About us
Women for Women International works with socially excluded women in eight countries where war and conflict have devastated lives and communities. Each woman we serve has her own story—some of loved ones murdered, and others of physical and emotional trauma. Most have endured a struggle for survival.
When we enroll women in our one-year programme, they learn job skills and receive business training so they can earn a living. Women become confident, independent and productive, embracing their importance in rebuilding their families, their communities and ultimately their nations.
Women for Women believes that lasting change can only be achieved when women have access to both knowledge and resources.
Our Mission: Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. We're changing the world one woman at a time.
How we make it happen
When women are enrolled in the Women for Women programme they are connected to a global network of sponsors who provide monthly financial assistance and emotional support. Learn more about sponsorship.
How our programmes work
Our programmess are organised into three stages as women increase their access to resources and knowledge:
- Creating awareness:
By improving women's access to knowledge about their value and the importance of women's rights and societal roles. - Promoting behaviour change:
By encouraging women's willingness to:- Actively make decisions in her family and community
- Use her knowledge to maintain physical and psychological wellness
- Form women's and community groups and take advantage of economic opportunities.
- Enabling action:
By providing opportunities to develop personal and group plans for action to allow women to become active citizens individually and in solidarity with other women. Women are provided with support and access to essential services such as microcredit loans, legal assistance, cooperative and employment opportunities and social networks.
The key outcomes of the Women for Women programmes are:
- Women sustain an income: Income and asset management
- Women are well: Awareness, protection and prevention
- Women are decision-makers: Family and community decision-making
- Women have social networks and safety nets: Solidarity for support and protection
When these four key outcomes are met, women experience lasting change and are positioned to be active citizens. As active citizens, women engage socially, civically and economically for the benefit of their family and community. As active citizens, woman can become leaders of community change , which leads to peaceful and stable societies.
How we create lasting change
Women are the bellwether of society. Their well-being directly correlates to how society fares overall. When women survivors of war participate in Women for Women programmes, the outcomes are beneficial to women and society as a whole:
- Women are well. Access to affordable and accessible healthcare—as well as training in disease prevention—significantly reduces preventable deaths.
- Women have a voice in family and community decisions. Studies show that women exercise greater decision-making power within their families when they are educated, earn a stable income and have access to resources such as land and credit.
- Women contribute to economic stability. When women earn an income, they reinvest a much higher portion in their families and communities compared to men.
- Women have networks and safety nets. As programme participants, women learn the importance of working together. By working in groups, they also benefit from a support system and social networks.
