Autonomy. Dignity. Hope. These are the principles that ground the work of the Girls Rights Project and underpin a girls’ future where she can live safe, fearless, and free. Since 2001, the Girls Rights Project, formerly the Keare/Hodge Family Foundation, has provided over $3.5 million in grants to organizations addressing education, health, and human rights. 

Girls Rights Project president Stacey Keare instantly felt connected to Equality Now’s mission, and particularly that of our Adolescent Girls Legal Defense Fund (AGLDF). A lawyer herself, Keare is dedicated to ensuring that girls around the world enjoy the same rights and freedoms as her own daughters. 

Now, nearly a decade later, Equality Now is fortunate to count the Girls Rights Project and Ms.Keare as friends and supporters, standing shoulder to shoulder with us in our work to make equality a reality. 

We spoke to Ms. Keare to learn more about the Girls Rights Project, and why she decided to partner with Equality Now.

What inspired the Girls Rights Project to support an organization that advocates for gender equality and women and girls’ rights?

The Girls Rights Project has a particular focus on legal rights in solving problems of girls’ rights.  I am an attorney and have always been focused on human rights as a solution to womens’ and girls’ rights. I have been a legal aid lawyer and served on the Board of [Northern California’s] local Legal Aid organization.  Equality Now’s Adolescent Girls Legal Defense Fund is the perfect program for the Girls Rights Project to support and help advance the rights of girls in a concrete and replicable way.

What do you feel is important about the partnership between our organizations?

I feel like there is just a very strong symmetry of the issues we deal with and care about.  I am really a generalist and try to address girls’ rights from a number of angles…from education to legal protection, to advocacy.  Equality Now operates in the same holistic way.

Why do you support Equality Now and our work?

Equality Now has a history of being bold and creative in its approach to securing rights for girls and women. The Girls Rights Project is very proud to be able to help advance the work of Equality Now and we look forward to more opportunities in the future.