The Power of Your Support
Thank you for being a part of the Power Up Club, and for helping to transform the lives of thousands of women survivors of war.
Read on to learn more about the power of your support.
Your 2021 Power Up Impact Report
Thank You
As a founding member of the Power Up Club, you have helped to build this powerful community of 350 (and counting!) passionate and determined supporters of women survivors of war.
This Impact Report - the 2021 Power Update - is the first of its kind. From here on out, we will be sending these reports on a bi-annual basis, designed to share with you some of the immeasurable power of your generosity.
Inspired by our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme, we wanted to create a space for you - our dedicated supporters - to come together with other monthly donors, develop your knowledge and skills, and drive the changes you want to see in the world.
Further down, you’ll be able to read about the power of our global sisterhood - the unwavering strength of our colleagues and sisters in Afghanistan, whose rights have been on trial since the current government's takeover last summer; the work we are doing with partner organisations to support women experiencing conflict right now; stories from our sisters - the women survivors of war we serve; and some of our recent blogs, showcasing supporters just like you who make our work possible. We have also included recordings of our Power Up events so far, in case you couldn’t make it or would simply like to watch them again - and rest assured, there are more to come in 2022.
None of this would be possible without you and our community of supporters. Your dedication is increasing women’s power globally and building a more equal, peaceful and prosperous future.
On behalf of our global sisterhood - thank you.
Our Mission
In countries affected by conflict and war, Women for Women International supports the most marginalised women to earn and save money, improve health and well-being, influence decisions in their home and community, and connect to networks for support. By utilsing skills, knowledge, and resources gained through our programme, women are able to create sustainable change for themselves, their families, and communities.
Responding to Current Conflicts
Around the world, more countries are experiencing some form of violent conflict than at any other time in the last 30 years.
Through our Conflict Respond Fund, we are able to expand our impact by tracking crises in real-time, identifying credible partners on the ground and allocating resources to meet the urgent needs of women survivors, no matter what side of a conflict they are on.
We are currently operating in Syria, in partnership with Women Now For Development. The resurgence of violence in Syria left even more women and girls displaced and disempowered by conflict, health crises, and lack of resources - and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. We are providing women with vocational and professional training skills so they can earn an income and support their families.
The Global Goals
In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development - a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
These goals and their targets include working to eradicate extreme poverty so that no one is living on less than $1.90 a day, ending discrimination against all women and girls, significantly reducing all forms of violence and related death rates, and ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels - and many more.
Using the data we collect from our programme, we have created an interactive dataset to illustrate the impact of our programme - of your support - on these targets.
Supporting our Afghan Sisters
When the current government took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, we paused our regular programmes for security reasons. We called upon supporters like you to stand in solidarity with Afghan women - with our colleagues and sisters. The outpouring of support from our international community was overwhelming, raising vital funds in aid of our Afghanistan response.
Our normal Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme provides cash, training, business skills, and referrals to services such as psychosocial support for women survivors of war and conflict. Our commitment to supporting communities in Afghanistan remains, with the ultimate goal of continuing operations locally and supporting as many women as possible.
Thanks to your generosity, we are working with the new government and partner organisations on the ground to meet immediate critical needs including enabling mobile cash transfers, providing kitchen garden and poultry kits as well as assessing the longer-term needs of our programme participants.
The impact of your ongoing support is critical – ensuring that we can meet the needs of women in our programme today, and helping us to respond to other conflicts in the future.
Join us on Facebook
If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to join the Power Up Club Facebook group to start connecting with other members.
Missed a Power Up Event? Watch now
Power Up Club Launch Event
subtitle:
Welcome to our Power up Club!
As a member, you are invited to bespoke and exclusive events with this powerful community.
Watch our launch event here, hosted by Paulina Stachnik, Head of Communications at Women for Women International - UK, and joined by special guests Seida Sarić, Director of Žene za Žene International and Ema Camo.
Virtual Cooking Class with Mick Elysée
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Health and nutrition are key elements of our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme, where participants learn about ways to introduce a more balanced diet in their homes – helping to create a healthier life for both themselves and their families.
We are honoured that world-renowned French-Congolese chef Mick Elysée is sharing two of his fantastic recipes with us today - catch up on our Virtual Cooking Class today!
Your Access Passcode: *DQn9U+m
Tune in for a conversation with our Iraq and Afghanistan Country Director, Aram Shakerm, and Vice President of Global Programs, Marie Clarke, discussing the disproportionate impacts of war and crises on the most marginalised women, the challenges they face and how we can best support them to create sustainable change for themselves, their families and their communities.
Keep Learning & Get Inspired
We asked Ruth to share what inspired her and the team to come together and complete their very own 500 for 500 challenge in support of women survivors of war.
Worldwide, 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. This number hasn’t changed in 10 years.
Patience
subtitle:
I used to depend on my husband totally to cover all expenses, pay children school fees and medical care - but now I am empowered.
Give the Gift of Sponsorship
This festive season, sponsor a sister on behalf of your loved one, helping a woman survivor of war rebuild her life – and changing two lives at the same time.
As a token of appreciation, we also have a special gift for you. Learn more below.