Celebrating International Women’s Day 2010
International Women’s Day is celebrated internationally on the 8th of March. The day sets out to acknowledge the status of women and celebrate their successes and struggles towards economic, political, cultural, ethnic and linguistic equality.
Challenges Worldwide works alongside a number of partner organizations (in Central America, Africa and Asia) who are committed to efforts that enable improved circumstances and environments for women.
Over the past 10 years, Challenges has partnered with and provided capacity-building support to a wide range of organisations focussed on delivering practical empowered programmes for women.
For International Women’s Day, we are proud to highlight the work of one of partner organisations, Sarvodaya Women’s Movement in Sri Lanka.
Sarvodaya Women’s Movement in Sri Lanka
(Information provided by SWM)
Sarvodaya Women's Movement (SWM) emerged in 1987 as a small branch of its parent body, the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement. SWM began when it was found that more than 75% of the Sarvodaya workers were women and that they made a crucial contribution to the organization’s activities. Over the years the small branch grew and in 1990 the Sarvodaya Women’s Movement was formally established as a legally constituted, independent body.
SWM empowers women through training, advice, capacity building and by providing micro-finance for livelihood projects. Most of them are trained on self-employment activities in food processing technology, handicrafts including sewing, home gardening and herbal gardening. SWM is proud to mention that the activities are directed to the benefit of all women in Sri Lanka (in all 25 districts) irrespective of ethnicity, religious affiliations, caste, class and other differences.
Mission Statement
To empower women by generating awareness of women’s rights and women’s issues.
To build the capabilities of women through assisting them to acquire knowledge and skills in a holistic manner that will enable greater self-reliance and responsibility.
Projects:
• Community Empowerment for Peace, Reconciliation & Development (CEPRD)
• Urban Women in Poverty
• ‘Generation to Generation’ Project
The work of our volunteers is exciting and current and exposes them to a myriad of gender issues in Sri Lanka and other countries. We have a volunteer who will begin working with SWM from May 2010 for 3 months on Organisational Development. She will also be involved in making the organisation more sustainable and independent in relation to the Sarvodaya movement.
If you are interested in becoming involved in related assignments, please contact info@challengesworldwide.com or Email Information
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