WOMANKIND Worldwide was the brainchild of Alec Reed of Reed Employment plc.

His aim was to set up a charity to support women in developing countries, which he would finance for three years through Reed Employment and through Reed Charity. Kate Young was WOMANKIND Worldwide’s first Executive Director when the charity was launched on International Women’s Day in 1989.
The Trustees, whose role it is to guide and oversee the charity, decided that WOMANKIND Worldwide should concentrate on:

supporting women’s organisations in the belief that, just as a group of women has greater strength than one woman alone, women can best bring about significant change by getting together.
development rather than welfare, with an emphasis on funding projects that include enabling women to become aware of and use their human rights.
Since WOMANKIND Worldwide started, we have provided funding, training, and networking and learning opportunities to more than 80 community groups in Central and South America, South Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa.