A troubling narrative has gained traction: that men and boys are somehow more disadvantaged than women and girls, and that the focus on women’s issues has somehow left men behind. This framing is not only inaccurate, it’s dangerous. It disregards critical data and obscures the persistent, systemic gender inequalities women continue to face in nearly every sector of society.
We must acknowledge the very real struggles many boys and men face. But equity isn’t a zero-sum game. Supporting women and girls uplifts entire families and communities. It remains one of the most powerful investments we can make, socially and economically. The data tells us so, and philanthropy must listen.
Yet while the case for investment is clear, the funding isn’t. In Massachusetts, for instance, only 1.3% of philanthropic dollars go to nonprofits serving women and girls, below the already alarming national average of 1.8%. This chronic underinvestment directly limits our ability to address the very inequities these nonprofits are uniquely positioned to solve.
Nationally, social programs are demonstrably, undeniably effective for women and girls, and we have the proof. Programs like Stay the Course, which provides low-income community college students with personalized coaching and emergency financial support, tripled women’s associate degree completion (12% to 36%), and mentoring nearly doubled girls’ college enrollment (35% to 68%).
Project READS, a program that provides weekly one-on-one reading support to early elementary students reading below grade level, significantly raised girls’ literacy scores (0.4 standard deviations), and smaller classes led to higher GPAs and lower probation rates. Additionally, scholarships increased women’s degree attainment by 10 to 15%, and Paycheck Plus, which offered a larger earned income tax credit to low-income single adults without dependent children, boosted women’s employment by 6 to 10%.
The Women’s Foundation funds programs that are data driven, community based and proven to work. And the results are staggering:
- Economic Mobility Program: The percentage of program participants with a college degree increased from 35% at intake to 68% by the end, and 88% of graduates increased their credit score.
- Financial Literacy at Women’s Money Matters: Program graduates saw an average savings increase of 183% and increased their monthly income by 27%.
- Physical Activity and Life Skills Program at Girls on the Run Greater Boston: 100% strongly agreed their daughter is more confident because of participating.
- Afterschool STEM Program for Girls (Science Club for Girls): 100% of Fall Junior mentors have an interest in taking more challenging STEM courses, and 92% think STEM careers are an option for their future.
- College Readiness Program for High School Seniors (Girls Inc. of Boston & Lynn): 63% of participating female high school seniors submitted early action or early decision college applications.
These aren’t anecdotes. They’re return-on-investment benchmarks. This is what happens when philanthropy takes gender equity seriously.
Meanwhile, data used to argue that men are being left behind is often cherry picked and lacks context. For example, while men have higher suicide completion rates, largely due to greater access to firearms (two-thirds of which are owned by men), girls report far higher levels of suicidal ideation and attempts. In fact, 30% of girls have seriously considered suicide, compared to 15% of boys. Ten percent of girls have attempted suicide, nearly double the rate for boys.
Or take education: While women are graduating from college at higher rates (66% vs. 58% for men in 2023), that progress has stalled. Women’s graduation rates have remained flat since 2004. And the pandemic disproportionately impacted girls’ learning, particularly in low-income communities, threatening to reverse decades of gains.
Add to that the overwhelming economic burden shouldered by women:
- Women earn only 82 cents on the dollar, regardless of education level.
- They remain drastically underrepresented in high-paying sectors, just 23% in engineering, and 4% in the trades.
- 85% of single-parent households are led by women, 70% of whom live in poverty.
Philanthropy must stop treating gender equity as a niche cause. It is a central economic, educational and public health imperative.
The Women’s Foundation of Boston and our peer funders are proving what’s possible when dollars are directed intentionally. We don’t need to wait for new solutions. We need to fund what works and scale it. Yet the ecosystem of women- and girl-serving nonprofits continues to operate on shoestring budgets, even as demand for their services skyrockets.
Let’s not be misled by divisive rhetoric that pits genders against each other. Instead, let’s double down on what we know is true: Investing in women and girls delivers unmatched returns. Women reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities. They are not just beneficiaries of philanthropy, they are its most effective amplifiers.
To every policymaker, funder, and community leader:
Now is the time to lead with data.
Now is the time to fund with urgency.
Now is the time to invest in women and girls — not as a side issue, but as a strategy for lasting, inclusive change.
Christina Gordon is CEO and co-founder, Women’s Foundation of Boston.
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