Archive for category: Women

Information and news about woman issues

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How Egypt’s Divorce Laws Put Women at Risk of Homelessness

Egypt's Divorce Laws
Egypt grapples with the highest homelessness rate in Africa, reaching 11.6%. This issue affects a staggering 12 million people, including approximately 3 million children. Notably, Egypt’s divorce laws create vulnerabilities for women, putting them at risk of homelessness due to certain legal disadvantages.

Cultural Norms

Cultural norms and ideas reinforce women’s unequal access to housing from the moment they are born. Families often finance apartments or houses for male siblings but do not ensure female siblings’ housing. Instead, families tell their girls that guaranteeing them a place to live is unnecessary after marriage as this responsibility falls to their husbands. Because of this cultural perspective, women’s access to housing often depends on their marital success, which, in some cases, occurs at a young age. While the rate of early marriages has decreased in recent years, a 2021 survey revealed that 17.4% of women in their early 20s had been married or engaged before turning 18.

Discriminatory Egyptian Divorce Laws

Divorced Egyptian women and their children are particularly at risk of homelessness as Egypt’s divorce laws place them at a disadvantage. According to Egyptian family laws, mothers receive custodial rights to their children until the age of 15, however, a common occurrence is that fathers “kidnap” their children by refusing to relinquish them back to the mother after visitation hours are over.

A woman interviewed by the Egyptian news outlet Mada demonstrated the limited enforcement of mothers’ custodial rights in the country. After her children were kidnapped by her ex-husband, the policemen she spoke to refused to enforce her custodial rights by indicating that “a father does not kidnap his own son.” The legal protection of mothers’ custodial rights also ends when they remarry and a survey that the Association of the Development and Enhancement of Women (ADEW) conducted indicated that 90% of divorced mothers opted not to remarry to maintain custody of their children.

When women do retain custody, courts in Egypt are typically lax when enforcing alimony payments, leaving the already vulnerable women to take care of their children with limited financial means. At the age of 15, children living with their mothers can choose between continuing to live with their mothers or going to live with their fathers. Even if the child decides to keep living with their mother, the father can stop paying alimony. Additionally, he can choose to evict the mother and the children from the custody home. If the father decides to order their removal from the home, mothers have little legal recourse and often end up homeless along with their children.

The Reality of Post-Divorce Life for Egyptian Women

Other factors also make post-divorce life difficult for women in Egypt. In general, they only have access to limited income-earning opportunities. Attempting to reintegrate into the job market is especially difficult as some husbands expect wives to quit their jobs after marriage and divorcees end up with little to no job experience. The stigma associated with divorce also makes divorcees feel alienated and discriminated against. A woman’s plea for help after a divorce could meet disregard from her family due to the taboo of being associated with a divorcee. Even if the marriage ended because of the husband’s physical or psychological abuse, the blame for the end of the marriage falls solely on the wife and she must put up with derogatory labels such as “kharrabet beyout” (home-wrecker), or even “kharg beit” (secondhand).

The Perils of the Divorce Process

Aside from the insecurity divorce brings upon women, it is a much more arduous process for them than it is for men. Indeed, all men need to divorce their spouses is an oral renunciation recognized by a religious notary. They do not even require the assistance of a legal court.

On the other hand, a court has to accept a woman’s proposal for divorce, a process that can take years if the husband refuses. To obtain a divorce with full financial rights, a woman has to provide evidence that her husband has harmed and abused her. Additionally, all women, including those who have testified that their husbands have physically abused them, must attempt reconciliation in a court-ordered mediation process. During the often-long process of obtaining a divorce, women separated from their husbands are not eligible for state financial aid programs, condemning them to homelessness if they do not have any family to help them. In order to shorten the divorce proceedings and avoid homelessness, Egyptian women will sometimes have no choice but to sign away their financial and custodial privileges to the father.

A Catalyst for Disadvantageous Marriage Power Dynamics

Because Egypt’s divorce laws deprive women of economic security after divorce and due to the arduous process involved in obtaining a divorce, many Egyptian women may choose to remain in abusive or unhealthy marriages. Rates of domestic violence are also high in the country, with a study indicating that up to 86% of married women in Egypt have experienced physical or psychological abuse.

The lack of stability after divorce creates dangerous power dynamics within marital relationships. Ghada Abdel Fattah’s story, told by Al Jazeera, illustrates the dire consequences of divorcing in Egypt. After her husband asked for a divorce, Fattah and her daughter were kicked out of their home and would have had no shelter if it was not for her family who provided refuge. She eventually found employment and is now saving money to secure a home for herself and her daughter.

Taking Action

In 2o22, three Egyptian college students started a campaign called “Enty Zel Nafsek” (“You Are Your Own Shadow”) to raise awareness about the issues divorced women face in Egypt and to reduce the unfair stigma associated with divorce. The girls seek to provide emotional support to divorced Egyptian women and also support women’s businesses by advertising the businesses on their social media accounts.

Another organization founded by Engy Raafat, a survivor of domestic violence, helps women get back on their feet after divorce by providing financial, emotional and legal support. Raafat’s organization, called You Can, has had a tremendous impact on the lives of women across Egypt, helping more than 5,000 women find jobs.

– Tatiana Gnuva
Photo: Stockvault

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Empowering Women in India’s Informal Sector

Women in India’s Informal Sector
Informal employment compromises a large percentage of India’s labor force, with the size of India’s informal economy estimated to be 43.1% of its total GDP. Importantly, 88% of employed Indian women are working in the informal sector, mainly in small-scale farming. Other informal work includes domestic cleaners, street vendors and garment factory workers. 

As 9.5% of India’s employed population living below the poverty line are women, it is not hard to see that women bear a significant economic burden. Yet, empowering women in India’s informal sector will not only alleviate the symptoms of poverty for women and their families, but it will also benefit the global economy. 

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed to create a better and more prosperous future for all. Goal 5 directly relates to achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls across the globe, whilst the other SDGs recognize gender poverty, women’s unequal access to education and health care, and women’s poor health and well-being as key issues going forward. 

According to UN Women, despite commitments to end gender inequality, the world has failed to make considerable progress and only 48% of the data needed to monitor SDG 5 is currently available. In fact, if the world does not take substantial action now, predictions have indicated that it will take another 286 years to enforce and monitor gender equality. 

The disproportionate number of women in India’s informal sector is hindering the ability of developing countries to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the informal economy, workers do not receive contracts, lack the same level of social protection that the formal sector provides and earn lower wages. Not only this, but the nature of informal work is often more precarious, hindering women’s ability to gain social and economic security. 

Empowering Female Workers 

In spite of these circumstances, women in India’s informal sector are demanding better treatment, health and protection in the workplace. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the urgency of having secure employment and health and well-being. 

Formed in 1984, The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has around 2.5 million workers and is empowering women in India’s informal sector to be self-reliant and take back ownership over their work. 

SEWA’s Punjab state co-ordinator Harsharan Kaur told Foreign Policy that it is important for the government to recognize that the informal sector is the largest contributor to India’s economy so that it takes social protection measures for women seriously.

Foremost, SEWA educates women about their rights before helping them to collaborate to demand better pay and lobby the government into action. Through the association, more than 300,000 women have joined collective enterprises where women are made equal shareholders, providing them with greater economic power. 

The association believes that asset ownership through cooperatives is the key to freeing women from poverty by ensuring that women have equal access to services such as health and childcare and financial, legal and housing services. 

Global Economic Benefits 

According to Oxfam, gender inequality results in a loss of $9 trillion a year in developing countries which is not only detrimental to women and their families, but the global economy. 

Between 2000 and 2010, a 30% reduction in poverty in Latin America was achieved by increasing the number of women in secure, paid employment showing how closing the gender gap in India could also help to reduce poverty. 

Achieving gender equality by securing women’s employment will have universal economic benefits, for which informal work accounts for 60% of all global employment. 

A study by the IMF showed that only 13% of women working in sectors that are more integrated into the global economy are employed informally compared to 20% of women in sectors that are less integrated. 

Integrating developing countries into the global market will therefore help women to access more secure employment opportunities. Boosts in the global market will help achieve gender equality by exposing women to better jobs and in turn, increase women’s spending power. 

Looking Ahead 

The World Bank’s International Development Association has already directed $93 billion toward low-income countries which should be appropriately channeled toward supporting and strengthening informal workers’ organizations, skills and empowerment. By recognizing that informal work constitutes a large proportion of India’s economy, investing in women’s futures will not only help developing nations meet their sustainability goals but benefit the global economy at the same time. 

– Tatum Richards
Photo: Flickr

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How Gerando Falcões Is Transforming Communities in Brazilian Favelas

Brazilian Favelas
In Brazil, more than 11 million people live in poverty in a record number of 6,329 favelas. Brazilian favelas are densely packed areas of poorly planned urban housing on the outskirts of cities across Brazil. Job opportunities in favelas are limited, and clean water and sanitation systems can be hard to come by. For many favela residents, Gerando Falcões is a way for them to break through the cycle of poverty. It aims to “put poverty in favelas in a museum before Elon Musk colonizes Mars.” 

Gerando Falcões (Generating Falcons)

The number of people living in favelas increased 108% from 2010 to 2019 and has only worsened in recent years due to the pandemic. When Edu Lyra started Gerando Falcões in 2012, it was a small organization helping kids in favelas build brighter futures. Today, Gerando Falcões has grown to impact more than 6,000 favelas in 26 states across Brazil and works with 1,280 NGOs. Gerando Falcões is a Brazilian social development organization aiming to end favelas’ poverty. It brings education, economic development and citizenship services to impoverished people stuck in a cycle of poverty. Gerando Falcões works with favela leaders and locals who all dream of ending poverty in the Brazilian favelas. 

Favela 3D

Favela 3D is Gerando Falcões’ largest project. The three Ds stand for dignify, digitize and develop. Favela 3D is designed to transform favelas and give the residents a better quality of life. Under the Favela 3D project, favela residents work directly with Gerando Falcões to create urban interventions and affordable housing units. Gerando Falcões believes that the locals should completely control their community development. Favela 3D then promotes innovative technology solutions that allow favela residents to generate income through entrepreneurial projects. Within the first six months of urban intervention, favelas see a rise in income. 

The Favela 3D project implements various solutions and opportunities that lead to social development. Favela 3D gives residents access to health care, citizenship, children’s education, women’s autonomy and sport. Favela 3D tailors family-specific needs through The Family Take-Off Plan. All of these things that Favela 3D offers can lead to long-term stability and a culture of peace within the Brazilian favelas. 

Falcons University

Gerando Falcões started Falcons University in 2020, intending to help favela residents break through the cycle of poverty. Falcons University educates children, young adults and favela leaders on skills and techniques necessary for overcoming poverty.

Favela leaders receive training on various subjects, including favela expertise, public policies and technological and innovation skills. These skills set them on a path toward community development. Falcons University has already trained more than 100 favela leaders on community development strategies and hopes to continue training more. 

Falcons University’s youth program teaches kids core competencies and socio-economic skills. Children can learn basic technological skills and specific skills that interest them. Children are taught the 10 National Common Curriculum (BNCC) competencies. Through education, children in favelas can take control of their lives and begin to see a brighter future for themselves. Falcons University also offers young adults the chance to learn professional skills that they can use to benefit themselves and their community. 

– Jack Wells
Photo: Flickr

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NGOs Helping Women in Ethiopia

NGOs Helping Women in EthiopiaIn August of 2023, a sixth-month-long state of emergency was declared and government curfews were enforced as more conflict in Ethiopia erupted, only nine months after the end of a devastating two-year civil war. As a result of turbulent political conflict, more waves of violence have broken out in the northern Amhara region. 

With the second largest population in Africa, the country is still feeling the effects of the initial conflict that began over two years ago. At least 5.1 million people were displaced in 12 months, which is “the most people internally displaced in any country in any single year.”

Two years on, in 2023, the U.N. requested $4 billion to provide aid to twenty million people still affected by the conflict, including more than four million internally displaced people. 

The Impact of Conflict on Women

With such destructive conflict there always comes a surge in gender-based violence. In the last civil war, nearly 26,000 women and girls reported experiencing sexual violence. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic as well as powerful social stigma, the majority of cases are not reported meaning that this number is thought to be much higher. 

With the absence of strong welfare services and the intense conflict in Ethiopia aggravating this need, many women rely on nonprofit organizations that are committed to helping women and girls affected by the violence.

Ethiopia Aid and AWSAD’s Safe Houses

Ethiopia Aid is dedicated to “breaking the cycle of poverty by enabling the poorest and most vulnerable to live with dignity,” as stated in their mission. Over 80% of the adults that they help are women, and their projects have aimed to tackle the lack of education for girls, poor menstrual health resources and female genital mutilation (FGM). 

The organization’s current appeal is focused on ensuring the maternal health of the thousands of women who have been displaced by the conflict in Ethiopia and are living in crowded camps with too few resources.

The organization has partnered with The Association for Women’s Sanctuary (AWSAD) which provides nine safe houses for women and girls at risk of violence or who have fled and suffered traumatic experiences. These safe houses not only provide a space for women and their children to recover but allow them to socialize with others whilst also providing quality care, support services, therapy, basic literacy and numeracy classes and legal follow-up. 

UN Women

U.N. Women have partnered with Norwegian Church Aid to address social attitudes and norms that contribute to gender-based violence. The initiative was started by Tegenie, a gender-based violence expert in 2021 after he saw the impacts of child marriage on his sisters. He explains how such violence “has spiked amid the brutal two-year conflict, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have trapped women and girls in vulnerable conditions.”

To tackle this spike, the initiative aims to social norms at the roots by holding community conversations led by trained facilitators, where the ramifications of child marriage and violence against women are discussed. They have also made it their priority to rally community leaders who have a significant social influence, as well as faith leaders to ensure that they are not promoting harmful practices. By creating open conversations, Tegenie and his team hope to engage all members of the community with these issues, and insight meaningful, long-term social change. 

Women for Women’s Conflict Response Fund

This organization’s Conflict Response Fund (CRF) worked with three other organizations: Agar Ethiopia Charitable Society, Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development and Mums for Mums. Each works to support survivors of sexual violence as a result of war and the conflict in Ethiopia and has reached thousands of women, providing safe housing, psychological support and health care.

While there is no immediate end to the turbulence in Ethiopia in sight, these organizations and their dedicated members will continue working tirelessly to support the women affected and continue to have an immense impact on the lives of thousands.

– Maia Winter
Photo: Flickr

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How Tourism Is Helping To Empower the Women of South America

Women of South AmericaSouth America has a large tourism industry with an estimated 20.6 million visitors in 2022. The industry is worth $33 billion and is expected to grow throughout the decade. Tourists in the continent predominately travel to Columbia, Brazil, Argentina and Peru. Women make up 58% of the “care-taking” roles related to the industry, such as hospitality and cleaning staff. Thus, the industry’s influence on the quality of life and economic well-being of the women of South America is significant.

The Situation

Like most of the world, women in South America face many barriers to empowerment. According to a project that Wageningen University conducted, in general terms, Latin American societies follow the traditional doctrine of “hombre de la calle, mujer de la casa,” which means “the men in the street and the wife in the house.” Cultural norms, traditional community roles and caretaking of families often lead them to dependence on men in the family and often leave them unable to provide for their families in the ways they wish.

However, tourism provides new opportunities to empower women by normalizing their presence in new workplaces. Further, despite many of the industry’s female employees taking up low-income roles, the growth of sustainable tourism and “slow” tourism, whereby tourists are moving away from traditional mass tourist destinations to seek more authentic and local experiences, is giving women in South America employment on their terms.

Wild Women Expeditions

Wild Women Expeditions offers guided tours of the famous four-day hike on the Inca trail that takes visitors through ancient Aztec sites. The organization hires female guides and porters, traditionally male-dominated roles, to take tourists along the pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.

Moreover, in the Andes, women of the Quechua community have benefited from tourism. Here, the women weave garments using traditional techniques. Visiting tourists watch the women weave, learn about their culture and purchase products. Increased tourism to the area has broadened the market for selling these textiles, increasing the income of the community, which has previously struggled in poverty. In the wake of increased tourism, a cooperative called “Awamaki” originated to empower indigenous women. It helped them manage their finances and improve their sales skills.

The UN World Tourism Board (UNWTO)

In 2022, the UN World Tourism Board (UNWTO) improved its commitment to women working in the industry by factoring them into guidelines for sustainable tourism. These guidelines include a section on gender equality and women’s empowerment. As governments across the continent follow these recommendations, it is hoped that the principles of female empowerment are included in their approaches to sustainable development. Zurab Pololikashvili, the UNWTO Secretary-General, stated, “These new guidelines will help both governments and businesses harness the sector’s power as a driver of women’s empowerment as the world opens up again.”

How Tourism is Beneficial to Women of South America

The benefits of tourism for the women of South America are two-fold: it creates jobs and fixed incomes for women while simultaneously preserving the cultural heritage and promoting the economic development of their communities. They allow women to gain income and preserve their culture, heritage and community while improving the economic development of rural areas.

To ensure a bright future for the people and environment of South America, it is important organizations such as the aforementioned continue to be supported by sustainable tourism in their areas. By continuing to break the glass ceiling for women’s employment in the tourist industry, the support of these organizations ensures that women’s empowerment continues to be promoted in South America’s tourism industry.

– Lucy Wing
Photo: Flickr

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Poverty and Gender-Based Violence in Balochistan

Gender-Based Violence in Balochistan
Studies by the government of Pakistan and donor agencies estimate poverty incidence in Pakistan using survey data. Over the past decade, these studies consistently show Balochistan as the poorest province, with its poor accounting for 10–11% of the country’s total poor population. Here is some information about the link between poverty and gender-based violence in Balochistan.

Harmful Customary Practices

Balochistan is full of harmful customs that adversely affect women and violate their rights. These include killings for honor, forced marriages, exchange marriages (where tribes trade women to settle disputes) and depriving girls of education. Poverty makes gender-based violence in Balochistan more likely to happen because it gives women less power and fewer choices.

According to police reports, in February 2022, over two days, three women and two men were killed in the name of ‘honor’ in the Jaffarabad, Mastung and Hub districts of Balochistan. In Jaffarabad, a man shot his wife and nephew dead. Meanwhile, in Mastung, unknown persons brutally slaughtered a married couple. In Hub, the second husband allegedly murdered his wife, Mah Jan. 

These honor killings show how common these kinds of crimes are in Balochistan. These unjustified killings are because of poverty, the lack of legal protections for women and traditional harmful beliefs that allow violence against women. The cases in February 2022 bring back calls for reform and justice to stop such tragic loss in the name of family “honor.”

The Crisis of Missing Persons

The issue of missing persons in Balochistan also disproportionately affects women. Thousands of Baloch men have gone missing, allegedly abducted by security forces. Their grieving wives and mothers have been left in limbo, not knowing if their loved ones are dead or alive. These women, considered ‘half widows, ‘ face social stigma, economic deprivation, legal problems and severe psychological trauma. The unsolved missing person crisis further terrorizes and disempowers the province’s women. 

Sammi Deen Baloch has been protesting for 13 years since her father disappeared in Balochistan, one of more than 5,000 reported missing persons in the province. After the abduction of Dr. Deen Mohammed Baloch in 2009, 15-year-old Sammi began raising awareness about these enforced disappearances by Pakistan’s security forces. 

Despite abusive crackdowns on protests, Sammi continues to demand answers and justice for families like hers suffering from indefinite loss. Her brave activism symbolizes the plight of Balochistan’s ‘half widows’ and mothers whose loved ones have vanished, as well as the importance of accountability for the decades-old human rights crisis that has left thousands missing amid the region’s separatist conflict.

The Vital Work of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons

Organizations like the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons provide affected families with legal aid, counseling and advocacy support. However, endemic poverty makes it difficult for women to pursue justice and healing. Economic dependence and lack of opportunity trap them in anguish and uncertainty.

The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) was formed in 2009 by affected families to pursue justice for Balochistan’s disappearance. Headquartered in Quetta, VBMP provides free legal assistance to help families file petitions and cases seeking information on missing loved ones. It also offers counseling and mental health support to traumatized families, particularly women and children. VBMP organizes protests, sit-ins and campaigns to highlight enforced disappearances and pressurize authorities. It has district committees across Balochistan to document cases and mobilize families. 

VBMP publishes reports to increase awareness of the crisis locally and internationally. It also assists impoverished families with resources for legal procedures and accessing VBMP hubs. Operating on donations and aid funding, the organization employs legal advocacy, activism, counseling and reporting to support families of the missing in Balochistan in their struggle for truth and justice.

Recommendations for Empowerment

Increasing economic empowerment among women is crucial. Income generation through vocational training, microfinance schemes, handicrafts cooperatives and cash-for-work programs can provide women with financial security. These enable women to avoid forced marriages, escape abuse and sustain themselves while searching for missing family members.

Communities and justice systems should engage to stop seeing women’s rights abuses as acceptable. Protecting women from harm, ensuring their safety through shelters and prosecuting abusers create an environment where women can exercise their rights and seek justice.

Tackling endemic poverty and socioeconomic empowerment of women has to accompany legal-social reform to alleviate gender violence in all its forms. Holistic efforts addressing economic and cultural factors are needed to promote women’s rights, safety and development, and eliminate gender-based violence in Balochistan.

– Asia Jamil
Photo: Flickr

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5 Active NGOs in Afghanistan

NGOs in Afghanistan
Throughout the world, countless nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are battling against abuses such as poverty, changing weather patterns and hunger. In Afghanistan, human rights abuses have been skyrocketing, and homelessness has become the new norm. More than 40% of Afghanistan’s population lives below the poverty line, in desperate need of help. Here are five NGOs Active in Afghanistan that are fighting these pressing issues.

5 NGOs in Afghanistan

  1. Afghan Institute of Learning: The Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) seeks to equip all vulnerable Afghans, particularly women and children, with the knowledge and abilities to take care of themselves. Through community-based programming, AIL is increasing access to high-quality education and health care, empowering communities to strengthen their populations. The objective is to lay the groundwork for effective health and education systems in Afghanistan that will serve the needs of the population both today and in the future. Through health facilities, educational institutions and training programs, AIL, which was founded by an Afghan woman and is primarily operated by women, reaches thousands of people every year.
  2. Islamic Relief: Dr. Hany El-Banna and a group of students established Islamic Relief in 1984 to address the growing famine in Africa. The organization’s initial endeavor was to help a farm in Sudan, and years later, it started to broaden its reach outside of Africa, providing immediate relief to people in Pakistan, Iraq and finally Afghanistan. Islamic Relief is committed to helping vulnerable people who are in need. It achieves this by raising money for local projects and providing essentials like food and clothing. It has also implemented development initiatives aimed at long-term capacity building for vulnerable populations.
  3. Women for Afghan Women: In order to serve the Afghan immigrant populations in New York, Women for Afghan Women (WAW) originated in 2001. Before introducing comparable programs in Afghanistan, it participated in community outreach initiatives all around the region. It now works to advocate for and empower Afghan women and girls in both the U.S. and Afghanistan. Women for Afghan Women has reached more than 1.6 million women since its founding through various activities and services. Every year in the U.S., on average, more than 8,000 Afghan women receive assistance from their outreach activities. Additionally, it has approximately 800 employees working in Afghanistan to support the execution of its initiatives there.
  4. International Committee of the Red Cross: Henry Dunant established the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863 to offer medical care to combat casualties. Years later, as World War I started to claim more lives, the ICRC increased its humanitarian activities across all of Europe. The organization persisted in offering assistance during World War II and is currently one of the most significant humanitarian organizations in existence. The International Committee of the Red Cross has helped thousands of Afghans since its foundation. For instance, it cared for approximately 50,000 injured patients in 2021. In its physical therapy facilities around the nation, the ICRC helped more than 79,000 patients in the same year. Furthermore, it has increased more than 49,000 people’s access to water.
  5. ActionAid International: Cecil Jackson-Cole established ActionAid International in 1972 to defend the rights of women most impacted by armed conflict, humanitarian crises and natural catastrophes. It started its first projects in Afghanistan in 2002 with the goal of ensuring that kids could go to school and get an education. Since then, the organization has established a number of programs that empower Afghan women and help them assert their rights. ActionAid International opposes social and cultural conventions that marginalize women and expose them to violence or discrimination. Additionally, it has advocacy, strategic and humanitarian programming capabilities to advance gender equality across Afghanistan. The organization provides training and tools to female leaders, empowering them to promote social change in their communities and advancing the rights of vulnerable women. ActionAid International has helped more than 100,000 people in five different Afghan provinces since its founding. For instance, it constructed a well in Afghanistan so that more than 1,000 local students could access safe drinking water.

Making a Difference in Afghanistan

In a country where the most vulnerable people face countless challenges, recognizing NGOs in that are making a real difference appears to be vital. These organizations work tirelessly to provide aid, assistance and support to those who need it most. 

– Jake Marks
Photo: Unsplash

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Helping Children and Women in Nepal

Women in Nepal
In 2015, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Nepal and surrounding countries, claiming the lives of thousands. This earthquake not only displaced millions but also plunged more than 1 million Nepali people into poverty. The most susceptible demographic, children and women in Nepal, bore the brunt of the impact. Many children found themselves orphaned, compelled to aid their remaining family members, which led to them forsaking school attendance and engaging in child labor full time. Among the tasks undertaken by many children was the labor of breaking rocks along the riverbed to sell the stones for monetary gain. After visiting Nepal and witnessing these circumstances, U.S. citizen Maggie Doyne made a commitment to help children and women in Nepal rise out of poverty.

About Maggie Doyne

Fast forward to 2008, when an 18-year-old American girl named Maggie Doyne, who had opted for a gap year after high school to travel, discovered a girl breaking rocks on the banks of a river in Surkhet, Nepal. This encounter prompted Doyne to establish a connection with the young girl and develop a friendship. Doyne proceeded to assist the girl by paying for the girl’s school books, uniform and school tuition fees.

The encounter with the girl prompted Doyne to contemplate the stark contrast between those who possess abundance and those who endure scarcity in the world. As time passed, Doyne extended her support to other disadvantaged children in Nepal. Doyne helped to send the children to school but soon recognized that some of these children required more than just access to education. The children lacked a stable and nurturing home environment. This realization compelled Doyne to take further action.

Kopila Valley Children’s Home

Doyne took action by using her savings to acquire a piece of land in Nepal. In collaboration with Nepali resident Top Malla and the support of the local community of Surkhet, Doyne brought Kopila Valley Children’s Home into existence in 2008. This establishment offers a stable and safe environment that now serves as the home for more than 40 children in Nepal.

Many of these youngsters come from backgrounds with profoundly distressing circumstances. They receive support not only from Doyne, whom they affectionately refer to as their mother, but also from a diverse group of caregivers they address as aunts and uncles. Doyne and her team have managed to deliver tailored assistance to these children. “Kopila Valley was born and soon blossomed into BlinkNow, a nonprofit foundation serving an ever-growing, ever-inspiring community in Surkhet, Nepal,” the BlinkNow website says.

Kopila Valley School

Eventually, Kopila Valley Children’s Home embarked on an expansion that included the establishment of Kopila Valley School in 2010. Currently, the school accommodates more than 400 students hailing from the neighboring community. Additionally, the school ensures that its students receive nourishing meals and access to health care services. The school infrastructure was upgraded to a “green campus” to place a focus on sustainability. For example, the implementation of solar power systems and the use of earthquake-resistant materials. Notably, all educators and staff members at the school are of Nepali origin and many other staff members are from the local community.

Kopila Valley Women’s Center

Kopila Valley has undergone further expansion, solidifying that it plays a fundamental role in the community it serves. In addition to the children’s home, school and health clinic, BlinkNow developed the Kopila Valley Women’s Center in 2013. This center is committed to empowering marginalized women in Surkhet by delivering vocational and empowerment training. With a mission to address issues like abuse, educational deficits and limited economic prospects, the center offers comprehensive assistance.

Many of the training participants are survivors of domestic violence and early marriages. The participants receive intensive instruction in valuable vocational skills like sewing, weaving and cosmetology. This training equips them to secure employment and undertake economic endeavors and enhance their overall livelihoods.

The empowerment courses also cover self-confidence skills, health and wellness, women’s rights, Nepali law, basic literacy, business and and maths skills. Trainees also have access to “counseling services, which provides mediation, legal support, and general stress and trauma care and management,” the BlinkNow website says. The Center’s influence reaches even further through its community workshops, fostering gender parity and women’s empowerment.

The training has enabled graduates to develop independent enterprises and cooperative endeavors. Beyond skill development, the Center fosters a nurturing atmosphere where women come together to heal, uplift and support each other. This nurturing environment catalyzes positive transformation within the community, effectively showcasing the profound impact of education and the formidable strength of women in Nepal.

BlinkNow has had a profound impact on children and women in Nepal. The work of Maggie Doyne and her team has helped lift many people out of poverty, allowing them to secure independence, strength and support.

– Ada Rose Wagar
Photo: Flickr

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Poverty and Gender-based Violence in Balochistan

Gender-based Violence in Balochistan
Studies by the government of Pakistan and donor agencies estimate poverty incidence in Pakistan using survey data. Over the past decade, these studies consistently show Balochistan as the poorest province, with its poor accounting for 10-11% of the country’s total poor population. Unfortunately, Balochistan is experiencing a challenge with gender-based violence and poverty. Here is information about the correlation between poverty and gender-based violence in Balochistan.

Harmful Customary Practices

Balochistan is full of harmful customs that adversely affect women and violate their rights. These include killings for honor, forced marriages, exchange marriages (where women are traded between tribes to settle disputes) and depriving girls of education. Poverty makes these abuses more likely to happen because it gives women less power and fewer choices.

According to police reports, in February 2022, over two days, three women and two men died in the name of ‘honor’ in the Jaffarabad, Mastung and Hub districts of Balochistan. In Jaffarabad, a man shot his wife and nephew dead. Meanwhile, in Mastung, unknown persons brutally slaughtered a married couple. In Hub, the second husband allegedly murdered his wife, Mah Jan. These honor killings show how common these kinds of crimes are in Balochistan. These unjustified killings are due to poverty, the lack of legal protections for women and traditional harmful beliefs that allow gender-based violence against women in Balochistan. The cases in February 2022 have brought calls for reform and justice to stop such tragic loss in the name of family honor.

Crisis of Missing Persons

The issue of missing persons in Balochistan also disproportionately affects women. Thousands of Baloch men have gone missing, allegedly abducted by security forces. Their grieving wives and mothers have been left in limbo, not knowing if their loved ones are dead or alive. These women, considered ‘half widows,’ face social stigma, economic deprivation, legal problems and severe psychological trauma. The unsolved missing person crisis further terrorizes and disempowers the province’s women. 

Sammi Deen Baloch has been protesting for 13 years since her father disappeared in Balochistan, one of more than 5,000 reported missing persons in the province. After the abduction of Dr. Deen Mohammed Baloch in 2009, 15-year-old Sammi began raising awareness about these enforced disappearances by Pakistan’s security forces. Despite abusive crackdowns on protests, Sammi continues to demand answers and justice for families like hers suffering from indefinite loss. Her brave activism symbolizes the plight of Balochistan’s ‘half widows’ and mothers whose loved ones have vanished, as well as the importance of accountability for the decades-old human rights crisis that has left thousands missing amid the region’s separatist conflict.

The Vital Work of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons

Organizations like the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons provide affected families with legal aid, counseling and advocacy support. However, endemic poverty makes it difficult for women to pursue justice and healing. Economic dependence and lack of opportunity trap them in anguish and uncertainty.

Affected families formed The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) in 2009 to pursue justice for Balochistan’s disappearance. Headquartered in Quetta, VBMP provides free legal assistance to help families file petitions and cases seeking information on missing loved ones. It also offers counseling and mental health support to traumatized families, particularly women and children. VBMP organizes protests, sit-ins and campaigns to highlight enforced disappearances and pressurize authorities. It has district committees across Balochistan to document cases and mobilize families. 

VBMP publishes reports to increase awareness of the crisis locally and internationally. It also assists impoverished families with resources for legal procedures and accessing VBMP hubs. Operating on donations and aid funding, the organization employs legal advocacy, activism, counseling and reporting to support families of the missing in Balochistan in their struggle for truth and justice.

Recommendations for Empowerment

Increasing economic empowerment among women is crucial. Income generation through vocational training, microfinance schemes, handicrafts cooperatives and cash-for-work programs can provide women with financial security. These enable women to avoid forced marriages, escape abuse and sustain themselves while searching for missing family members.

Communities and justice systems should engage to stop seeing women’s rights abuses as acceptable. Protecting women from harm, ensuring their safety through shelters and prosecuting abusers will create an environment where women can exercise their rights and seek justice.

Tackling endemic poverty and socioeconomic empowerment of women has to accompany legal-social reform to alleviate gender-based violence in Balochistan in all its forms. Holistic efforts addressing economic and cultural factors are needed to promote women’s rights, safety and development in Balochistan. 

– Asia Jamil
Photo: Flickr

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The Athlete Helping Australian Women and Indigenous Peoples

Australian Women
At the 2000 Olympics, Cathy Freeman ran once more around the track, after winning gold in the Women’s 400 m, draped in the Australian and Aboriginal flags — a historic moment for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Cathy Freeman’s legacy is a notable and influential athletic career, breaking barriers for Australian women and Indigenous peoples. Since retiring in 2003, her inspiring work as an Aboriginal athlete has continued through her philanthropic endeavors to help Australian women and those in the Indigenous community. 

Freeman’s Inspiring Athletic Career

Cathy Freeman’s athletic portfolio exhibits numerous outstanding performances in track and field. She has won multiple World Championships, gold and silver Olympic medals and four Commonwealth Games gold medals. In recognition of these performances, she earned the titles Young Australian of the Year (1990) and Australian of the Year (1998), is forever inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and wears the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

Advocating for Indigenous Peoples

Post-athletic career, Cathy Freeman dedicates her efforts to the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Her foundation, the Community Spirit Foundation, established in 2007, aims “to support children and their families recognize the power of education in achieving their dreams.” When the foundation began “more than 90% of Year 7 students living in Palm Island could not read or write at the minimum national standard, truancy rates were as high as 55% and less than 10% of students graduated high school.”

The foundation plays a key role in the lives of thousands of Indigenous children across four remote First Nation communities. In collaboration with local leaders, the foundation provides a suite of education programs for students at each grade level. These programs build confidence, teach goal-setting, increase resilience through education and provide positive role models appropriate to each community context. 

Since its inception, the foundation has been integral to improving access to education, inspiring a newfound sense of confidence as figures consistently reveal annual increases in year 12 graduation across all four partner communities. Of note, between 2017 to 2018 there was a 50% jump in Year 12 graduations. Furthermore, the organization is regarded highly as a recipient of the St. George Foundation Inspire Grant (2020), an investment in support of bridging the education gap in Indigenous communities. 

In addition, for several years, Cathy was an ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, as well as for the Victorian children’s charity, Cottage by the Sea. 

Freeman’s Legacy Continues

For more than a decade, the Community Spirit Foundation has extended its reach in providing access to quality, sustainable educational opportunities in rural Indigenous communities. In 2021, UNICEF Australia partnered with the Foundation, empowering Freeman’s vision and passion to “implement community-led, long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities, employing local people and working in a sustainable way.” The partnership bases efforts in the Aboriginal community of Woorabinda, where young people (under the age of 20) make up almost half the population and work to create sustainable educational and life opportunities.

Cathy Freeman continues breaking barriers for Australian Women and Indigenous peoples. As her work continues in her community, recognition of women in athletics and Indigenous communities expands to greater heights, creating opportunities in education, work and life.

– Emmalyn Meyer
Photo: Wikipedia Commons