Oprah’s Angel Network

"Half the Sky" authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on October 1.

© 2009 Harpo Productions

The Oct. 1, 2009, episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” focused on an issue that’s closely aligned with the Angel Network’s mission—the movement to end the oppression of women around the world. (Learn more about this episode.) Over the years, the Angel Network has awarded grants to numerous organizations that are focused on women’s empowerment, including Global Fund for Women, the Kenya Network of Women with AIDS and Women for Women International.

We know that many Angel Network community members are also interested in this issue. Below, read through a few stories from members who are working to empower women, both in their local communities and around the world.

Empowerment Through Education

The key to empowerment for all women, especially young girls, is education. To this end, young member Shannon embarked on a project to start an after school program for girls in Tanzania.

Angel Network community member Shannon is helping young girls in Tanzania improve their lives.

Photo courtesy of member

“I spent a month collecting 1,200 children’s books and school materials in town,” she says, but, “the real challenge was to convince the parents to let their daughters join the SHARE [Shannon’s After School Reading Exchange] program. Young girls in Tanzania struggle to become literate because they are expected to do the cooking, cleaning, farming and caring for siblings, instead of pursuing their studies. Being able to help these girls and see their smiles as they realize that they have a chance to improve their lives is worth more than anything I’ve ever known.” Read the rest of Shannon’s story.

Another member, Rachael, was born and raised in Kenya and shared a story about the struggles that girls in her home country face to achieve an education. As an adult, Rachael moved to the United States, but continued to share with those around her the plight of young Kenyan women, and eventually formed a nonprofit dedicated to helping empower them. Here is part of her story:

“I was born to a Maasai family of six children, including four girls. Although my mother could not attend school, she believed in the importance of education and enrolled each of us in school. I completed my studies and became an elementary teacher. While teaching I experienced first hand the struggle of Maasai girls and young women being forced into our tribal customs and rituals … Most girls who graduate from high school face too many obstacles to further their education, lack skills needed for good employment, were forced to return to their villages and small towns, endured FGM (female genital mutilation) and were forced into arranged marriages. In 2003 Voices of Hope (VOH) was born out of this need.” Read the rest of Rachael’s story.

Empowerment Through Opportunity

For women who may not be able to attend school or college, or receive an education in a “traditional” way, paths to empowerment do exist. For example, these women can learn business and job skills that allow them to earn their own income, and can takes steps to improve their confidence and self-esteem, which goes a long way toward feeling empowered.

Image enhancement is just one of the services provided at nonprofit Beauty for Ashes.

Photo courtesy of member

• One member shared her experiences about traveling to Tanzania to volunteer for a micro-credit organization, which provides small loans, education and support to impoverished women, helping them start and run their own businesses. Read her story.

• Another member shared about her volunteer work at “Beauty 4 Ashes,” a nonprofit that empowers disadvantaged women in Greensboro, N.C., by providing image enhancement, mentoring and career development tools to help them thrive in the marketplace and in their personal lives. Read her story.

• Learning from her own experiences on the street, a member from Sacramento, Calif., shared details about her former life as a prostitute. She now works as a program coordinator for a nonprofit organization that facilitates outreach, support and education groups, HIV testing and maintains a drop-in center for women in Sacramento who are involved in the sex-industry trade. She says, “I let them know that they, too, can empower themselves and become the women they had only before dreamed of being." Read her story.

What You Can Do

• Click through a registry of gifts that support women. Through your donations—no matter how big or small—you can make a difference. For example, just $10 supplies an Afghan woman with the tools and cloth to learn tailoring, enabling her to start a home-based business and earn a living for her and her children. There’s also a list of ways you can help for free.

• Like the Angel Network community members above, are you taking action to empower women? Tell us your story.