Mid-year update from Women for Women International
Thank you for being part of our global community in 2022.
Here is a look back at what we have achieved together so far this year.
Mid-year update from Women for Women International
MID-YEAR UPDATE
We are deeply grateful to you for helping us support women in conflict-affected countries. We are reaching thousands of women across the countries we work in, amid exceptional challenges and escalating violence.
16,860 total women served through our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme
6,860 new enrollments in our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programmes
1,450 men reached through the Men’s Engagement Programme
Programme Highlights
- We are supporting women affected by the war in Ukraine through our Conflict Response Fund (CRF) partner, Bergenia – Mariupol’s Women’s Association. We have also identified two additional partners within Ukraine and hope to begin programming in the coming weeks.
- We have expanded our CRF in Ethiopia, adding two new partners: Agar Ethiopia and Association for Women's Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD), to complement our partner in Tigray.
- Staff from our Iraq programme are providing technical assistance to our CRF partner, Women Now For Development, as they plan to adopt our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme in Syria.
As conflict and crises continue to escalate around the world, women’s rights remain at grave risk.
More countries are experiencing some form of violent conflict than at any time in the last 30 years and we need our global community now more than ever.
Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we have invested in over 530,000 women over the last 29 years, working to realise our vision of a world in which all women determine the course of their lives and reach their full potential.
IRAQ
Expanding our reach
We have expanded our programming footprint in Iraq and, despite the increased insecurity caused by political instability, our operations remain unaffected. We have enrolled 3,200 new participants and expanded our presence into the Nineveh Plains region, ensuring that we continue to reach the most marginalised women in the country. In June, 250 women participants enrolled in the new centre.
South Sudan
Providing stability
From a lack of government in Iraq, to rising tensions at the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo border and increased food prices affecting participants in Nigeria, our Country Offices are navigating challenging external factors as they deliver our programmes. However, your ongoing support offers us the ability to both plan for the long-term and quickly adapt to changing situations. In March in South Sudan, 700 women and 700 men graduated our programmes. The team are also beginning to pilot our updated Change Agent curriculum and have enrolled 300 men in the Men’s Engagement Programme for June.
Afghanistan
RESUMING OUR PROGRAMMES IN EARLY 2022
The current situation in Afghanistan presents an extremely challenging reality as our teams navigate the level of continued conflict, political uncertainty and economic collapse. International sanctions pushed Afghanistan’s economy to the brink of collapse, which has left most of the country dependent on food aid. We know that marginalised women bear the brunt of the ongoing humanitarian and economic crises.
Our team in Afghanistan have shown remarkable resilience and strength in difficult circumstances. They led talks with the de facto government and, after months of discussions, negotiated the reopening of our programmes in early 2022. We are now operating in three provinces and have over 1,893 women participating in our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme, who are receiving training in 12 training centres. The Kabul office has recently received official approval to restart programming after months of negotiations.
Ukraine
The lives of millions of people from Ukraine have been shattered by the Russian invasion.
We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from our international community as we respond to the critical needs of women affected by the war, who are now exposed to extreme violence, abuse and the risk of human trafficking.
We have identified our first priority partners on the ground in Ukraine, one of them being Bereginia – Mariupol’s Women’s Association, through whom we are supporting women refugees on the Poland – Ukraine border. Your generosity has helped us provide legal counselling, vocational training, safe spaces and gender-based violence counselling and prevention.
As the war goes on, reports of sexual violence against women are mounting and the impact of the conflict in Ukraine is already seen with soaring prices of bread, other food commodities and fuel in the other countries in which we work. Your commitment to women affected by this war is a lifeline. Thank you for standing in solidarity with women in some of the world’s most dangerous places
"No one hears our voices"
AFGHAN WOMEN SHARE THEIR HOPES AND FEARS
Throughout this crisis, international media, governments and international institutions have too often spoken 'about' women in Afghanistan without speaking directly with Afghan women themselves. We conducted phone surveys and interviews with our past and current programme participants and Afghan women's rights activists to better understand their current experiences, primary concerns and challenges, and their hopes for their future. You can read about Afghan women’s hopes, fears and daily realities in our report, "No One Hears Our Voices”.
The international community must listen to our voices on women’s rights like education and our employment, and they should convince the de facto government to give women equal rights in society.
“What of Our Unfulfilled Promises” report
Syrian refugees in Iraq
On 20th June, World Refugee Day, we launched the “What of Our Unfulfilled Promises” report, making evidence-based recommendations on the priorities and hopes of Syrian refugee women living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). In May 2022, ahead of World Refugee Day, we spoke with 112 women in three refugee camps in the KRI via surveys, focus group discussions and interviews. One overarching message emerged in our research: What feels like a forever war must not become a forgotten war.
Our Partnerships
Brands committed the full force of their businesses
At the start of the year, we partnered with a new top-tier partner, Slip - a global beauty brand. Slip generously donated £100,000 in February and are looking to support with additional activity throughout the year. On International Women’s Day, we were thrilled to partner with 21 brands including hush, Emma Bridgewater, Papier, Neal’s Yard Remedies, 111SKIN, Mint Velvet and Fy! Caravan, 26 Grains and The Ned also added £1 onto their restaurant bills throughout March, with The Ned and 26Grains also hosting special International Women’s Day dinners in support of our work.
£243,000 raised (and counting) at the #SheInspiresMe Car Boot Sale!
£100,000 donated by corporate partner Slip
Our Events
Chichest Car Boot Sale ever
Doors opened in May to Selfridges car park for the return of the #SheInspiresMe Car Boot Sale. With a superstar line-up of 25 boots, this really was the chicest car boot sale ever! Hosted by Women for Women International Ambassador Alex Eagle, we were joined by over 100 designers, fashion icons and coveted brands donating everything from vintage fashion, childrenswear, swimwear, accessories, skincare, make-up, and homewares.
This event raised over £243,000 to support women survivors of war.
#PowerToChange
Thousands of change-makers rallied behind our global campaign
In March, our supporters joined a transformative movement to make the world more equal, peaceful and prosperous for women everywhere. Thank you so much to all of you who used your voice, platform and #PowerToChange to encourage your communities to get involved. We hosted Power Chats on Instagram Live, held events for you to connect with our global sisterhood and shared blogs and stories from the women in our programme – and much more!
One story we shared was Daniella’s, a woman in the Democratic Republic of Congo who has rebuilt her life and family, and who now wants to spread her impact to other women in her community. Thank you for joining Daniella and so many others – together, we added to the ripples of change being made around the world!
Power Up Club
This July marks one year since the launch of our Power Up Club
One year on and inspired by our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme, our Power Up Club is now over 400 members strong! For a monthly donation of £7 or more, members receive access to free virtual events, exclusive digital content, opportunities to connect and much more.
World Refugee Week
To mark World Refugee Week starting on 20th June, women refugees in our programme shared their stories with you in this video – stories of hope, resilience and bravery. World Refugee Week saw the launch of our new global podcast too! What Makes Us Stronger is about what makes us resilient in times of conflict. You can listen to the first episode here, in which we speak to women refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Syria. We also shared a series of blogs for you to learn more about the refugee experience, highlighting women refugee trailblazers and spreading the impact of our work with women fleeing the war in Ukraine.
NEW AMBASSADOR
Waad al Kateab
We were thrilled to announce Waad al Kateab, Syrian activist and award-winning journalist and filmmaker, as our newest global Ambassador!
Thank you for joining us, Waad, and our ever-growing community to honour the strength and power of refugees around the world.
THANK YOU
On behalf of everyone at Women for Women International thank you so much for your kindness and for caring so passionately about women in countries affected by conflict. The support of our community is truly life-changing for the women we serve.
Together, our impact is enormous – but there is still so much work to be done to build a world that is equal, peaceful and prosperous for women everywhere. We look forward to spreading our impact even further over the rest of this year!