Gourt > Society > Philanthropy > Grants > Grant Making Foundations > Women (1)
A woman is a female human, in contrast to an adult male, who is a man.
The term woman (irregular plural: women) is usually used for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. However, the term is also sometimes used for a female human regardless of age, as in phrases like "women's rights".
Etymology
The English term "man" (from Proto-Germanic mannaz "man, person") and words derived therefrom can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their gender or age. This is indeed the oldest usage of "man". In Old English the words wer and wyf (also wæpman and wifman) were what was used to refer to "a man" and "a woman" respectively, and "man" was gender neutral. In Middle English man displaced wer as term for "male human", whilst wyfman (which eventually evolved into woman) was retained for "female human". "Man" does continue to carry its original sense of "Human" however, resulting in an asymmetry sometimes criticized as sexist. * (See also Womyn.) The symbol for the planet Venus is the sign also known in biology for the female sex: a stylized representation of the goddess Venus's hand mirror: a circle with a small cross underneath (Unicode: ♀). The Venus symbol also represented femininity, and in ancient alchemy stood for copper. Alchemists constructed the symbol from a circle (representing spirit) above a cross (representing matter).
Terminology
The English language's original word for "woman" was Old English wīf, akin to German Weib; it later became the modern word "wife." The modern word "woman" etymologically derives from wīfmann, with the addition of mann, "person", from Germanic mannaz. This formation is peculiar to English. The equivalents for "man" in Old English were wer (a cognate of Latin vir, "man") and wǣpnedmann, literally "weaponed person". As previously mentioned, the term man continues to carry its original sense of "Human", though this usage results in an asymmetry which is sometimes criticized as sexist. The word girl originally meant "young person of either sex"; it was only around the beginning of the 16th century that it came to mean specifically a female child. Nowadays girl is also often used colloquially to refer to a young or unmarried woman. Since the early 1970s, feminists have challenged such usage, and today, using the word in the workplace (as in office girl) is typically considered inappropriate in the United States and United Kingdom because it implies a view of women as infantile. The use remains commonplace in several other English-speaking countries. Conversely, in certain non-Western cultures which link family honor with female virginity, the word girl is still used to refer to a never-married woman; in this sense it is used in a fashion roughly analogous to the obsolete English maid or maiden. Referring to an unmarried female as woman can, in such a culture, imply that she is sexually experienced, which would be an insult to her family. In more informal settings, the use of girl to refer to an adult female is also common practice in certain usage (such as girls' night out), even among elderly women. In this sense, girl may be considered to be the analogue to the British word bloke for a man. Some regard non-parallel usages, such as men and girls, as sexist. A number of other derogatory terms for women are also in common usage. There are various words used to refer to the quality of being a woman. The term "womanhood" merely means the state of being a woman; "femininity" is used to refer to a set of supposedly typical female qualities associated with a certain attitude to gender roles; "womanliness" is like "femininity", but is usually associated with a different view of gender roles; "femaleness" is a general term, but is often used as shorthand for "human femaleness"; "distaff" is an archaic adjective derived from women's conventional role as a spinner, now used only as a deliberate archaism; "muliebrity" is a "neologism" (derived from the Latin) meant to provide a female counterpart of "virility", but used very loosely, sometimes to mean merely "womanhood", sometimes "femininity", and sometimes even as a collective term for women. More on [ Woman ]
The husbands of very beautiful women belong to the criminal classes. *Oscar Wilde
josephbrady (Joseph Brady) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:29:12 -0000
The husbands of very beautiful women belong to the criminal classes. *Oscar Wilde
Another Rape Attempt on Russian Women in Goa http://bit.ly/8rLkoC
ForeignWomenTip (Dan DeLa Cruz) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:29:06 -0000
Another Rape Attempt on Russian Women in Goa http://bit.ly/8rLkoC
"Ladies Of Harley" Deliver Christmas Cheer To Troops: The women who are Harley Davidson riders collect and create u... http://bit.ly/5E5r1l
wbaltv11 (WBAL TV 11) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:29:02 -0000
"Ladies Of Harley" Deliver Christmas Cheer To Troops: The women who are Harley Davidson riders collect and create u... http://bit.ly/5E5r1l
@entreprediva clearly...Merry Christmas, now get up women!
HarlemGurl05 (Linda Nunally) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:28:56 -0000
@entreprediva clearly...Merry Christmas, now get up women!
is listening to "GotRadio - Women's World" by from "" â â â â â by iTunes.
e_puni (Kaz) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:28:48 -0000
is listening to "GotRadio - Women's World" by from "" ★★★★★by iTunes.
Women get the last word in every argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
voucherboy (Dave Rodgers) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:28:12 -0000
Women get the last word in every argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice - US-based funder of social change and community-building work around the world, as well as individual artists and writers. Describes granting priorities and process, with list of grantees.
Global Fund for Women - International group focusing on human rights. Committed to giving flexible, timely support to women's groups working on emerging, controversial or difficult issues.
Meta Description: [ The Global Fund for Women is a grantmaking foundation supporting women's human rights organizations around the world working to address critical issues such as gaining economic independence, increasing girls' access to education and stopping violence against women. ]
International Sisters Network - US-based nonprofit that accepts donations and funds donor-selected projects.
Meta Description: [ ISN is a women's cultural exchange created just women who want to gain a valuable understanding of the world around us, broaden our circle of friends around the world, and make a positive difference. ]
Mama Cash - Netherlands-based funders of new projects and organizations. Describes grant interest areas and application requirements.
Meta Description: [ Mama Cash is een internationaal vrouwenfonds. Zij investeert in kleinschalige, vernieuwende projecten van en voor vrouwen, met als doel een rechtvaardige en veilige wereld voor iedereen. ]
The Sister Fund - US-based private foundation supporting women of faith and their organizations. Lists current grantees and provides application guidelines.
Three Guineas Fund - Creates social change by investing in economic opportunity for women and girls, through institutional change and connections between the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Lists grantees, with research reports on effective approaches.
Meta Description: [ The Three Guineas Fund promotes social justice for women and girls by expanding access to opportunity in education and the economy. ]
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