March is Women’s History Month. As a team of all women, supporting women and girls is integral to everything we do at FEED. It’s also central to our mission of fighting childhood hunger. According to our partners at the UN World Food Programme, women and girls represent more than 70% of people facing chronic hunger. 

Especially this year, Women’s History Month feels all the more relevant, as we continue to see the negative effects of the pandemic on women and on the ongoing fight for equity. This past September, four times as many women as men dropped out of the labor force, many reporting a lack of childcare. An article in The Washington Post over the summer predicted the pandemic would set women back an entire generation.

On International Women’s Day, we launched a limited-edition collection of totes in partnership with Every Mother Counts. Each tote makes a $5 donation to help support access to safe, equitable, and respectful maternity care for women everywhere. This partnership is especially meaningful to me as I am on the brink of welcoming my third child into the world next month. =)

This will be my last longer-form letter until post-baby, so I’ll leave you with some hopes for the new seasons to come. I am hopeful that as we shake off the last month of winter and head into Spring, we can move forward with renewed vigor and focus on unity, kindness, equity, and respect.

I am hopeful that as we start to slowly emerge over the next few months, we can remember the learnings and awakenings of the past year and put them to good use, particularly to help our neighbors in need. Most of all, I am just filled with hope.