Women for Women International

International Women’s Day is gaining more publicity and seems much debated: some even questioning its relevance. Surely, women theoretically make up 50 per cent of the world population and with no International Men’s Day is this post feminism not condescending rather than celebratory?

Last Thursday, in the stylish environment of Anna Casa Interiors in the heart of Mayfair, entertained by a harpist from the New London Orchestra, one could wonder why International Women’s Day is still important in the year 2012. The well-dressed female London invitees were confidently socialising with each other, clearly not in need of global awareness of their lives. However, these women attended for another reason other than just the advertised cocktails and cupcakes, they were there to listen.

Mylène Hours from Women For Women International spoke about the work the charity does. It was founded by Zainab Salbi, an Iraqi refugee, in 1993 and it has been active in the UK for the last five years.

Women for Women International sets up support and training for socially excluded women from eight war-torn countries across the world: Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan. After having lived through war and conflict, education is vital to these women to become financially independent and have control over their own lives.

By sponsoring a woman you enrol her on the one-year course where she will be made aware of her rights and learns skills to set up a business herself. A sponsor is also encouraged to keep in touch with their ‘sister’ by writing letters or by leaving messages on a web account. They will be brought to the woman and if she is not illiterate she might write back. Mylene explained that these messages mean the world to the sponsored women. Some even sleep on their letters, taking comfort in the knowledge someone out there cares about them.

The night that looked like ‘just a party’ is actually what International Women’s Day is about: celebrating the achievements of women and raising awareness of the long road still ahead. With all the progress women have luckily made in British society, it is easy to forget that a basic, as a woman’s right to vote in the UK, was only established less than 100 years ago.

Women who are happily working, studying or living independently in London should follow Anna’s example by celebrating and using next International Women’s Day (March 8) to raise awareness of global female plights, because as Madeleine Albright, a WWII refugee and the first female US Secretary of State, once said: ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’

Find out more by checking out the website.

Image by JodiWomack courtesy of Flickr