Social Empowerment

Women in our program receive cash, learn vocational skills, and create business associations and savings groups. But in order for a woman to empower herself, we need to do more. Because we work with the absolutely most marginalized women – women who experience extreme gender discrimination, poverty and have suffered from conflict and violence – an important part of our program is overcoming stigma and discrimination, as well as working on health and well-being. We invest in women’s social empowerment by teaching them about their rights and health. For example, in Nigeria, we teach women about their land rights because so many women are still deprived of inheritance that is rightfully theirs. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we teach women about protections against gender-based violence. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, we train young women to be advocates for change and equality in their communities. We teach women how to take better care of their bodies, their health and well-being – and that of their families. This means training on nutrition, sanitation and reproductive rights. Our social empowerment program allows us to address the multi-faceted needs of women survivors of war.