About
White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that advocates for women's and girls' health, rights, and gender equality. Its guiding belief is that every woman and girl should determine the direction of her own life, and its approach — which the organization describes as simple and radical — is built on three steps: Ask, Listen, Act.
Mission and approach
WRA advocates for women's and girls' health, rights, and gender equality through a listening-centered model:
- Ask women and girls what they want.
- Listen to their concerns and ideas for change.
- Act on what they say and galvanize others to do the same.
The organization holds that there is power in voice: when women and girls speak their demands and act together, meaningful change follows — in the family, the community, and the broader policy environment.
What they do
WRA organizes its advocacy around several movements and communities of practice:
- Movements focused on climate justice, economic justice, gender-based violence, women's health, and young people, including the Respect Campaign and self-care initiatives.
- Communities of practice including the Self-care Trailblazers, the Respectful Care Council, and Women's March Global.
- Campaigns such as What Women Want, which mobilized women's demands for health and well-being, including work on water, sanitation, and hygiene in health facilities.
Scale and impact
Impact figures published by WRA (results it reports mobilizing since 2018 through its Ask, Listen, Act approach):
- More than 425 million US dollars in multi-government health and social programs.
- 40,000+ major health facility improvements.
- 45+ health and gender policies changed.
- 7,500+ health workers hired.
- 500+ million women and girls benefiting.
Examples the organization cites include Malawi more than doubling its family planning budget in response to women's demands for contraception, Uganda allocating 1.7 million dollars to lifesaving Mama Kits for expecting mothers, and grassroots advocacy propelling 195 million dollars in health funding in Sindh Province, Pakistan.
Financials
According to IRS Form 990 data for the fiscal year ending December 2024 (via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer), White Ribbon Alliance Inc reported total revenue of 591,915 dollars, total expenses of 2,439,380 dollars, and net assets of 0 dollars at year end. The IRS has recognized the organization as tax-exempt since February 2006.
Sources
- White Ribbon Alliance homepage (accessed via a March 2024 Wayback Machine snapshot; the live site was unreachable at the time of research)
- Impact — White Ribbon Alliance (accessed via a March 2024 Wayback Machine snapshot)
- White Ribbon Alliance Inc — ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer