Women of Concern

Why focus on women?

Inequality is still rife in the world.

• 70% of the one billion people living on less than a dollar a day are women
• Women work 66% of the world’s working hours
• While only earning 10% of the world’s income
• Over 66% of the world’s 876 million illiterate people are women
• More than 80% of the world’s estimated 40 million refugees are women and children
• Women own less than 1% of the world’s property

Watch the video below to see how our Nodi o Jibon project is building bridges with the women of rural Bangladesh.

Fixing the problem

When a woman is healthy, educated, and empowered, she’s in a position to help herself, her family and her community. A UN research paper has shown that educating girls has the greatest impact on their health, more so than focusing on nutrition, water or sanitation.

Put simply, women are an essential part of building an improved society.

Empowering women

Concern's work with women is changing lives for the better. Girls are being educated; standards of living are being improved and gender violence is being reduced. 

For more information or to join the Women of Concern group, please contact mary.filanconcern.net.

• Take a look at more of the work we do to help women in the world's poorest countries
• Take a look a photo gallery from some of the countries where Concern is helping to improve the lives of women
• Read about our Nodi o Jibon project in Bangladesh (pdf)  

Newsletter

Read the Women of Concern newsletters:

• 2011 update
• 2010 update
• 2009 update

Women of Concern Ambassadors

Some influential Irish women have lent their support as ambassadors for Women of Concern. See photos of our ambassadors.