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Women’s Empowerment

Salamatu Osmatu Koroma, Mary Tarawalie, Alimatu H Kamara, Marion Fola Musu Kamara, Momunatu Fousad Kamara who are running for election in June 2023 in Western Area Rural, Sierra Leone. Photo: Tolu J. Bade/Trócaire

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Women and girls around the world should have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. They should be free from the threat of violence.

Thanks to your support, Trócaire’s Women’s Empowerment programme supports many women across the world. We support them to have power and a voice. To recover from violence. To live a life of dignity and opportunity.

Why Women’s Empowerment?

Globally, one in three women experience violence in their lifetime.

Women and girls experience widespread discrimination in every aspect of their lives. At school. In society. In politics. At work. Sexual harassment and the threat of violence is a daily reality.

This discrimination is wrong. It traps women and girls in poverty.

Gender equality means equal human rights. Equal responsibilities. Equal opportunities. Equal treatment for women and men. With gender equality, women and girls can reach their full potential.

Gender equality means everyone benefits. Not only individuals, but whole communities and entire countries. Gender equality leads to better education and health. It promotes economic growth for all.

Gender equality means equal human rights. Equal responsibilities. Equal opportunities. Equal treatment for women and men. With gender equality, women and girls can reach their full potential.

Gender equality means everyone benefits. Not only individuals, but whole communities and entire countries. Gender equality leads to better education and health. It promotes economic growth for all.

How do we empower women?

Trócaire supports women to have a voice and to be able to make informed decisions that affect their lives. We empower women within their homes, communities and beyond. We also work with women and men to challenge violence against women.

Our women’s empowerment programmes are based on an approach that works at many levels. We support people at individual, local and societal level. We bring about change in people’s homes and communities. We push for change in institutions and politics.

  • With individual women: We build confidence and self-esteem. We increase knowledge and skills.
  • Within households: We work towards shared decision making within the household. Shared control of household wealth.
  • Within communities: We build positive attitudes for gender equality. Challenge negative attitudes. Demand rights and equal participation of women.
  • Wider society and institutions: We address power imbalances. We challenge political and economic structures. We influence laws and policies.

Our programme also reduces the risk of violence to women and girls. For survivors of violence we provide support, recovery and social change. We also engage men to improve attitudes towards violence against women.

Trócaire takes actions that contribute towards to women’s empowerment:

  • We provide psychological and legal support to survivors of violence,
  • We work with men and women to change attitudes and behaviours,
  • We help women to achieve their basic needs and to earn a living,
  • We support women to participate equally in decision-making at all levels,
  • We empower women to become leaders,
  • We advocate for laws that protect women and respect their rights and dignity.

What impact are we having?

We support women’s empowerment programmes in 15 countries. In 2022/23, these programmes supported 232,139 people.


Supporting women to build leadership skills

Gender equality in decision making

protect women from violence

Working with women and men to change attitudes

Women leaders

Our programmes train women on leadership and help them get involved in decision-making processes.

Financial planning

In Zimbabwe, support included financial literacy, marketing, and business management skills training, along with community programmes to help men and women understand the benefits of women’s participation in household decision-making processes, ownership, control and management of household income.

Counselling

In Guatemala, our partner Asociación por Nosotras Ixmukané provided holistic and survivor-centered responses to 158 gender-based violence survivors.

Support groups

In 2022, 279 self-help groups were functional in Ethiopia.

Justice

In Guatemala coordination between Ancestral Authorities and the Council of Midwives continued to be strengthened to ensure access to comprehensive health care and justice in cases of violence against women. This culminated in an official decree in March 2022 that recognises the dignity and value of Guatemalan midwives and their work in supporting women in communities.

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