Cornell’s Women Higher Education Now is taking action to protect women’s access to education following the loss of federal funding that once sustained the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, which offers full-ride scholarships to its campus for women who cannot afford an education.
WHEN is a student organization that is partnered with and raises money for AUW to support women’s education. It primarily holds fundraisers such as selling cookies and flowers. According to its Instagram, the organization aims to “explore and spread awareness on issues about gender equality, sustainable development, and equitable education.”
AUW offers full-ride college scholarships to women who would otherwise be unable to access or afford education. The scholarship offers awardees the opportunity to study on AUW’s campus. Additionally, AUW awards smaller scholarships to students studying elsewhere in the world, including Cornell.
The AUW formerly received “millions of dollars” of federal funding from the U.S. government, according to a junior on the WHEN executive board, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fears regarding her status as an international student. However, under the Trump administration, “the U.S. government suspended their complete financial support” for Afghan women at AUW “with immediate effect,” the WHEN executive board member said.
In February, the U.S. Agency for International Development, which previously supported economic growth and provided humanitarian aid in foreign countries, was significantly reduced in size by the Trump administration. All direct hire personnel were placed on administrative leave globally and the amount of foreign aid distributed was significantly reduced.
Women attending AUW on full scholarships from the university are generally those who are underprivileged or whose “families do not want them to pursue an education” and will not financially support them, according to the WHEN executive board member. This puts “thousands of students at risk” if funding is lost, according to the anonymous executive board member.
When its funding was cut, AUW reached out to WHEN and informed it of the need for more financial support. Despite WHEN’s inability to fully compensate for the difference in lost federal funding, according to the anonymous executive board member, they are not discouraged from their fundraising efforts.
“The amount [AUW is] looking for is way larger than our capacity, but it just gives us motivation to do as much as we can,” the anonymous executive board member said.
Serena Wu ’28, WHEN’s co-director of fundraising and finance, described how the funding cuts have shaped the group’s operations and sense of urgency.
“Knowing that they need smaller organizations like us definitely pushed us a little bit more into gear to try and do the most we can,” Wu said. “We definitely have big goals, big dreams, but we're trying to increase our membership [and] get the word out. … We know there's a lot of good people at Cornell that want to help and would be very on board with the mission.”
Wu also noted that while WHEN fundraisers used to occur once a month and often centered around seasonal themes, the club is now planning more strategically.
“We’re still trying to keep that constant of one fundraiser a month, but especially going into the new [fundraisers] knowing that we’re going to need [to provide] even more help,” Wu said.
Additionally, Wu emphasized that 100 percent of WHEN’s proceeds go directly to AUW scholarships. In the past, WHEN has also sent care packages and stationary bags to AUW students.
“Literally every single dollar is sent to scholarships,” Wu said. “None of it is taken back for club operations.”
WHEN has done two fundraisers so far this semester, but in addition to scaling up fundraising, the WHEN executive board member said that raising awareness is a new goal for the group. She mentioned plans to do “advocacy events” and collaborate with other clubs.
Wu added that the group is planning additional engagement between AUW and Cornell students in the form of a panel to facilitate direct discussion between the two groups.
Additionally, WHEN utilizes social media posts, such as one made on March 14, as a “call to action” to support AUW. The March 14 post highlights how the U.S. funding cuts “jeopardize the futures of over 800 Afghan students” and encourages donations to AUW from the public.
Some Cornell students are also on AUW scholarships, although their education does not rely solely on them. According to the anonymous executive board member, the club does “frequent check-ins,” such as picnics, to socialize and create a sense of community.
The anonymous executive board member said that in the current sociopolitical climate, the club has also sought to create a supportive community for its members. For her, it has served as a source of comfort.
“Especially for me personally, being an international student, with everything that's been going on, it's really scary,” she said. “It helps having … a women’s support group.”
Angelina Tang is a freshman in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is an Assistant News Editor for the 143rd editorial board. She can be reached at atang@cornellsun.com.
