When supported by her peers and provided with the right resources and opportunities, even the most marginalized woman can discover the power and skills to transform her life, her family, and her community.
In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has grappled with war, civil strife, and multiple rebellions since 1996, women and girls suffer disproportionately from high rates of violence and extreme poverty. At the same time, services such as healthcare, psychosocial support, security, and justice for survivors of violence are limited. Women for Women International has developed our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations program that offers women in eastern DRC a constructive, dignified way to regain control of their lives.
With your support, our training gives women the tools to know and defend their rights, influence decisions at home and in their communities, generate income, and save money for the future, contributing to economic self-sufficiency in their lives and for their families. A recent impact evaluation found that Women for Women International’s social and economic empowerment program:
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Increased women’s savings, assets, and access to credit;
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Increased women’s engagement with entrepreneurial work and net earnings;
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Improved women’s mental health and household diet diversity; and
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Improved women’s agency, self-confidence and participation in household decision-making, and social support.
Since 2004, Women for Women International–DRC has reached more than 106,000 women through our program in North and South Kivu. Additionally, our team has reached more than 18,975 male leaders, community members, and male family members of women enrolled in our Stronger Women, Stronger Nations program.
Women for Women International has developed partnerships with local advocacy organizations fighting for women’s rights and gender equality and recently initiated an advocacy alliance to raise marginalized women’s voices up to decision makers across eastern DRC. In 2022, 256 received advocacy training to exercise their rights to land titling. We also expanded our health insurance projects to increase women’s access to affordable healthcare, which resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in fees on average for women and their families.
Workforce Training Partnerships
Since 2008, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported marginalized women in sub-Saharan Africa to gain new job skills, basic business training, life skills, and a support network. Bloomberg Philanthropies is currently supporting innovative programming to support women’s economic development and leadership roles in their communities in DRC.
