New York, NY – At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting, VOICE, a women-led feminist organization, is proud to announce its commitment titled “Integrating Women's and Girls' Needs and Leadership in US Crisis Response.” This ambitious initiative aims to revolutionize how humanitarian aid and disaster response are conducted in the United States, by placing women and girls at the center of crisis leadership and decision-making.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected in times of crisis, yet their unique needs and leadership potential are often overlooked in disaster response. VOICE is on a mission to change that by ensuring that women and girls are not just beneficiaries but key architects of emergency response policies and responses, particularly as the world faces escalating crises due to climate change and conflict.
Key Objectives of the Commitment:
- Amplifying Women’s Leadership: VOICE will empower women and girls to lead crisis responses, ensuring their needs are integrated into disaster preparedness and emergency policies. Through this commitment, VOICE will directly impact over 1,000,000 people in the U.S., with a focus on women and girls’ inclusion in decision-making.
- Rapid Response and Gender-based Violence Expertise: VOICE will deploy rapid response teams with expertise in gender-based violence to respond to emergencies in real-time, working with partners like FEMA, the National Guard, and the Red Cross to integrate women's and girls’ perspectives and lived experiences.
- Support for Frontline Workers: To combat burnout among caregivers, VOICE will provide short-term relief and wellness retreats, giving these essential workers time to rest and recharge, allowing them to continue their vital work without exhaustion.
- Training and Mentorship: VOICE will offer targeted training and mentorship programs to over 5,000 individuals on gender inequality and gender-based violence in crisis contexts, building a network of women experts and advocates for gender-responsive emergency response.
- Resource Mobilization: VOICE will bridge local women-led and gender-diverse organizations with donors to channel essential resources and investments where they are most needed. Small grants and strategic support will enable local leaders to take ownership of crisis response efforts.
Expanding Proven International Models to the U.S.
Building on its successful international track record in countries like Pakistan, South Sudan, and Ukraine, VOICE is expanding its focus to the U.S., where reproductive rights and access to essential services are under threat. This commitment will address the growing challenges posed by climate disasters, environmental degradation, and the erosion of human rights—factors that disproportionately harm women and girls.
A Call for Action
“Our approach is revolutionary because it centers the voices of women and girls in crisis situations in the United States,” says Mendy Marsh, co-founder and Executive Director of VOICE. “By shifting power, leadership, and resources to women-led and gender-diverse organizations, we are not just meeting immediate needs but fundamentally changing how the world responds to crises. This commitment will transform systems to ensure women and girls are not only protected but are leading the charge in creating safer, more equitable societies.”
With this CGI commitment, VOICE is setting a new standard for gender-responsive crisis management in the United States. The organization’s focus on leveraging feminist principles, gender-based violence expertise, and advocacy for reproductive justice and climate resilience will ensure that women and girls, in all their diversity, are recognized as indispensable leaders in shaping effective and equitable emergency responses.
About VOICE
VOICE is a leading women-led feminist organization committed to amplifying the leadership, security, and rights of women and girls in crisis settings. Through advocacy, rapid response, and capacity-building, VOICE creates inclusive, gender-responsive approaches to disaster and crisis management, with a strong focus on addressing gender-based violence. By partnering with local women and gender-diverse organizations, VOICE supports women and girls to drive transformative change in humanitarian aid and crisis response.
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI’s unique model, more than 10,000 organizations have launched more than 4,000 Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable projects and programs – that are making a difference in the lives of more than 500 million people in 180 countries.