A website that combines the financial power and action of its users in tackling gender inequality across the world has been launched.
It was designed and built by the global advocacy organisation Women Deliver.
Catapult.org, which allows its supporters to directly contribute their quota to selected projects, aims to improve the health of women and children.
In a statement issued by one of the site’s partners, PATH, it said the new website will harness financial and social support to tackle gender inequality and achieve basic human rights for women and girls.
“Catapult uses a concept called crowdfunding which attempts to fund projects by attracting donations of any size from many people,” the statement said.
Currently, the website has 30 partnering organisations and features around 75 projects. In terms of funds raised via its crowdsourcing feature, the statement said more than $68,000 has been realised in donations.
A feature of the website is that it allows partners to highlight their projects. One of the organisations using the platform to highlight its projects is PATH which already has three projects.
“Banking breast milk for babies is one of PATH’s projects on Catapult. We are establishing a human milk-banking system in South Africa to safely collect and store donated breast milk for newborn babies whose mothers are HIV-positive and unable to breastfeed.
“Another is promoting “girl talk” among Burmese migrants in Thailand. Through group discussions, we’re connecting young migrant women in Bangkok with important reproductive health services.
“The third is supporting women and families facing tuberculosis (TB). In Vietnam, we’re training volunteers to educate TB patients and their families, especially female caregivers, on improving nutrition and adhering to treatment to enhance recovery and prevent illness,” PATH said in the statement.
