Profile of A Third Sector Girl

So one of the top movies in the world today is about a girl whose main characteristic is that she’s a cipher, a blank canvas for other girls to draw themselves on top of.

Sometimes I look at all of the nonprofits, NGOs, Charities all over the world, and I wonder, “Who are we? Really?”

Look at your local magazine rack.
Look at your TV station.
Look at Huffpost or NYTimes.

Do we see profiles of powerful women changing the world?

Not really.

What kind of woman wants to change the world?

What kind of person has the gumption to do it, despite years of no encouragement?

Let’s get clear.

This person cares about helping others.

This person is a woman who is driven by her convictions.

This person can be a good researcher, a good networker, a creative person who wants to get more people involved with her cause through excellent web or graphic design,

This person may be personally touched by her cause, either through volunteering, childhood fundraising, or learning about a cause online and wanting to do more.

This person is optimistic in some ways. She wants to make the world better, and she’s working towards it.

This Third-Sector Girl, does she sound like you?

Why not make her less invisible?

How many females make nonprofits run, around the world? How many females are responsible for getting things done so that causes can succeed?

Why aren’t we agitating for ourselves, too?

Recently Bidisha, columnist for the Guardian, wrote about Women’s Mass Awakening. This writing inspired me.

She attended the UK Feminista Summer School, where “…the audience was so motivated, articulate and aware that I am unshakeably convinced that, as one attendee put it, “it’s not about waves of feminism, we need a tsunami” – and that tsunami is here. It’s here because our frustration, anger, claustrophobia and chagrin have reached their limit. There is no less rape, battery, harassment or discrimination than before. There is no less sophistry, apologism and victim-blaming. There is no less marginalisation. There is more objectification, pornification, sexual bullying and sexual exploitation.”

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