Hispanics In Philanthropy (HIP)’s President Ana Marie Argilagos released the following statement in honor of International Women’s Day:

The contributions that women and girls make every day build economies, strengthen communities, and uplift families.  And yet, too often women still struggle against an imposed status of second-class citizens. As a result, their autonomy and control over their bodies and futures are limited from the time they are born.

Our world needs a complete cultural mind shift if it is to eradicate discrimination and violence against women and girls. That mind shift starts right here, in the world of philanthropy. Philanthropy has played an important role in the fight for gender equality, yet we still have work to do. As the #MeToo movement takes the U.S. by storm, those of us in philanthropy must ask ourselves some important questions: Didn’t we already know that these types of abuses against women were taking place? If we didn’t, how did we not? If we did, why haven’t we made more progress? Which women are we leaving out, and how can philanthropy step in?

In philanthropy, we have a moment in time like no other before: a moment to ensure that the next generation of young women are provided equal access to opportunity. To accomplish that goal, our investments must reflect that we believe in the potential of women and girls as leaders. After all, the future is female.

Read the full article about Hispanics in Philanthropy call to action by Ana Marie Argilagos at Hispanics in Philanthropy.