Our Charity Partner: Women for Women International
Women for Women International believes that stronger women build stronger nations. We know that in spite of the traumas of war – the loss of loved ones, homes, livelihoods and the ordeals of rape and sexual violence – women share an enormous determination to restore all that was taken from them, and to create better futures for themselves and their families.
We support the poorest women in war-affected countries to rebuild their lives. Founded in 1993, we have served nearly 400,000 women in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan –and created a change in the lives of over 2 million community members as a result.
We help women transition from crisis and poverty to stability and economic well-being, via a year-long training programme. Each woman in our programme is matched with a sponsor. She receives a monthly stipend to cover immediate needs, coupled with life-skills training that equips her with knowledge of rights, an understanding of health, and vocational and business skills to earn an income and save. Women come together in classes of 25 to complete the training, and form tight social circles of support, breaking the isolation created by war and insecurity.
When they enrol in our training programme:
- More than half have no formal education and are illiterate
- 95% earn less than $1 per day
- Less than 1 in 10 report knowing their rights, and only 12% report knowledge of good nutrition
After completing our programme:
- Women increased their daily income threefold – from below $0.42 to more than $1.80 per day
- 97% of women reported understanding nutrition
- 93% of graduates reported a good understanding of their rights
- 56% of graduates reported participating in savings groups
We know that with access to knowledge, skills and resources, women can lead change towards peaceful and stable societies. Women reinvest the benefits they earn back into their children and families – including an average 90% of their income, according to World Bank research (compared to 30-40% by men). Elevating women therefore elevates and strengthens whole communities that have been torn apart by war.
Together with our global network of sponsors, we’re changing the world, one woman at a time.
Join us by sponsoring a woman through the one-year programme for £22 per month.
For more information, go to womenforwomen.org.uk, facebook.com/WomenforWomenUK, youtube.com/user/womenforwomenuk, or follow us on @womenforwomenUK or call the Women for Women International UK Office 020 7922 7772.
