International Women’s Day 2025 arrives at a moment that feels precarious, as hard-won progress on gender equity faces renewed threats. Reproductive rights are being rolled back, gender equity policies are under attack, and the harassment of women in public life has become an entrenched strategy to silence their voices. This year's theme—For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment—is not just a statement, but a challenge to those who believe we have come far enough. We are witnessing not isolated events but a larger, deliberate effort to undermine gender equality and weaken democratic institutions – a stark reminder that rights can be revoked as swiftly as they are won.
Pressing Issues Facing Women and Girls
Tech-Facilitated Violence Against Women: A Digital Reckoning
The rise of digital spaces has brought new opportunities—and new dangers. Women in politics, media and entertainment, and civil society are increasingly targeted by online abuse, a deliberate tactic to drive them out of public discourse. Our conversation with Ambassador Gupta confirmed what many already know: online violence is not separate from real-world violence. When harassment and abuse go unchecked, they send a chilling message to future generations—that stepping into leadership comes at a cost. If this cycle continues, we risk losing not just the women leading today but those who might have led tomorrow. Philanthropy must recognize this as a civil rights issue, funding digital protections, legal frameworks, and systemic advocacy to ensure that women can engage in public life without fear.
Climate and Health: The Overlooked Impact on Women
Climate change is not an abstract, distant threat—it’s an unfolding emergency and its impact is deeply gendered. From pregnancy complications caused by extreme heat to the increased burden on women as caregivers during climate-related disasters, the intersections between climate and health are impossible to ignore. Philanthropy has a powerful opportunity to bridge the gap between climate and health by supporting women-led, community-driven solutions. Integrating climate adaptation and health equity ensures that funding reaches those most affected while building long-term resilience.
Child Protection in Conflict and Crisis
When conflict erupts or political instability takes hold, it is girls who suffer some of the gravest consequences. Our former client Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) has documented these realities in painstaking detail, including forced displacement, school closures, child marriage, and trafficking. By investing in systemic solutions, funders can help ensure that education and safety become long-term guarantees for girls in crisis, rather than temporary relief efforts.
Maternal Health Equity: Addressing Systemic Barriers
Every woman deserves respectful, high-quality maternity care, yet maternal health outcomes remain deeply unequal. Systemic barriers, including racial and economic inequities, continue to put too many women at risk—especially in marginalized communities. The Panorama Fund is working to close these gaps by supporting organizations that address maternal health disparities, advocate for policy change, and expand access to community-based care. As highlighted in our report, Advancing Maternal Health Equity: Overcoming Barriers & Seizing Opportunities, philanthropy can play a critical role in ensuring that all women, regardless of background, have the care and support they need for safe and healthy pregnancies.
Women’s Political Leadership: Barriers to Representation and Impact
When women lead in politics, democracy is stronger. Our report, Beyond Gender Parity: An Exploration of Funding for Women’s Political Leadership in the Global South, highlights that countries with more women in office adopt inclusive policies, reduce corruption, and build public trust. Yet systemic barriers, harassment, and policy setbacks continue to block women—especially women of color—from running for office and remaining in leadership roles. Globally, women hold just 27.2% of parliamentary seats, far from parity despite decades of advocacy and reform efforts. In the U.S., a new report by The Ascend Fund, Unfinished Business: Systemic Barriers for Women in the 2024 U.S. Election, highlights how structural obstacles continue to limit women's political participation at all levels of government, underscoring the urgent need for sustained philanthropic investment in this space.
Philanthropy must do more than acknowledge this imbalance through investing in breaking down structural barriers, funding networks that sustain women’s leadership, and supporting policies that protect their political participation. This is not just about gender equity—it is an investment in the future of democracy itself.
How to Elevate Your Philanthropy
Transformative philanthropy requires funding, but it also demands strategic action, cross-sector collaboration, and a commitment to lasting change. Here are a few more ideas on how to elevate your impact:
1. Fund What Works
Directly fund women-led organizations with a proven track record of systemic change. The Funding What Works report highlights a number of organizations best positioned to tackle gender equity challenges and additional wicked problems, yet they remain underfunded. Philanthropy must shift power by providing long-term, flexible funding to the leaders already driving meaningful, systemic impact.
2. Break Down Silos
Gender equity is not a standalone issue. It intersects with climate, health, tech, political participation, and economic justice. Funders must move beyond compartmentalized giving and embrace holistic, cross-sector strategies.
3. Use Every Lever, Every Tool
Philanthropy isn’t just about grantmaking. It’s about influencing policy, shifting narratives, and pushing the field to be bolder, more accountable, and willing to take real risks.
4. Collaborate for Greater Impact
No single donor or institution can solve these challenges alone. The most effective philanthropy happens in partnership—with activists, policymakers, and those with lived experience.
Take Action for Lasting Change
The world is shifting, and philanthropy can adapt their strategies to meet the urgency of this moment. At Panorama Strategy, we partner with funders who are committed to advancing social change—whether through traditional grantmaking or bold, systemic strategies. We don’t just advise—we design evidence-based solutions that respond to today’s evolving social and political landscape.
From advancing gender equity in digital rights to strengthening democracy through women’s leadership, we help funders turn resources into lasting change. Our approach is hands-on, informed by the communities we serve, and focused on making philanthropy more than a transaction—it’s a tool for transformation.
International Women’s Day is a test of commitment. The world is watching, and women and girls everywhere are counting on us. Let’s work together to advance a path toward real progress and lasting change.
