Take a deeper look at our stories from around the world.
Watch our videos to learn how AJWS is supporting people around the world who are fighting to improve the lives of millions.
We support women, girls and LGBTQI+ people, as they organize to end discrimination, stop violence and live with dignity, safety and health.
A tribute to a truly extraordinary leader, AJWS’s former President and its first Global Ambassador.
Get to know Robert Bank! Robert joined AJWS in 2009 as our Executive Vice President. As of July 1, 2016, Robert became the President and CEO of AJWS.
A look at the work we do to end poverty and promote human rights in the developing world.
We aid communities and movements organizing to protect the land, water and natural resources that people depend on for their survival.
Each year, 15 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18—sometimes against their will. AJWS supports efforts to end child marriage by bringing girls and young women together to define their own futures.
We aid communities and movements that speak out against injustice, hold governments accountable to respect the rights of all people, and work to recover from civil wars and other conflicts.
Witness social change up close through these videos from around the globe. You'll watch a day in the life of an activist AJWS supports and learn how they change lives and build social movements for justice.
In celebration of AJWS’s 30th anniversary, we profiled 30 global leaders who have partnered with AJWS to build a better world.
Like so many trans men that today form the community of HT El Salvador, Shane Mejía Iraheta grew up feeling like he didn’t fit — into society, in his own body and even in his family. He had a grandfather who respected him and sheltered him from his family’s disapproval. But when Shane’s grandfather died …
For years, transgender men in El Salvador have needed to hide their identities for fear of violence and persecution from their families and society at large. But HT El Salvador is shining a light on this community, increasing the visibility of trans men through years of hard face-to-face organizing — creating allies of parents, teachers …
My whole life, Haitians have demanded political representation. Now we need it more than ever. As a child, my first perception of government was military uniforms, as Haiti went through repeated coups after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship. In our neighborhood, government men beat people and stole things. I did not yet understand that …
As the transition government’s term expires, Haitians want to set up conditions for real change. The term of the current transition government expires on February 7, 2026. The international community and the Haitian elites are already negotiating who will govern next. But there is a great gap between their conversation and the concerns of most …
Ruth Messinger’s dedication to social justice runs deep. “I feel like I’ve been an activist my whole life.”
Juanita ‘Kika’ Antelis Juan is the oldest Juan sister, at 26. For Kika, Muñecas Negras inspired an extraordinary change in her life. She grew up in a family of 10 and was married when she turned 15 (In the Dominican Republic, marriage is often forced upon adolescent girls by families struggling financially, to lessen her …
Homophobic hatred sizzled in Haiti’s streets last summer. Religious leaders marched throughout the country to protest same-sex relationships and stir up anti-LGBT sentiment. As these extremists launched a vicious campaign, Haiti’s small, but growing number of advocates for LGBT rights—like the aptly named AJWS grantee Kouraj (Courage)—spoke out.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Dominican Republic have long faced discrimination and violence in their communities. But in recent years they have begun to speak out, advocate for their rights, and build a movement calling for change in Dominican society so that they can live as equal citizens whose rights are …
The impact of the U.S. presidential elections in November will surely extend beyond our borders and influence civil and political rights around the globe. The example the U.S. sets holds importance across the globe on a macro level; our actions speak volumes. And when the U.S. disregards the principles of rule of law and democracy, …
With a divided nation heading to the polls in November, our shared expectations of a new direction are palpable. But one change that may surprise most Americans is the potential for wholesale disruption to U.S. foreign aid, including billions in humanitarian funding, that could affect millions of lives around the world. As the world’s largest …
