Brita Fernandez Schmidt, Executive Director of Women for Women International – UK visits Nigeria’s Bauchi State and hears from the women who have been supported by the Swarovski Foundation.

Social and Economic Empowerment Programme

In countries affected by war and conflict, women are forced to overcome the most daunting challenges and bear the heaviest burden of violence, poverty and inequality.

Women for Women International work to support marginalised women survivors of war by enrolling them on a 12-month social and economic empowerment programme. This programme empowers women to advance their leadership and decision-making roles in times of crisis and builds the foundations for a more stable future for themselves and their communities.

Together, we support women in rural communities in north-east Nigeria’s Bauchi State, building women’s self-reliance in four key areas: earning and savings; rights and decision-making; health and wellness; and support networks.

Women graduate from the programme with the skills to earn money, regain their confidence and actively participate in their communities. Women receive hands-on vocational training in a variety of sectors and are supported to start small businesses, build networks, and to take on leadership roles in their communities.

Our Partnership

The Swarovski Foundation and Women for Women International have been in partnership for six years and have supported 1,098 women survivors of war in Nigeria to transform their lives by educating women about their rights, improving their incomes, health and wellbeing, and decision-making abilities as well as connecting them to support networks.

Since 1993, Women for Women International has helped over half a million marginalised women survivors of war in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan. With over fifty brutal armed conflicts across the globe, there’s never been a greater need to support women survivors of war. With our help, women can graduate from the Women for Women International programme with the skills, knowledge and resources to become successful entrepreneurs. They will pass on their knowledge to their neighbours and children, creating a ripple effect.

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Charity Registration: 1115109