The Womens Building: A Catalyst For Equality Empowerment In SF

Near the corner of 18th and Valencia stands a four-story building colorfully adorned with scenes of resilient women throughout history, a striking reflection of the female empowerment being nurtured inside its doors. This, one of the most iconic representations of San Francisco’s Mission District, is the Women’s Building.
The Women’s Building is a space intended to bring women together to find the strength and confidence to better their lives and their community and one that provides the resources to help them do so. Its mission states: ‘The world continues to be a treacherous place for women and girls. Even here in the Bay Area, women have to fight against physical, economic, political and professional barriers, assaults, and forms of discrimination… [We are guided] by the belief that all women and girls have the right to safe, joyous and creative lives. Embodying that belief, the Women’s Building is a safe and welcoming place that facilitates the wellbeing of women, girls and families.’

In 1971, in search of spaces to house local women’s projects like the national conference on Violence Against Women, a group of women founded San Francisco’s Women Centers. After several years of working out of a small office on Brady Street and struggling to find venues capable of housing such large-scale projects, the women bought Dovre Hall, a meeting hall and neighborhood bar, in 1979. The hall soon grew into the Women’s Building, the first community center in the country owned and operated by women.

Such a revolutionary concept was not welcomed to the neighborhood with open arms. Within its first year, the Women’s Building was deliberately set on fire, causing $50,000 in damages, and a pipe bomb exploded on the building’s front steps.

Today, the Women’s Building has grown to provide safe spaces and resources to 25,000 underserved women every year. A variety of services are available at little to no cost, including job search assistance, a computer lab, tech tutoring, a food pantry, wellness classes, legal help, tax services, and fingerprinting. The Women’s Building also actively works to support major community projects, like the fight for affordable housing in San Francisco and the reunification of unaccompanied minors from Central America.

Throughout its history, the building has supported more than 170 organizations working on bettering the lives of women, some of the most prominent including La Casa de las Madres, The Women’s Foundation of California, and Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center. Today, there are nine other nonprofits housed in the Women’s Building, working both individually and together to foster female empowerment, including the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic, the Immigration Center for Women & Children, and San Francisco Women Against Rape.

If you’re looking to get involved at the Women’s Building, apply to volunteer or check out the calendar to attend an upcoming event.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.