Here is how Women for Women International celebrated this day around the world.
In Nigeria, festivities started on March 6th and lasted three full days. Bukola Onyishi, the Nigerian country office director, and program participants hosted local government officials, professors from the University of Jos, and community members as they marched through the streets wearing all white, performed skits and songs, gave presentations, and organized a debate about women’s rights.
350 women and many men from the community attended the Nigerian country office’s celebration. Bukola says that they continued to celebrate women’s rights even after the official day had passed.
In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, women we serve celebrated with the theme of “Women Together Can Change the World.” They were excited to celebrate their first International Women’s Day with Women for Women International in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 400 people participated in the day’s events at our training center in Daratu, including all 284 of the country office’s core program participants, NGO partners, and the mayor of Daratu. Interviews with our Social Empowerment Coordinator and program participants aired on the Kurdistan 24 TV channel.
The celebrations included the sharing of songs, poetry, and life stories. Guests participated in a trivia game in which they were quizzed on different topics having to do with social and economic empowerment.
In Afghanistan, celebrations were held on March 7th with donor organizations, government officials, local NGOs, change agents, and many more. The day’s events commenced with an address by our country director as well a note from Afghanistan’s First Lady, Rula Ghani.
Next, there was a theater performance that was conceptualized by our manager of social empowerment and a woman served through our program shared her story as a survivor of abuse.
In the DRC, 2,000 people marched with Women for Women International to bring awareness to the needs of rural women and proclaim that women can be community leaders. Women marched with signs and t-shirts that said “Yes, Women Can and Need to Be Leaders”. Many women around the country continued celebrations for several days. Women gave speeches and celebrated together with dancing, and marching.
