Changing the world, one woman at a time
From war-torn towns to the halls of the United Nations, our global community invests in women survivors of war and conflict, connecting them with each other, resources, and support to realize their own power.
For 30 years, Women for Women International has used an integrated approach to invest in women’s power: We are a learning organization that listens to data, our teams around the world, and women themselves to constantly evolve and improve the way we work.
We work with women the world forgets — women survivors of war and conflict. Through in-depth assessments, we find ultra-poor and vulnerable women then meet them where they are.
When conflict is over, the world’s attention moves—but women are left without basic resources like food, water, and safety in communities that put their needs and voice last. Using a gendered graduation approach, we invest in women’s skills, connections, and resources to rebuild their families and communities together.
Our evidence-based approach is built on listening and learning, as well as rigorous data and analysis. It starts the moment we decide to work with a community. Together with local actors, we create a learning environment to reflect, analyze, and iterate to improve our model and the lives of women.
Monitoring - Through digital surveys, we measure and track women's progress before entering the program, after graduation – and when possible, one and two years after graduating to ensure that our work has a sustainable impact on their lives.
Evaluations & Research - We invest in a range of research studies and methods to understand the impact of our programs: what works, what doesn't, and what can be done better. As we improve our methods, we also share our learning with others to help women around the world.
Read more about how we monitor, evaluate, research, and learn
We are proud that our country staff are from the same communities as the women we serve and are respected as local leaders. They are knowledgeable about the challenges women face as well as the opportunities to make real and lasting change. We collaborate to develop programs that meet the unique context of every community and woman to help both become self-sustainable.
As women go through the program, their self-confidence, voice and power grow: They have agency and advocate for change, locally and nationally. We support these Change Agents, experts in the situation of local women, as they grow into local leaders who drive change and rebuild their communities.
Long-term change takes time. We stand by our partners and communities by supporting them and staying through the years-long process of rebuilding, even decades after a conflict ends. These efforts include graduate support and working with allies and men to remove the systemic and cultural barriers women face.
Lasting change starts with the people who live there. Our program supports graduates on their journey of power and transformation as they transition into local leaders: Change Agents. Together with them and other local partners, we invest in communities' ability to become self-sufficient.
With local leaders, we help them develop an organization that meets the needs of their women. Our team provides support to local teams until they are prepared and able to transition into an independent, local NGO powered by women to lay the foundations of healing and stability in their communities.
