15 Years of Creating Lasting Change for Girls, Women and Non-Conforming People
Program
Highlights
2024 marked PHI’s Rise Up’s 15th anniversary of creating lasting change—a milestone year for Rise Up Leaders who transformed the lives of more than 25 million people globally, improving health, education and economic opportunities for girls, women and gender-nonconforming people. Learn how Rise Up Leaders are shifting resources, amplifying voices and ensuring that those most affected by injustice lead the solutions.
25M people impacted by 10 new laws that were passed with the help of advocacy efforts of Rise Up leaders around the world in 2024
98 Rise Up Leaders were added to Rise Up's total global network of 980 alumni in 2024
$680K invested in direct grants and field-building support to tackle critical challenges affecting women, girls and gender-nonconforming people across the globe in 2024
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Focus Areas
Capacity Building & Leadership, Global Health, Women, Youth & Children -
Expertise
Leadership Development
2024 marked PHI’s Rise Up’s 15th anniversary of creating lasting change—a milestone year for Rise Up Leaders who transformed the lives of more than 25 million people globally, improving health, education and economic opportunities for girls, women and gender-nonconforming people. With the unwavering generosity of our partners, throughout 2024 Rise Up invested in 98 extraordinary new leaders and supported them to successfully advocate for 10 new and improved laws and policies across the U.S., India, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico. Rise Up invested over $680,000 in direct grants and field-building support to advance gender equity and justice worldwide.
At Rise Up, building power is about more than policy change—it’s about shifting resources, amplifying voices and ensuring that those most affected by injustice lead the solutions. And with power comes something just as transformative: joy. The joy of a girl finishing school, a woman accessing the health care she needs, and a future where gender justice is not just an aspiration, but a reality—where girls in STEM programs receive the same mentorship opportunities as boys, where the gender wage gap vanishes, and where LGBTQ+ youth feel safe everywhere they go.
Here are a few of the lasting changes they made in 2024:
Ensuring That Millions of Girls In India Can Finish School
Growing up in Rajasthan, India, Rise Up Leader Poonam Jonwal saw firsthand how girls’ futures were often cut short — by early marriage, harassment, and above all, by the simple denial of an education. As one of five sisters in a large family, she witnessed the barriers girls faced to stay in school. “I realized that education is the key for girls to escape social evils,” Poonam told Rise Up. “But I wasn’t ready to lead yet — I was hesitant, unsure how to step into a leadership role.” That reluctance changed when Poonam joined Rise Up’s Leadership Accelerator. Selected through a rigorous process, she gained new tools — policy analysis, advocacy strategy development, leadership skills, project design, and more.
With Rise Up’s funding and support, Poonam developed a strategic plan to solve a major obstacle keeping girls out of the classroom: school fees. Although free education for all children in India is guaranteed by law, school fees often prevent girls from finishing school. Poonam worked tirelessly to ensure that girls could complete their education. Through coordination with key stakeholders, she led efforts to establish a statewide education complaints board to resolve issues affecting students’ access to quality education. This government-mandated body is made up of child rights officials, government representatives, parents, teachers, and community representatives — all tasked with investigating challenges facing students and families such as illegal school fees, poor sanitation, and gender discrimination, and taking concrete actions to fix them. Because of Poonam’s efforts, nearly 10 million students across Rajasthan can now attend school and receive the education they deserve. This model doesn’t just remove barriers to education — it puts girls at the center of change. Through Poonam’s leadership, girls are now active members of School Management Committees, effectively advocating for clean and safe bathrooms, regular sanitary pad distribution, better sports facilities, and more women teachers.
I made sure girls weren’t just beneficiaries — they became decision-makers. Because of Rise Up, I am no longer hesitant. I am a leader — and I am strengthening the system for girls.Poonam Jonwal
Rise Up Leader, India
Improving Safety and Support for 13 Million Women in São Paulo, Brazil
Three Rise Up Leaders united to transform the devastating increase in gender-based violence for women in São Paulo. With training and funding from Rise Up, Marília Moreira, Fernanda Martins, and Renata Guadagnin came together to stand up for survivors of gender-based violence. Leveraging their complementary skillsets and expertise, Marília, Fernanda, and Renata created an ambitious joint advocacy strategy to create large-scale impact. Engaging survivors and community members, the leaders developed São Paulo’s Unified Protocol for Communication and Assistance to Women Victims of Violence. This landmark legislation ensures that women in violent situations receive coordinated care and services, reduces the risk of re-victimization, and improves data collection to inform better public policy. In August 2024, government leaders signed the new protocol, positively impacting the lives of 13 million women in São Paulo.
The three leaders are now working to expand their success nationally to transform how Brazil responds to gender-based violence and urge the country to recognize it as a public health priority.
“Despite the inequalities and injustices, being connected in a network with others — especially women — who fight together, believing that these are collective struggles and that only through unity can we build equity, is what keeps us inspired and motivated to continue.Fernanda Martins
Rise Up Leaders, Brazil
Bridging the Digital Literacy Divide for Adolescent Girls in Nigeria
In a world increasingly shaped by technology, Rise Up Leader Franklin Pyokpung Zaure saw that adolescent girls in rural communities in Nigeria were being left behind, unable to gain the digital skills needed to thrive. “For women and girls in my community, digital literacy is empowering and opens doors to economic opportunities by equipping them with essential skills,” Franklin said. “Digital literacy enables women and girls to overcome barriers like mobility constraints and societal norms, fostering inclusion in digital economies.”
Determined to create a brighter future for marginalized girls, Franklin brought digital literacy and skills training to nearly 362,000 rural girls and women
across Kaduna State by expanding the Kaduna Digital Incubation Program (KADDIP), with Rise Up’s funding and support. Through his organization, the Creative Arts for Development Center, Franklin led efforts to extend the Digital Incubation Program’s reach to rural communities, opening up new opportunities for girls who had long been excluded from digital spaces. By equipping rural girls with access to affordable tech devices and providing them with training to develop digital skills and market their products online, Franklin is creating pathways to economic mobility for girls that were previously out of reach.
By giving adolescent girls the tools to build their digital literacy, Franklin is bridging the digital gender divide, opening doors to education, employment, and leadership that will transform entire communities for generations to come.
The transformative support provided by Rise Up, ranging from comprehensive training and strategic guidance to network and financialFranklin Pyokpung Zaure
resources, made it possible for me to craft effective plans and build the confidence to drive meaningful changes in my community.
Rise Up Leader, Nigeria
A version of this impact story first appeared in the 2024 Rise Up Annual Report.
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