Women for Women International

Women for Women International (WfWI) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides practical and moral support to female survivors of war. WfWI helps such women rebuild their lives after war's devastation through a year-long tiered program that begins with direct financial aid and emotional counseling and includes life skills (e.g., literacy, numeracy) training if necessary, rights awareness education, health education, job skills training and small business development.

Women for Women International
AbbreviationWfWI
Formation1993 (1993)
FoundersZainab Salbi and Amjad Atallah
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
President
Laurie Adams
Websitewww.womenforwomen.org

History

In 1993, Women for Women International was co-founded by a husband and wife, Amjad Atallah and Zainab Salbi, an Iraqi American who is herself a survivor of the Iran–Iraq War.[1]

They were motivated to act after learning of the plight of women in rape camps during the Yugoslav Wars and the slow response of the international community.[2] WfWI launched its activities by creating "sister-to-sister" connections between sponsors in the United States and women survivors of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In its first year, Women for Women International worked with eight women, distributing about $9,000 in direct aid.[3] As the organization gained experience, its staff came to understand that financial assistance alone was not a sufficient response for women who had lost everything. Women survivors of war, especially those left widowed, also needed to cultivate an understanding of their rights and potential as women, develop marketable skills, and find a way to generate stable income.[4]

From 2012 to 2014, WfWI was led by Afshan Khan, a long-time former executive with UNICEF who became WfWI's first new CEO since founder Zainab Salbi stepped down to devote more time to her writing and lecturing.[5] Laurie Adams is the current chief executive officer.[6]

Headquartered in Washington, DC, WfWI also has executive/fundraising offices in London, UK[7] and Hamburg, Germany[8] and programmatic offices in eight post-conflict countries: Afghanistan (program inception 2002);[9] Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994); Democratic Republic of Congo (2004);[10][11] Iraq (2003);[12] Kosovo (1999);[13][14] Nigeria (2000);[15] Rwanda (1997);[16] and South Sudan (2006).[17]

As of 2015, the charity has helped about 449,000 marginalized women in countries affected by war.[18]

How it works

Women for Women International connects women with other women a conflict zone and the sponsor sends money every month to this sister. The participants enroll in a one-year program designed to help them gain the skills, confidence, psychological healing, and mutual support needed to rebuild their lives after war. After the program they become leaders in their communities:[2] Participant women are placed in groups (usually around 25) which become their permanent support network. Each group goes through an educational program to learn about their rights and role in the economic, social, and civic life of their communities. They learn about health and wellness practices. Those who need it receive basic literacy or numeracy training to help them prepare for the second tier of the program.

Next, each woman receives vocational and business training consistent with clear goals she herself has laid out in her Individual Participant Plan. This phase of training is designed to strengthen existing skills and introduce new ones in both traditional and nontraditional fields. Vocational skills engage women in agriculture, livestock, food processing, various jobs in the service industry, textile and handcrafts, and other livelihoods.

As of June 30, 2011, WfWI had disbursed $103 million to some 317,000 women participants. The program is paid for through a mix of individual "sister to sister" direct sponsorships and grants from governmental, multilateral, foundation, corporate, and individual donors.[19]

Key outcomes

Women for Women International's in-house Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) department measures WfWI performance against four key outcomes: Women Earn an Income; Women are Well, Women are Decision-Makers; and Women Have Safety Nets.[20] M&E findings as of September 2011:

1. Women Earn an Income

GOAL: Through WfWI's vocational skills programs, women have access to market-based skills training, job placement services and business startup resources.

ACTUAL:

Average Daily Income
- On average, graduates report an average daily income of $1.44, compared to $0.37 at enrollment.
Savings
- On average, 88% of graduates report having some of savings, compared to 26% at enrollment.

2. Women are Well

GOAL: Graduates report increases in their knowledge and practice of behaviors that promote health, including reproductive health, nutrition, and stress management.

ACTUAL:

Knowledge of nutrition
- On average, 91% of graduates report having knowledge of good nutrition, compared to 31% at enrollment.

3. Women are Decision-makers

GOAL: WfWI's rights education program equips women with the knowledge and skills required to access the opportunities available to them, such as acquiring control over land, or participating in community and national decision-making.

ACTUAL:

Knowledge of rights
- At graduate, 95% of women report knowing and understanding their rights, compared to just 28% at enrollment.

4. Women Have Social Networks and Safety Nets

GOAL: At graduation, women both by themselves and in solidarity with others, aid the cause of women by promoting and advocating shared needs and desires.

ACTUAL:

Participation in social networks or safety groups
- At graduation, 59% of women report participation in social networks or groups, compared to only 28% at enrollment.

Other activities

Along with its direct service to women program participants, Women for Women International uses its voice to educate the public about war's effects on women, particularly around the use of mass rape as a weapon of war. WfWI also seeks to raise awareness about the unique role that women play in advancing peace throughout society. WfWI leadership have testified before the US Congress and executive branch about women's issues and their intersection with foreign policy. WfWI executives also regularly speak at international conferences, panels and in the media. High-profile special events (e.g., the "Join Me on the Bridge" rallies held each year on International Women's Day), print and broadcast coverage, and books (Zainab Salbi's The Other Side of War) are all tactics in WfWI's strategy of building global understanding about women's indispensable role in civil society.

Since 2016, WfWI has held an annual charity sale to raise money for women survivors of war. The 2017 sale raised over US$224,000.[21]

Awards

In September 2006, Women for Women International was the first women's organization to receive the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Award, the world's largest humanitarian prize of $1.5 million. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation presents the annual award to an organization that "significantly alleviates human suffering."[22] "Women and children bear the major burdens of the unprecedented number of wars and civil conflicts raging worldwide and are often left to rebuild their lives without the basic necessities for survival or a viable means to earn a living and take care of their families," said Steven M. Hilton, chairman and CEO of the Hilton Foundation. "Women for Women International has demonstrated that it can create change and stability within a society by providing women survivors with the tools and resources to rebuild their lives. The organization also gives women the training and confidence to engage in their communities', and ultimately their nation's economic, political and social structures," he added.[22]

When Salbi, WfWI founder, accepted the award she said: "It reinforces our vision that stronger women build stronger nations, and encourages us to work harder to bring the voices and concerns of the women we serve to the forefront.[22] Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and Hilton Prize juror also commented on the selection saying women of war is a neglected issue and WfWI has identified the need and has gone on to protect millions of lives.[22]

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References
  1. "My uncle, the tyrant". New Internationalist. 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  2. Khaleeli, Homa (2013-04-02). "Zainab Salbi: Escape from tyranny". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  3. "Women for Women Is an Awesome Organization Focused on Empowering Women Worldwide".
  4. "Charity of the Month - Woman Power" The Family Groove, 20 May 2006.
  5. "Women for Women International Names Afshan Khan New CEO." PrWeb, 30 April 2012.
  6. "Laurie Adams: CEO, Women for Women International (WfWI)". The Native Society. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  7. "Women For Women International (UK)". DueDil. DueDil Ltd. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  8. "Women for Women International (DE) gGmbH". Firmenwissen. Verband der Vereine Creditreform e.V. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  9. "Women for Women International-Afghanistan Country Director Sweeta Noori returns from Afghanistan, urges members of Congress to support Afghan women - Afghanistan". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  10. "Country Profile - DRC". Women for Women International. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  11. "Case Study Series: Women in Peace and Transition Processes" (PDF).
  12. "Stronger Women, Stronger Nations: 2008 Iraq Report - Iraq". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  13. "Kosovo | Women for Women International". www.womenforwomen.org. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  14. "The Kosovo - Women's Initiative - An independent evaluation" (PDF).
  15. "Women for Women International Nigeria Project". Issuu. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  16. "The New Times - Featured: I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc. celebrates with Women for Women International on International Women´s Day".
  17. "Women for Women International Announces Ongoing Support for Women of South Sudan - South Sudan". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  18. "Zainab Salbi: The Voice Of Arabia". Harper's BAZAAR Arabia. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  19. "Women for Women International Supports Women of South Sudan on Country's First Anniversary" Yahoo News, 9 July 2012.
  20. "Goldilocks Case Study: Women for Women International". Innovations for Poverty Action. 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  21. Marfil, Lorelei (2018-03-20). "Women for Women International to Host #SheInspiresMe Charity Sale". WWD. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  22. Hanley, Delinda C. "Women for Women Wins Hilton Humanitarian Prize". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, December 2006. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
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