Update from Women for Women International

With your support, our sponsored sisters are moving into the third stage of their training at Women for Women International 12-month training program helping to empower women in need.

Let me tell you about what they and their classmates are learning now.

Know your rights. 
We believe that in order to reach her full potential, a woman must know her rights and understand the laws that are in place to protect her. As they attend classes, your sisters are learning about their rights as a mother, a spouse, a property owner and a citizen, and learning how to exercise those rights to protect themselves and their families, and strengthen their community. 

Your voice counts in your home.
In communities where traditional gender roles are often very oppressive to women, we strive to help women understand that, under the law, they are equal and deserve equal opportunities – both in the household as well as in the wider community. By the end of this part of the training, Our sisters will have confidence that they are worthy of contributing to the decision-making process at home, including financial decisions, which are traditionally handled by only the men in the family.

Knowing her rights can stop wrongs. 
Women also learn, often for the first time, that they are entitled to be protected by national law even when it conflicts with a community's norms. Our sisters will learn about laws that protect them against violence and discrimination. They will develop a practical understanding of property ownership and inheritance of assets, and will understand laws and customs in marriage, divorce and child custody so they can stand up for themselves.

• about their rights to vote, own land, and have custody of their children;
• that they are equal to the men in their family and community;
• about national laws that protect them from violence and discrimination.