We are a UK-based charity empowering women around the world to bravely share their stories in order to heal, break down stigma and shame, and shift the attitudes, behaviors, and systems which keep women silenced, disempowered, and at an unstable, unsafe, and unequal position in private and public life.
The way we speak about and portray women in traditional and social media needs to change. Misrepresented and underrepresented, women around the world have far too long been told limiting stories told about who they are, who they should be, and who they can someday be, by those with power and influence - keeping them from rising into their potential and power.
We want to create a world where every woman, no matter her class, history, race, appearance, country, or occupation, is seen, heard, and celebrated for her unique value and understands the true power of her voice.
Through our creative campaigns, we encourage people from diverse backgrounds to bear witness to real, brave, and honest stories from women around the world. Not only does this encourage understanding, empathy, and solidarity, a pivotal step in equality, but it allows women everywhere to feel seen, heard, and valued and activate their stories for change.
Oprah says it best: “When people feel validated, when they’re seen and heard, and what they’re saying means something to you - they feel they’re not alone and that they matter. That is the deepest desire we all share - is to matter. That’s the way to make hope real for anyone in the world. Make them matter.”
And that is exactly what we aim to do. Make every woman know, without a shadow of a doubt, that she matters.
OUR COMMITMENTS
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 5
We commit to ensure that each of our chapters, and our partner charities, are working in alignment with at least one of the SDG5 targets. We hold at the core of our mission UN Women’s statement that women and girls, everywhere, must have equal rights and opportunity, and be able to live free of violence and discrimination. Women’s equality and empowerment is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but also integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development. In short, all the SDGs depend on the achievement of Goal 5. And while our registered objects also include the elimination of poverty as outlined in SDG1, our method to achieving this is directly through the targets of SDG5, in our campaign work and grants.
sdg targets
5.1
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
5.2
Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
5.3
Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
5.4
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.5
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life
5.6
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.7
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.8
Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
5.9
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
VALUING AND INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
At Woman United, we are acutely aware of the delicate and complex nature of the work we do to serve a global community of women. We work with vulnerable communities, communities that we are not necessarily a part of, and while we don’t approach a chapter location or issue without some personal connection to the community we feature, we come in largely as outsiders to carry out our mission and do not physically remain in a location after the shoot is done. We commit to always keeping the safety, participation, and voices of the communities we seek to serve as our number one priority.
To read our commitment statement on the subject, click here.
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
Our Board of Trustees and senior management commits to and oversees the implementation of a policy of zero-tolerance for bribery and corruption within our internal systems, our partnerships, and the communities we serve, recognising that bribery is contrary to fundamental values of integrity, transparency and accountability and undermines organisational effectiveness.
FULL TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY
We commit to always being transparent with our work, where our money comes from, where it goes, and how it is used. We will always be brave and own our mistakes and missteps, and grow from them as we learn. We invite the active participation of our donors, partners, and community to continually ask questions, give feedback, and hold us accountable for our commitments.
OUR GOALS
How can a little portrait shoot impact the world in big ways? In every campaign, we keep these six goals in mind.
When a given minority or disadvantaged group is portrayed in the media in a positive light, stereotypes can be dismantled, and that’s our goal. Through our portraits and films we aim to smash the stereotypes the women we feature have about themselves, the stereotypes that their families and communities hold as truths, and the stereotypes that the outside world places upon them. We also aim to break down the stigmas surrounding the issues we feature, making sure it it something that people start getting comfortable talking about.
Our campaigns challenge the women who participate, and those who witness our work, to act with bravery and vulnerability in sharing their stories. We do this because we know the dramatic transformation and healing that occurs when we hold space for a woman to feel truly seen, heard, and accepted for exactly who she is as a human being. When these individual voices of often ignored, undervalued, and underserved women join the collective voices of women everywhere, our bravery is amplified, and we can all begin the process of exercising our own individual agency - the ability to take action from an authentic, free, and supported place.
We believe that visual storytelling is one of the most powerful vehicles to promote diversity, inclusion, and women's equality, and ultimately is a critical method in creating greater understanding of, and empathy for, the marginalized communities of women we feature. Our global approach allow for larger audiences to connect with, and hear the stories of, women they might not otherwise encounter or normally relate to. The act of “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes” fosters a deep emotional connection to the women we serve.
These are not just pretty photos, they are agents of societal shifts. We believe that attitudes and beliefs don’t truly change until the issue at hand becomes personal for someone, so we aim to make it personal - both directly and digitally. Most importantly, we want to chip away at a local level the long held personal and societal attitudes and beliefs that have been ingrained in the minds of the women, their families, and their communities. And then, achieve a ripple effect of change digitally for global communities who face similar issues and identify with the women we feature, and ultimately impact everyone who comes into contact with our campaigns.
Our project holds up a mirror for the women we feature, and women like them around the world, to show that they are more than the limiting things they have been told about who they are, what they can and cannot be, and what they should and should not do based on their lived experience, race, country, disability, ethnicity, language, occupation, appearance, and class. We believe that empowerment starts with self-acceptance and self-love, because only then can a woman realize her self-worth and demand to be treated in the way she deserves.
While it’s essential to our mission, we don’t only want to change the way we feel about ourselves as women and the women we feature. We want inspire a global rallying cry to truly change the way we behave toward ourselves and women everywhere. We want to see changes in the way a local man treats his partner, his child, his sisters, and his neighbor. We want to see changes in the way a community uplifts and takes care of their women and the most vulnerable amongst them. We want to see changes in the way those in power care for and protect the women they are bound to serve. We want to see every women, everywhere, treated with all the respect they deserve.
HOW WE
ACHIEVE OUR GOALS
We believe that visual stories are one of the most impactful paths to human connection.
We utilize evocative and emotional storytelling and visual media to connect the world to important issues women face today, and encourage people from diverse backgrounds and global locations to bear witness to, and provide a safe space for, women to share their voices.
We believe in creativity and hope as agents of change.
In the oversaturated space of today’s media, especially social, we know that something needs to look spectacularly different to capture people’s attention and compel them to dive deeper into a story. So often charities use disempowering photojournalistic style images and sad stories to raise money for causes, but we believe that hope is a far stronger motivator for lasting change than fear. So instead of sticking in this status quo lane, we leverage our collective creative powers to create positive, beautiful, and hope-filled content to evoke meaningful conversation and drive individual and collective sustainable change, driving normative shifts in the communities we serve and society as a whole.
We believe in the power of representation to break down stereotypes.
Underrepresentation of women of all colors, classes, and countries is a pervasive source in perpetuating the cycle of gender inequality, racism, and classism. As journalist Pilar Kaltzada says: “By failing to reflect the diversified structures of societies and by fueling misrepresentations of “others”, media outlets feed the social distance that already separates different groups. When a given minority or disadvantaged group is portrayed in the media in a positive light, stereotypes can be dismantled, and this is especially important for younger generations who are more directly exposed to this.”
In just the short time we have started Woman United, we have seen hundreds of Indonesian women and girls respond to our project with the new belief that they are more than what they’ve been told because they see their mothers, sisters, and community members - women that look like them - for the very first time celebrated, valued, seen, and heard.
our founding
BOARD OF TRUSTEES + STAFF
Each woman played an integral part in the formation of Woman United, and lends her time, talent, and heart to our cause.
stephanie goldfinger
founder / creative director
Stephanie is the founder, photographer, and creative director of Woman United. A long time advocate for female entrepreneurship and women’s equality in all its forms, she works tirelessly to ensure that the voices of all have a seat at the table. Her varied experience in entrepreneurship, digital, and creative spaces lends the big picture vision and leadership of the foundation.
ruth allmark
trustee / secretary, marketing and ops lead
Ruth is the operations and marketing force behind the foundation, and is passionately devoted to social justice issues in every way at home in the UK and around the world. Her endless supply of hope, vision, and big picture thinking is unparalleled, and her experience in the London advertising agency world brings a focused and creative perspective to our marketing vision.
nanci ballantyne
trustee / chair, fundraising co-lead
Nanci has spent almost 40 years devoted to fighting for the rights of women and children in the non-profit sector as a development and major gifts campaign powerhouse in the United States. Her experience, wisdom, and passion leads the board with an eye on compliance, long-term vision, and creating lasting and sustainable impact.
lara maysa ingram
trustee / film lead
Lara’s experience as a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and digital content creator brings the stories of the women we photograph to life, giving them a platform and a voice. Her devotion to storytelling, truth, and celebrating the unique voice and gifts of women and girls around the world brings another layer to our creative team.
jade sarkhel
trustee / press lead
Jade is known for her award-winning work as a food & drink photographer, as well as running a London-based digital marketing and photography agency. Her creative perspective and commitment to making the world a better place through the female spirit is a constant source of inspiration for our creative team.
heather sheldon
trustee/ treasurer, fundraising co-lead
Heather’s decade of experience in the not-for-profit world in the full spectrum of roles, and passionate work with empowering women and girls in every aspect of life, brings a unique and spirited voice to the team. Her ability to dream big for the future and make it all happen is a force to behold.
know a story that needs to be told?
Nominate your community of women to be featured as a chapter of the Woman United story.