Stories

Popular Story Collections

Take a deeper look at our stories from around the world.

40 stories

Video

Watch our videos to learn how AJWS is supporting people around the world who are fighting to improve the lives of millions.

22 stories

Sexual Health and Rights

We support women, girls and LGBTQI+ people, as they organize to end discrimination, stop violence and live with dignity, safety and health.

8 stories

Ruth Messinger

A tribute to a truly extraordinary leader, AJWS’s former President and its first Global Ambassador.

63 stories

Robert Bank

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.

14 stories

Photos

A look at the work we do to end poverty and promote human rights in the developing world.

23 stories

Land Water and Climate Justice

We aid communities and movements organizing to protect the land, water and natural resources that people depend on for their survival.

14 stories

Ending Child Marriage

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.

21 stories

Civil and Political Rights

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.

27 stories

30 at 30

In celebration of AJWS’s 30th anniversary, we profiled 30 global leaders who have partnered with AJWS to build a better world.

All Stories

Hope for Her Daughters: Rekha’s Story

“Hope for Her Daughters” tells the story of Rekha, who was married at 12 and had her first child at 13. She earns her living by sorting out recyclables from garbage, a difficult and sometimes dangerous job that’s fallen to extremely low-income families in India. Rekha presumed her daughters would have no choice but to follow the same path–until she got involved with Kashtakari Panchayat, an AJWS grantee.

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Something Different for Our Daughters: Mangal & Shital's Story

Something Different for Our Daughters: Mangal & Shital’s Story

At just 14 years old, Mangal Waikar’s parents pressured her into a marriage she didn’t want. As she began raising her own children, she wondered: how could she keep them from following the same path? Set in rural Maharashtra, India, “Something Different for Our Daughters” tells the story of how Mangal and her daughter, Shital, …

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Get to Know AJWS

Get to Know AJWS

Watch our video to learn how AJWS is supporting people around the world who are fighting to improve millions of lives.

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Indigenous communities defend their land and way of life

Indigenous communities work together to defend their land and way of life. In Guatemala, indigenous people whose families have lived and farmed in one place for generations are now facing rapid encroachment on their land and way of life. Many Mayan communities lack official land titles, despite obvious historic and cultural ties to their land. …

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Ruth Messinger on Disaster Relief

Ruth Messinger on Disaster Relief

“Who is wise? One who learns from all people.” So teaches a passage in Pirkei Avot, an ancient collection of Jewish texts. I’m reminded of this insight’s relevance today when I see how governments and international organizations are responding to disasters—those that strike thousands of miles away and those that hit close to home in New York City.

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