Humbling and inspirational

I have been with WOMANKIND Worldwide for almost three months now and am more convinced than ever about the importance of our work. I am also extremely impressed by the amount WOMANKIND is able to achieve with limited resources.

I have been privileged to meet some of WOMANKIND’s partners: Najia, the Director of the Afghan Women’s Educational Centre, spoke to us — and to many others in a succession of TV and radio interviews — about Afghan women’s struggle to fully participate in the rebuilding of their shattered country; and Asha, the Director of Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC), discussed the ongoing conflict in her home country and how she and SSWC are working to ensure women play a role in the country’s political life and peacemaking. Meeting women like Najia and Asha is humbling and inspirational and they are achieving great things, but they continue to need the practical and emotional support of organisations like WK to keep going.

In the UK I have represented WOMANKIND at a roundtable discussion chaired by Cherie Booth QC on ‘Women’s Rights in Afghanistan’, in meetings with the Foreign Office and Department for International Development, and when I gave the keynote speech at the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. WOMANKIND celebrated International Women’s Day on 8 March at London’s Hooper’s Gallery with a spectacular exhibition by women photographers. The gallery generously asked us to share the Private Viewing and WOMANKIND received a percentage of the proceeds from each photograph sold at the exhibition. At all these events we stressed the need for all of us to continue to support WOMANKIND in standing alongside women around the world in their struggle for justice and equality.

Women’s rights and equality are essential if the world is to reduce poverty and enable all its citizens to choose the lives they lead. This is what WOMANKIND Worldwide and our partners are working towards. You can find out loads more about specific activities on the WOMANKIND Worldwide website. Thank you so much for your support and interest in our work.