Projects Abroad
Friday, February 3, 2017
TORONTO – March 1, 2017 – As the world celebrates International Women's Day next week Wednesday, Projects Abroad reflects on its programs that directly benefit women in developing parts of the world.
In many areas around the globe, women remain marginalized members of their communities, and women's rights are often neglected or non-existent. Projects Abroad has therefore identified areas where volunteers can dedicate their time, energy, and passion, to help disadvantaged women develop as independent and self-sustaining members of society.
"In many of the communities where we have placements, there is very little opportunity for women to set up independent lives for themselves, mainly economically and socially," says Head of Project Abroad's Global International Office, Kristin Rasool. "It is encouraging to see how our projects have directly helped many women around the world improve their own lives, but there is a lot of work still to be done."
On Law & Human Rights Internships, volunteers focus most of their work on issues that affect women, such as domestic violence, human trafficking, and labor exploitation. Volunteers offer important legal advice and guidance to affected individuals.
Business or Microfinance Internships let volunteers work directly with women who are small business owners or entrepreneurs. On these projects, volunteers help new businesswomen set up and implement their own business plans.
Several Care Projects can also see volunteers provide support to underprivileged children, such as helping with early childhood development, or improving language and numeracy skills. This takes much weight off the mothers' shoulders, as it allows them more time and greater opportunity to set up self-sustainable lives for themselves and their families. Projects Abroad's Refugee Projects have volunteers work with misplaced foreign nationals, these often women with children, to help them integrate into a new society.
On March 8th, hundreds of Projects Abroad volunteers, past and present, will celebrate the successes of their projects in bringing about positive change for women. As the effort towards greater gender equality continues, more volunteer help is needed.
