7 ways to empower women and girls

Empowering women and girls is vital to creating a better world. At World Vision, guided by our Christian faith, we’ve championed equality for decades. Our commitment to this cause is deeply rooted in our work because we believe that when you empower women and girls by granting them equal access and opportunities, entire families and communities thrive.

But for millions of girls, that empowerment remains out of reach, often hindered by poverty, violence, or child marriage. Each year, 12 million girls are married before they turn 18, many of them forced to leave school and abandon their dreams far too early. World Vision’s Big Dream to End Child Marriage program aims to change this reality.

As we recognize International Women’s Day on March 8 and International Day of the Girl on October 11, here are seven ways you can help empower women and girls and protect their ability to shape their own futures.

A woman carefully covers a hole in the ground with thorny tree branches. — Women in Wamba, Samburu in Kenya, spend many hours collecting water for their families. In this arid landscape, the women must dig deep holes until they reach water. Once they finish collecting water, they cover the hole to keep animals out so they can reuse that location. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

1. Ensure clean water access for better lives

Girls and women around the world spend 250 million hours each day collecting water, often from unsafe sources that harm their health. Access to clean water helps free up time for education, work, and rest — helping girls and women transform lives.

Join World Vision’s Global 6K for Water® on May 16, 2026, or participate in fundraising for clean water with a Team World Vision event.

Portrait of a somber young woman wearing a black headscarf standing in a doorway. — Yeasmin (pictured at 15) and her older sister, Kulsuma, spent much of their time home together. But then Kulsuma was married off due to the family’s high medical bills, leaving Yeasmin at home, sad and missing her older sister. Girls like Yeasmin and Kulsuma, whose families struggle against poverty, are especially vulnerable to child marriage. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

2. Support girls and women in crisis

Millions of girls face abuse, child labor, trafficking, and other violations of their rights. Your support equips local teams in protecting girls and women by offering training, education, counseling, medical care, and more in breaking gender-based violence cycles. Help every girl feel safe, seen, and valued.

3. Help end child marriage and other harmful practices

For millions of girls, child marriage means the end of childhood. It often leads to early pregnancy, isolation, and lifelong poverty. That’s why World Vision’s Big Dream to End Child Marriage program works in Kenya and Bangladesh to address the root causes of poverty, harmful social norms, and lack of access to education and clean water.

A girl with a somber expression stares out a window. — Sumaiya of Bangladesh. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

“Getting married now will be the death of my dreams … I do not want my dreams ruined,” says 17-year-old Sumaiya of Bangladesh.

Through community-led solutions, including child protection systems, behavior change training, education access, economic empowerment, water and sanitation access, and child protection systems strengthening, World Vision is helping girls like Sumaiya dream again.

A group of girls of varying ages, most wearing headscarves, look up and listen to a person off camera. — In January 2025, World Vision started Life Skill-Based Education group sessions in Bangladesh, where girls met for 12 weeks to learn about leadership development, emotional regulation, and organizing to challenge cultural norms that are harmful to children. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

4. Mentor for local impact

Your local community needs your influence. Volunteer with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters to become a mentor for a girl in need. Your presence and guidance can help shape her future and inspire change close to home.

A woman stands with goats and a cow in front of laundry hanging on wooden poles. — Mubina Akter attended a World Vision economic empowerment program in Bangladesh, where she learned techniques to increase her family’s finances and food security. This, in turn, allows her children to stay in school and her daughters to be safer from child marriage. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

5. Empower female entrepreneurs

Empowered women empower women. Help women rise through World Vision microloans. Support dedicated female entrepreneurs to build thriving businesses with small loans. By assisting these women, you promote economic growth that uplifts entire communities. One empowered woman can ignite change on a global scale.

Your gift sparks long-term, multiplying impact that goes far beyond a single load — creating hope, opportunity, and lasting transformation.

A woman smiles while confidently holding the brim of her hardhat at a construction zone. — Eunice Zimba is a civil engineer and the only woman on World Vision’s engineering team in Zambia. She’s redefining possibilities in a male-dominated field, from construction sites to leadership roles. As she breaks barriers, she hopes to build dreams by inspiring girls to believe in equality and innovation. “World Vision has given me an opportunity to have an impact on young girls as I move around in the remote parts of the country. At times, my work involves the construction of schools or rehabilitating classroom blocks, so I get to interact with young girls. I … encourage them to venture into this field so that we change the mindset that these jobs are only reserved for the male folk,” she said. (© 2023 World Vision/photo by Tisa Banda)

6. Advocate for education

Girls who stay in school are less likely to marry early and more likely to lead healthier, more secure lives. Support legislation and stand with programs like Big Dream to End Child Marriage, which prioritizes education as a pathway to freedom and agency.

A female World Vision staff member sits on steps outside a classroom talking with three girls wearing school uniforms. — Mercy, a World Vision staff member, shares a moment with girls at a school in Samburu, Kenya, where she is helping them understand how to seek assistance when their rights are being violated. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

7. Help new moms for a healthy start

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life — from conception to age 2 — are the most critical. You can help save young lives by giving a new mother essential things like a bassinet, cloth diapers, blankets, a container for clean water, and soap. Closer to home, connect with local volunteer opportunities that support new mothers and families. Your involvement can help create a nurturing environment that ensures healthier starts for both moms and their children.

A young woman holds a young boy in her arms. The child plays with the young woman’s beaded necklace. — Sameli had her son, Jamline (pictured at 18 months), when she was just 14. It was a shock when, at age 10, Sameli’s father told her she was to get married. She was among five siblings, and both she and her mother wept at the difficult decision. Sameli felt like her family simply decided to give her away, and she didn’t feel ready. (© 2025 World Vision/photo Laura Reinhardt)

Bonus: Express care and gratitude

Encouragement begins at home. Show your appreciation to the girls and women in your life, and how much they mean to you. A thank-you note, a helping hand, or a heartfelt conversation can make a world of difference.