Women, in all their diversity, are a force to be reckoned with.

When we picture the future we’re working toward, women are not just a critical piece of the vision; they are its heart and soul, inseparable and essential. We envision a world where women of all backgrounds and experiences are reflected in positions of leadership, where their voices are heard and valued in shaping policies and practices that affect us all.

It’s a vision of society that celebrates the unique contributions of women as stewards of the natural world, champions for families and communities, and guardians of just societies. Where women would have equitable access to opportunities and resources, ensuring that their rights and dignity are upheld and protected. And they’d have full autonomy over their own bodies, gender expression, and identity.

In this future, women are not just beneficiaries of change, but the head architects of what comes next.

We know that this future is possible because we see it evident every day in the remarkable women we partner with. When we ask ourselves what the future we envision looks like, it’s a simple answer.

To us, it looks like Fatima Goss-Graves.

It looks like laws and policies that defend, protect, and lift up women and girls in the U.S.

It looks like Dr. Karine Gibbs.

It looks like laboratories that encourage scientists to bring their authentic selves and perspectives to work.

It looks like Jamie Bardwell and Danielle Lampton.

It looks like two friends who took matters into their own hands to improve Mississippi’s reproductive health care system.

It looks like Fanta Touré.

It looks like a network of thousands of girls standing up to end child marriage and creating the conditions to build their own futures.

It looks like Mayra E. Alvarez.

It looks like making sure that public programs are serving people that they’re intended to serve.

As we celebrate women this March and throughout the year, we are reminded of their powerful historical contributions and the ongoing importance of investing in their leadership.

Aligned with the work of many of these women, at the Packard Foundation, we are committed to advancing gender equity as a fundamental principle of our work. Our approach is intersectional, recognizing that gender intersects with other aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, and income. We work to advance reproductive rights globally; support moms, pregnant people, and kids; and to address related issues like racial justice in the U.S.

Women like Fatima Goss-Graves, Mayra Alvarez, Fanta Touré, Jamie Bardwell, Danielle Lampton, and Karine Gibbs have seen what needed to be done in their communities and shown remarkable resilience and leadership to bring their ideas to fruition. We’re grateful to these women and to the long, long list of women we work with who inspire us daily.