INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY:
Building a More Secure Future For Women Throughout The World
Research shows that investing in women has significant benefits to developing countries. The health, economic status, and general well-being of populations increase as men and women become more equal in societies.
Still, in many countries women are less likely to have access to the same education and health care as men, and women make up the majority of people living on less than a dollar a day, which is the standard measure of extreme poverty. In addition to these inequalities, women and girls are targeted for violence and human trafficking far more than men and boys.
Here are some ways in which AED is working with local communities to address critical issues facing women:
The Economic Impact of Educating Girls
Fewer than one in five girls in all of sub-Saharan Africa complete secondary school, and there are millions more girls worldwide who will never move beyond primary school. A new book published by AED, Keeping the Promise: Five Benefits of Girls’ Secondary Education, clearly and succinctly presents data and analysis on the importance of educating girls in developing countries. It also illustrates the impact educating girls has on the day-to-day lives of real families that the writer, May Rihani, has met through her more than 30 years of experience in the field.
Fighting Human Trafficking
Human trafficking, which disproportionately affects women and girls, has become a global business that generates huge profits for traffickers and organized criminal groups. AED maintains the Web site www.humantrafficking.org, which works to link government agencies and non-governmental organizations that are fighting the war against human trafficking in the East Asia and Pacific region.
In addition AED is working to reduce violence against women and children in South Asia through the South Asia Regional Initiative/Equity Support Program.
Advocating to Improve Women’s Health
Every three hours a woman in Mali dies due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth. The statistics are just as staggering in other developing countries. The “Reduce” advocacy model, developed by AED, focuses on decreasing maternal mortality, morbidity, and disability rates.
Strengthening Women’s Leadership Skills
Through the Kellogg Southern Africa Leadership fellowship program, which is coordinated by AED, African women are preparing for leadership roles in their home countries. Read more about their experiences in the program, and their plans for the future.
Addressing Domestic Violence
Domestic violence against women is a serious—and under-addressed—health and human rights problem directly linked to gender inequality. AED’s Empowerment of Women Research Program recently published a paper, Socioeconomic Factors and Processes Associated With Domestic Violence in Rural Bangladesh, which found that of about 1,200 women surveyed, 67% had experienced domestic violence, and 35% had been a victim in the past year.
Improving Employability
AED is working in Morocco through the ALEF project to improve the vocational education system so that girls there will have the job skills they need to be successful when they enter the workforce. In addition, AED is supporting programs that teach women in rural areas basic math and reading skills.
In addition AED is coordinating the One Shared World campaign to raise awareness of global poverty and make it a vital part of the American dialog. The campaign especially seeks to connect America’s working women to the many public and private efforts that help women in developing countries overcome poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease.
AED also supports advocacy on behalf of women’s development through our support to Women’s Edge Coalition and leadership in the Basic Education Coalition, particularly their work in girls’ education.
MORE INFORMATION ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
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