in 1915 to protest the war then raging in Europe. WILPF aims to bring together women of different political and philosophical conviction, united in their determination to study and make known and help abolish the political, social, economic and psychological causes of war and to work for a constructive peace.

Women's Studies Librarian, Univ. of Wisconsin

Electra Pages: Directory of Women's Organizations started the National Women's Mailing List; a feminist database enabling women to receive mail from the types of feminist organizations they were interested in. Electra Pages then created the Women's Computer Literacy Project and trained over 8,000 women to use personal computers.