Thrive: your support for women and girls

How your support is helping women and girls during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic

Throughout the pandemic, communities around the world have faced incredibly challenging times.

Lockdowns, economic shocks and the closure of public services have put a strain on people everywhere - especially women and girls living in poverty.

But thanks to the support of ActionAid donors, we have continued our vital work in communities from Latin America to Africa and Asia.

Thanks to you, we've been helping women to generate an income, to end child marriage, and to claim their rights around the world.

Scroll on for some of these inspiring stories of change.

Thanks to supporters like you, Silvana is generating an income making face masks to support her family during the pandemic in Brazil

The women’s group that Silvana is part of has made almost 900 pieces of soap – crucial in the fight against the spread of coronavirus

Generating an income during the coronavirus pandemic

In rural areas of Brazil, families struggle to earn enough through farming alone.

The women’s group that Silvana is part of has made almost 900 pieces of soap – crucial in the fight against the spread of coronavirus

To help increase incomes, ActionAid is supporting rural women’s groups to develop alternative sources of income.

This includes helping groups to increase the value of produce grown through processing, or developing other businesses such as rearing livestock, baking, and making clothes.

These groups have proved vital during the health emergency, as they have helped women continue to earn a living.

Silvana from Monte Azul is part of a group that chose to start a sewing business, and during the coronavirus pandemic, they’ve used their skills to make masks, as Silvana explains:

Being part of the ActionAid supported women’s group here in Brazil, I have been able to continue working during the pandemic by making facemasks. We’ve made over 1,500, which are being distributed to other communities.

Thanks to supporters like you, Silvana is generating an income making face masks to support her family during the pandemic in Brazil

"As a group, we have also been supported to make soap using oil extracted from the cotton plants we grow. Because of Covid-19, the demand for soap has increased as everyone needs to wash their hands more than ever to stop the spread of the virus.

"So far, we have created nearly 900 pieces of soap and I know other women’s groups are also doing the same.

"I feel great joy in knowing that I am helping people to protect themselves and I am making a small, but crucial income for my family."

Ending child marriage is allowing girls to continue their education

"Even though marriage is not allowed until the girl is 18, my parents received lots of offers to marry me even though I am only 16," said Meghla from Bangladesh.

Meghla is a member of a children’s club, which we established in her school, thanks to supporters like you.

Meghla found out that her parents were considering accepting a dowry to marry her, despite her being only 16 years old

These groups provide children with a safe space to discuss issues and challenges that they face and the support to resolve them, as Meghla explains:

"I'm a member of the children’s club that is supported by ActionAid, where I learned that it was my right to stay in school and not be married.

Thanks to your support, we're helping girls like Meghla to stay in school

I told my teacher of my parent’s plans for me to marry. Thanks to ActionAid’s support, my parents were helped to see that marrying so young could be damaging to my health, they also learned that my education was much more important.

"I have shown the other girls in my school that we can stand up for our rights and continue with our education."

Meghla found out that her parents were considering accepting a dowry to marry her, despite her being only 16 years old

Thanks to your support, we're helping girls like Meghla to stay in school

Thanks to you support, Busaad (left) is helping women find an alternative income to end FGM in her village

Over 270 women are members of nine ActionAid supported women’s groups in Gabiley, Somaliland

Providing an alternative form of income ends FGM

"Our dream is to end female genital mutilation in our village and to share our experience with other villages," said 38-year-old Busaad from Somaliland.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or cutting, is usually carried out on girls in Somaliland between infancy and 15 years of age. The procedure has severe physical, psychological, and social consequences for the rest of the girls’ lives.

Thanks to you support, Busaad (left) is helping women find an alternative income to end FGM in her village

Thanks to the commitment of supporters like you, we are working with Busaad’s community to support the rights of women, and to create discussions around violations of these rights, such as domestic violence and FGM.

By creating women’s groups and providing safe spaces for women to discuss these issues, they are able to make different choices, as Busaad explains:

I am part of a women’s group and we’ve been meeting with the women who perform FGM, which provides them with an income. We shared the serious health risks of FGM with them and have helped them to develop alternative sources of income.

Over 270 women are members of nine ActionAid supported women’s groups in Gabiley, Somaliland

"Thank you, ActionAid, for giving us a safe space to meet and discuss these matters. As a result of our group’s activities, village leaders, including the men, now support us. Thank you for helping us change their attitudes towards women."

Helping women claim their right to land ownership

"My husband died and left me with five acres of land, but his family said I could not keep it. The land was my only source of income. This left myself and our children in a desperate situation," said 41-year-old Juliana from Chamwino in Tanzania.

Women in Tanzania rely on having access to land to grow crops and raise animals to earn an income

Juliana is a member of a women’s farmers group, which we established in her community thanks to supporters like you. Land is the most critical economic resource for women in Tanzania who depend on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods.

Juliana is one of 264 women in her community who have learned about the rights of land ownership thanks to supporters like you.

Through these groups, we are supporting women to build awareness of their rights so they can confidently challenge discrimination, as Juliana explains:

As a member of a women’s farmers group, I attended a workshop on land rights for women. I learned that the law was on my side and I could fight this injustice. With my newly found confidence and knowledge I negotiated with my husband’s family and they agreed to let me keep the land, without me needing to take legal action.

"I thank ActionAid for working with us women, I have been able to keep my land which I earn my income from by growing crops and keeping animals."

Women in Tanzania rely on having access to land to grow crops and raise animals to earn an income

Juliana is one of 264 women in her community who have learned about the rights on land ownership thanks supporters like you.

Juliana is one of 264 women in her community who have learned about the rights of land ownership thanks to supporters like you.

Thanks to supporters like you, over 150 girls now have access to toilets that they no longer share with the boys which means they can still attend school during their period

Alimanta (right) enjoys going to school now the facilities have been improved

Supporting girls to stay in school

"I did not like attending school, especially when I had my period because we had to share the toilets with the boys. The rest of the school was also in a poor state of repair and there were never enough desks," said Alimanta (13) from Tain, in Ghana.

Thanks to supporters like you, over 150 girls now have access to toilets that they no longer share with the boys which means they can still attend school during their period

Sadly, without proper facilities in school, many girls either missed school during their periods or even dropped out of school altogether.

Thanks to supporters like you, ActionAid is helping to improve school facilities, so all children can gain a quality education.

Alimanta (right) enjoys going to school now the facilities have been improved

In Alimanta’s school, we’ve helped to construct a new toilet block and a school library, as Alimanta explains:

I am really enjoying school again. We have a new toilet block just for the girls, so I can stay at school during my period. ActionAid has also built a new classroom block complete with new desks and chairs, plus we have a new a library stocked with over 100 new books.

I am very grateful for all the school improvements; I plan to study hard and become a banker when I leave school. Thank you!"

Supporting entrepreneurs to thrive

"I live with my husband and our children in Gaza. My husband is unable to work due to a long-term illness which has meant we didn’t have a regular income and had to rely on food aid," 38-year-old Sabah told us.

Sabah is one of 42 women from her community who joined our livelihood project where participants learned new skills to earn an income

With your support, we were able to provide a five-day training course which not only aimed to support and empower women like Sabah, but equipped them with new skills to transform their futures, as she explains:

"I joined ActionAid’s livelihood project which aims to help women learn new skills to generate an income.

Empowering women changes the futures of whole families

I took part in a baking and business management course as I’ve always loved to bake. At the end of the training ActionAid provided me with the equipment and tools to start my own business.

"Now, I can produce what I love – cakes, pastries, and sweets for special occasions. Moreover, my self-confidence has increased, and I am proud of my job. It is good to appreciate the importance of women in my community and how we can change our future."

Sabah is one of 42 women from her community who joined our livelihood project where participants learned new skills to earn an income

Empowering women changes the futures of whole families

Climate change is impacting women’s abilities to generate an income to support their families

Thanks to supporters like you, Sinh is one of 30 women in her community who have learned new farming skills

Developing new skills to combat the impact of climate change

"Like most families here in Tra Vinh, in Vietnam, we earn our income from farming," Sinh, a married mother of two, told us.

Climate change is impacting women’s abilities to generate an income to support their families

Climate change is destroying lives around the world right now, and communities in Vietnam are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather such as floods, droughts and rising sea levels - all of which contribute to failed harvests.

All of this means that women are struggling to earn a living, as Sinh explains:

"Each year it has got harder and harder to grow good crops, with unpredictable changes in the weather and our reliance on chemical fertilisers.

Thanks to supporters like you, Sinh is one of 30 women in her community who have learned new farming skills

"We used chemical fertilsers to boost our production, but it had a terrible impact on the environment and our water sources.

I was filled with joy when ActionAid provided training for the women in my village in a new way of growing vegetables organically.

The vegetables are grown in net tunnels which stop pest attacks and protects the crops from the wind and heavy rain and without the need for any chemicals. My income has increased as a result of farming in this new way – thank you!"

Thrive:
your support for women and girls