Giving Compass' Take:

• Agnes Igoye and Quratulain Fatima are working to increase gender equality by providing resources for women who have suffered abuse and discrimination. 

• How can philanthropists support local movements to create gender equality? How can disparate efforts learn from and lean on each other? 

• Read about 12 steps to achieve gender equality in our lifetimes.

Agnes Igoye remembers the day when the Lord’s Resistance Army first showed up in her village.

LRA commanders began kidnapping unmarried virgins. Igoye and her family watched in horror as her cousin was dragged away. The incident changed her life forever. Today Igoye works for the Ugandan government, training law enforcement officers to counter human trafficking.

Realizing that many victims of human trafficking have no place to go after being rescued, Igoye organized funding to build a center for survivors.

In the Global Gender Gap index, Pakistan’s score was second-last, ranking only above Yemen. Quratulain Fatima was the first woman to join the Pakistan Air Force, a decision she made during the Taliban’s brutal reign of terror.

Fatima is currently the project lead for Pakistan’s Agency for Barani Areas Development. In this role, she is able to connect with local people and prevent conflicts that often go unnoticed. She is particularly proud of the work she has done for women.

Read the full article about fighting for gender equality by Nicole Corea at The Aspen Institute.