Women & Gender
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Photo: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps
Ensuring equity between women and men is the key to unleashing the full potential of communities to transform their lives. Mercy Corps addresses the unmet needs of women and girls in places where they have been marginalized and disempowered, while recognizing that it is vital to involve men and boys in the process of helping women and girls claim their equal place.
Throughout our programs, we consider the needs of both genders and build on the courage and resourcefulness of women to help them improve their families and communities.
All stories about Women & Gender
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Ethiopia: Women transform small loans into progress and purpose May 17, 2012
Like clockwork, every time I visit the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-based Women in Self Employment (WISE) organization, my very first impressions are of the wonderful hospitality of the Ethiopian people.
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Indonesia: Mothers connect in the field May 11, 2012
Portland, Seattle, Taipei, Jakarta, Brebes, Kutamendala. After 44 hours of travel my colleague and I wander into our final destination — a secluded village in the jungles of Java.
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Afghanistan: Behind the camera: Chickens that change lives April 27, 2012
A photographer in Afghanistan experiences first-hand the tension and risk women face as they try to earn a living and tell their story.
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Development through the lens of gender April 26, 2012
There’s an inescapable fact about being human that is often easy to take for granted: Whenever people are involved, gender is involved. While we strive to make sure equal opportunities are available to all, regardless of gender, there are differences that must not be forgotten.
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Iraq: Making the law work for them April 24, 2012
In the Middle East, Iraq has a history of being a leader in promoting women's rights. Even after the fall of Saddam Hussein, women were some of the first to organize across ethnic and religious lines to advocate for democratic change.
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Guatemala: A seat at the table: Empowering women in land-conflict mediation April 23, 2012
Mercy Corps has been at the forefront of the movement to resolve land conflict in rural Guatemala since 2003. Meet the women who are now leading the charge.
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Afghanistan: Education against all odds: Job skills open up new world April 10, 2012
Less than a year after opening our INVEST vocational training center to women in Helmand province, more than 900 women have enrolled to learn job skills for the first time. Meet Shamsiya, who is bravely seizing her brand new opportunities.
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Iraq: One hundred text messages she can read and write April 9, 2012
The noise was deafening. I had asked a simple question — “How has the WAI program changed your life?” — and everyone had an answer. I didn’t know what to focus on. Spoons clinked in tea glasses and the women never stopped talking.
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West Bank and Gaza: Digital opportunities transcend borders April 9, 2012
In Gaza, information technology is one of the only ways to connect to a productive future. See what Alaa and her visionary peers achieved at Gaza's first-ever Startup Weekend.
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Haiti: Female entrepreneurs bounce back April 6, 2012
Haiti is a land of micro-entrepreneurs. In every town, on every street, shopkeepers, traders and craftsmen are working hard to provide their communities with the essential goods and services of daily life — and in so doing, lift their own families from poverty.