Celebrating success
Your International Women's Day update from ActionAid
The difference your donations make
International Women's Day is all about celebrating women's achievements, raising awareness about gender inequities, and building support for women's rights around the world.
In recognition of this special day, we'd like to share some inspiring stories from incredible women who are breaking down barriers, changing patriarchal norms and building their own, independent incomes — like Fatou, from The Gambia.
We hope you are inspired by these examples of amazing women who are leading change for their families and communities. Thank you for standing with women and girls around the world.
In Bangladesh
Women are challenging deep-seated, patriarchal norms
"Greetings from Bangladesh. My name is Sahanaz and I live with my husband and our four children.
"I married when I was young, and we went to live with my husband’s family. The patriarchal culture was so intense that my husband, Jahangir, was also affected: neither of us were allowed to make any decisions for ourselves and my husband gave most of his earnings to his parents.
"My journey of change began when ActionAid established a community health clinic, which not only provided healthcare services for women, but it was also a safe space for us to meet.
"During these meetings, we discussed our rights and created a women’s savings group with over 200 members. We also joined a tailoring training course, as we identified this as a good way to earn a living.
Feeling empowered from my newfound skills and confidence, I persuaded my husband to be part of ActionAid’s activities and he realised how much of our lives had been tied down by patriarchy.
"As a result of this, we moved into our own home where we can make our own decisions.
"I want to make sure my children grow up to be educated people, so they can also contribute to social development and continue to challenge patriarchy."
In Haiti
Women's fishing cooperatives are changing lives
"I have learned that I am much more than a fisherwoman, I am a businesswoman," Marie Laurène, from Haiti, told us.
"Living in a coastal community, women’s roles are often limited to the selling of fish. I felt ashamed being a fish seller - it was not seen as an impressive career.
"I was therefore excited when I heard about ActionAid’s work in training and supporting the women in fishing communities.
"They created a women’s fishing cooperative and provided us with a new boat, fishing equipment, life jackets and coolers. We received training on new ways of fishing such as not catching undersized fish, so we can protect our precious resources for future generations.
"As a cooperative we share the tasks, such as completing our accounts and sharing the profits, between us. I am making around 10,000 gourdes [£75] a month.
"ActionAid is also helping us construct a fish processing unit where we will be able to sell our fresh seafood for immediate consumption and have the facilities to dry or smoke the fish to preserve it for even longer.
"I am proud to fish now. When I'm at sea, I am amazed by its immensity and I’m always grateful when I come back with my net full of fish. I am no longer depressed or stressed, because I can take care of my children and their schooling needs thanks to this project."
In Malawi
Access to water is transforming communities
"I didn’t have the time to earn any money as I spent almost the whole day at the river fetching water for my family," says Lucy, from Malawi.
Access to water was a huge issue for everyone in Lucy’s community, impacting many aspects of their lives. Thanks to supporters like you, we partnered with Lucy’s community, as well as the local government, to address the issue of water.
A gravity-fed water system was installed, benefiting more than 3,000 residents in the area. The impact of having this tap near their homes has been huge. Women are no longer spending hours collecting water; instead they are able to focus on their farms and other business opportunities.
Lucy explains: "I am now financially independent as I am able to run a small stall selling doughnuts, which I could not do when I was spending the whole day looking for water."
In The Gambia
Women are gaining incredible new skills
"Here in The Gambia, most of the skilled work is done by men; young women like me rarely have the opportunity to work alongside them," says 29-year-old Fatou, from The Gambia.
"Instead, we are expected to get married and have children.
"I was, therefore, over the moon when ActionAid invited me and 35 other young women to attend an 18-month training course learning new skills such as carpentry, painting, welding, and solar panel installation.
I am pleased to share with you that I graduated from the course, and I am now part of a group of 13 young women called the Girls' Solar Technicians Association and we are legally registered as a business.
"Since completing the training, we have given back to our community by carrying out maintenance of the village mosque solar system. We have also won a contract worth D500,000 [£7,126] for the installation of solar systems in 48 households.
"The training has benefitted not only me, but my family and my community. Right now, there is no mains electricity in my village, but there is solar energy and whenever there is a fault, I have the skills to fix it.
"I am happy that each month I’m able to contribute to the running of our family home, easing the financial burden on my parents. This means my siblings have everything they need to attend school.
"Because of ActionAid’s support, I am proud to be able to help my family and my community – thank you for helping us women learn these new life-changing skills."
In Vietnam
Women are working together to advocate for change
"In recent years, the climate has become more erratic and harsher here in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam," 35-year-old Thu tells us.
"There have been many thunderstorms and tornadoes that cause seawater to infiltrate into our water supplies and rice fields.
"Seawater is not good for the rice or my animals. The rice withers and dies and my cattle get sick and sometimes they pass away. My family rely on our rice farm for our income. We had to sell two cows to make up for the loss from our rice crops.
"ActionAid helped us form a local women’s group where we’ve learned to adapt to climate change and build our resilience to ongoing disasters.
We’ve learned new skills to help us with these new challenges. One of these is how to grow water lilies.
"Not only can we sell the water lilies, but they also help to remove impurities from the water, which can then be used for crops and animals. I collect around 20 to 30 kilos of water lilies twice a week, which I sell for about VND 4000 [14p] per kilo.
"With this support, I have been able to adapt my farming methods to deal with climate change.
"Learning to grow water lilies that naturally filter the water and increase our income is helping the women in my community to earn a sustainable living."
Images: ActionAid / Burton Kamowa; Yen Duong/ActionAid; Nazrul Islam /ActionAid; Elizabeth Richard /ActionAid; ActionAid.
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