Women for Women International Launches Campaign on How Women Survivors of War Rebuild Their Lives

Oct. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Washington D.C. – Today Women for Women International (WfWI) launched a new yearlong multimedia campaign to raise awareness about its work helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. Called “Become,” the campaign will focus on how WfWI’s one-year program helps marginalized and socially-excluded women become better-equipped to deal with the challenges they face in post-conflict countries.

“The ‘Become’ Campaign is an exciting opportunity for us to pull back the curtain on how WfWI creates lasting change in communities,” said Andrée Simon, WfWI’s President and COO. “By providing women the knowledge and resources they need to address their economic, civic, health, and social needs, WfWI’s program is a transformative learning opportunity for women, many of whom have never had the chance to receive any education before.”

The campaign will roll out in four modules that reflect the key outcomes of WfWI’s programs: women sustain an income, women are decision-makers, women are well, and women have social networks and safety nets. The first module, called “Become a Businesswoman,” features new stories, photos, video, and infographics that show how women build their vocational skills, business skills, savings habits, and understanding of other crucial entrepreneurial skills. With this training, women become job-ready, and are able to find ways to participate in local markets in new and profitable ways.

For thousands of women, this training provides an opportunity to end the cycle of poverty and hope for a better future for themselves and their families. On average, women only earn $0.68 per day when they enroll in the program, but with the benefit of WfWI’s training program, women earn $1.47 per day just one year later. In addition, the percent of women who regularly save a portion of their income increased from 27% to 83%. One of the women featured in the first module, Josephine, went from being an orphan and single mother of eight girls to becoming the head of a cooperative and agricultural trainer for over 200 women.

“Josephine’s story and others featured in the ‘Become’ Campaign inspire us to see women not as victims, but as people with enormous untapped potential,” said Karen Sherman, WfWI”s Africa Regional Director. “With training and with the opportunity to access new resources, women are rebuilding not only their lives, but their communities.”

The following three modules – “Become a Leader,” “Become Well,” and “Become United” – will be released over the course of the next 12 months, and will reveal in more detail the work of WfWI on women’s rights and decision-making, health and well-being, and social support.

To learn how a WfWI program participant becomes a businesswoman, visit the “Become” campaign: http://www.womenforwomen.org/campaigns-for-women/become-a...

About Women for Women International

Since 1993, Women for Women International (WfWI) has worked to provide women survivors of war, civil strife, and other conflicts with resources to move from crisis and poverty into stability and self-sufficiency. WfWI delivers these resources through a tiered, year-long program that begins with direct financial aid and emotional support. Participants also learn about their legal rights; receive life-skills training such as health awareness, numeracy, budgeting and saving, decision-making and negotiation, and civic participation; learn business and vocational skills; and gain access to income-generating activities where they can apply those skills and begin moving towards economic stability. Along with helping more than 351,000 women in the past 20 years to rebuild their own lives and those of their families and communities after war, WfWI uses its voice to call global attention to the unique role that women play in advancing peace throughout society. WfWI works in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

For more information about Women for Women International, please contact Katie Castillo at kcastillo@womenforwomen.org and visit: http://www.womenforwomen.org.