Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer. You can view past posts from the series here.

This post is a part of a sponsored awareness program that seeks to help women and girls everywhere live healthy lives wherein they are protected, respected, educated and empowered to reach their potential. Visit www.togetherforwomen.org.

Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day. It is a day has been celebrated since the early 1900s. Many events around the globe are planned to celebrate achievements and inspire women. Today, I wanted to share with you two easy and fun ways to get involved with International Women’s Day through conversation and giving.

Photo courtesy of Plan

Women and girls are often the faces of poverty, yet they are critical to overcoming it. Investing in a woman or girl helps her get out of abuse and poverty, uplifting herself, her family and whole communities. Investing in women can actually change the world.

Did you know that women produce half of the world’s food, but own less than one percent of the world’s property? Or that two-thirds of the children denied primary education are girls and that women and girls make up 98% of trafficking victims?

Global Impact, a leader in growing global philanthropy, has brought together CARE, World Vision, Plan USA, and the International Center for Research on Women to host a Twitter chat today (March 7) at 2:00pm EST. The conversation will be around women and girls and what we all can do to help those that are suffering around the world.

In addition to the Twitter chat, the Global Impact Women & Girls Fund was launched this week to help to provide education, protection and rehabilitation from violence and exploitation, job training, healthcare, safe drinking water and a host of other services to women and girls around the world. This fund for women and girls brings together some of the best charities in the world together. When you give to the fund, your contribution goes directly to supporting real and meaningful work to improve the lives of women and girls.

Photo courtesy of Plan

From the description of the Twitter chat:

Without access to clean drinking water, sanitation, medical care, equal rights, education and decent employment, poverty continues to intensify. When mothers lack the means to thrive, their children suffer, as well. No single charity is large enough to combat these challenges alone. Organizations worldwide are uniting to provide resources and frontline delivery of services on a global scale, including:

• Access to education
• Job skills training
• Prenatal and early childhood care
• Microlending opportunities
• Safe drinking water
• Protection from violence and rehabilitation for those who have been victimized
• Vaccinations and lifesaving drugs
• School enrollment and attendance programs

To address the aforementioned issues and increase the resources available to organizations helping women and girls in the developing world, Global Impact has partnered with CARE, World Vision, Plan USA and ICRW to raise funds for programs impacting women and girls.

Again, the chat is happening today, March 7 at 2pm EST. It should be a fun and robust conversation. I always find that I learn a lot from these type of Twitter chats. And you realize that you too can make a difference in other women’s lives.

You can find out more about the Twitter chat and RSVP here (RSVP not necessary). If you can’t make it, simply search the hashtag #WomensDayChat, read and share some of the wonderful nuggets of information that are sure to come out of this conversation.

If you would like to contribute to the Global Impact Women & Girls Fund, please visit www.togetherforwomen.org.

Together we can help change the world by investing in women and girls.

How will you celebrate International Women’s Day?

I wrote this post as part of the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of Mom Bloggers for Social Good members who focus on maternal health, children, hunger, and women and girls. It is part of a 24-hour blog carnival. You can read more newborn health posts on the Global Team of 200 site.