Summer Reading: Celebrating Voices from Around the World

Hear from Kyra Guenther, President of St Andrews Women for Women International Student Society. She shares her experiences and top tips after leading this incredible award-winning Student Society, which has supported women survivors of war for more than 10 years. 

Thank you, St Andrews Women for Women International Student Society!

Women in Afghanistan have seemingly been erased from public life. The de facto government is stripping back their rights, one restriction after another. But two years since the takeover, women refuse to back down. Read about how our brave and defiant Afghan sisters are taking a stand, wielding their power and holding onto hope. 

In conflict-affected countries where we have established offices and local teams, many women in our programmes are refugees or forcibly displaced. And when conflict emerges where we don't have local teams, we work where we can to identify partner organisations on the ground, with whom we meet the unique and urgent needs of women who are often overlooked in times of crisis. 

Here are four spotlights on some of the crises we're responding to by serving refugee and displaced women - and ways you can help too.

Shocking statistics and clickbait headlines perpetuate damaging stereotypes about refugees. By unpicking common myths and misconceptions, we increase our understanding and are better placed to help refugees heal and rebuild their lives.

In recent years, refugee literature has provided a way of educating the public about the truth behind the refugee experience. Women for Women International believes that knowledge is power, so check out our World Refugee Day Reading List to grow your awareness and understanding of the refugee experience for your own personal reading and to share with others.

Meet six incredible refugee women - from Syrian activist Waad al-Kateab to actress and singer Marlene Dietrich - who have used their power to make a difference.

In 2018, Leila's village in Damascus, Syria was bombed, killing two of her children and injuring her daughter so badly that she still struggles to walk properly today. Despite their injuries, Leila and her daughter made the difficult to decision to leave their home and seek asylum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In the face of immense grief, Leila knew that she needed to move forward for the sake of her family.



 

On paper, it might seem as though women's rights are protected in Nigeria. But today, Nigerian women and girls continue to face the reality of widespread discrimination, violence and injustice. To understand why urgent change is needed, read these 10 key facts about women's rights in Nigeria.

After graduating from our 12 month programme in the Democractic Republic of Congo, Cinama went on to start her own brickmaking business. She now shares her knowledge with other women and is looked up to as a role model.

More than one year on from Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and our Managing Director, Sara Bowcutt, shared her reflections with Seida Sarić, Director of Žene za Žene International), our sister organisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kateryna Shukh, Vice President of Bereginja – Mariupol’s Women’s Association. 

The UK Government recently published two long-awaited policies, reflecting how collective and sustained advocacy - anchored in women’s experiences - can contribute to small wins in a broader context of a global rollback on women’s rights, no matter how painstaking those advocacy efforts or granular those wins may feel. So, what are those small wins, and are they worth celebrating?

Across the world, women often have less access to technology, mobile phones and the internet compared to men. In fact, the majority of the 2.9 billion people who remain unconnected are women and girls. But evidence suggests that digital inclusion goes hand in hand with economic empowerment and gender equality.