Equality Starts Here: Advancing Black Women's Rights in the South

Equality Can't Wait Challenge
Finalist
Oxfam America

The Equality Starts Here Collective will increase the power and influence of Black women in the South using advocacy, rights training, policy reform, and research.

Last Updated: September 2024
Competition Participation
Equality Can't Wait Challenge
Equality Can't Wait Challenge
Subject
Gender Equality
  • District of Columbia, United States of America
  • Louisiana, United States of America
  • Mississippi, United States of America
  • Tennessee, United States of America
  • District of Columbia, United States of America
  • Georgia, United States of America
  • Louisiana, United States of America
  • Mississippi, United States of America
  • Tennessee, United States of America
  • Caregivers
  • Economically disadvantaged people
  • People of African descent
  • People with disabilities
  • Women (19+)
  • Women and girls (all ages)
  • 5. Gender equality
  • 8. Decent work and economic growth
  • 10. Reduced inequalities

Executive Summary

The Equality Starts Here Collective offers a collective approach to building economic, social, and political equity for Black women in the South, specifically Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia. Our Collective approach—grounded in an understanding that large-scale social change requires broad coordination—centers on a common agenda, shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and a democratic governance structure with an identified anchor organization.

Decades of targeted disenfranchisement of the Black community, must be dismantled to create an even playing field. By implementing a proven and effective toolbox of interventions ranging from legislative advocacy to grassroots organizing, legal support, media and communication trainings, and direct community education and outreach, we will develop a sustainable infrastructure that accelerates Black women's and girls' leadership and activism, igniting change across the nation.

Organization Details
Lead Organization

Oxfam America

website: https://oxfamamerica.org/
Organization Headquarters
Massachusetts, United States of America
Organization ID
23-706-9110
Number of Full-time Employees
301 to 500
Annual Operating Budget
$50.1 to 100 Million
Type
Nonprofit

Charity, fund, non-governmental organization, religious institution, school, or other entity

Organizations may provide budget and employee data based on this proposal or the organization as a whole. For more information on this proposal or organization, please email us.

Accomplishments

Members of the Equality Starts Here collective continued to demand pay equity, pregnancy accommodations, and paid leave at the federal level and in states where the harms of these unjust policies are most acutely felt. We successfully kept pressure on policymakers while building women’s political leadership to sustain our momentum.

Help Fund Bold Solutions

Learn more and help fund this highly-rated project:

Lever for change arrows logo