On Friday, March 8, communities around the world will observe International Women’s Day to celebrate the achievements of women in their struggle for equality, peace and development. The International Women’s Day 2019 theme of #BalanceforBetter is a call-to-action for driving gender balance across the world. Balance builds a better world. Providing women with equal access to education, […]
Education offers children a way out of poverty and the chance to build a brighter future. Unfortunately, about 264 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to go to school. Poverty, conflict, natural disasters and cultural barriers are just a few of the factors keeping girls and boys outside the […]
Zarmina felt frustrated by the deeply-held belief in her community that there is little need to educate women and girls. “Our community firmly believes that girls were born to stay within their home,” she explains. In Afghanistan, economic constraints and long distances to schools are just a few of the other factors keeping girls at […]
Before the sun rises each day, Fahima is out tending and watering her small plot of land. She works hard to grow the wheat and corn that she will sell in order to provide for her family. Unfortunately, her earnings are rarely enough. No matter how hard she works, Fahima sometimes struggles to meet the […]
On Thursday, March 8, communities around the world will observe International Women’s Day to celebrate the achievements of women in their struggle for equality, peace and development. This day also serves as a call to action to continually work for a future filled with hope and opportunity for women and girls. Gender equality is vital […]
“Honestly, neither the students nor I were actually enjoying the lessons,” confesses Inayatullah, a third grade teacher at Zangue Girls School in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Each day at school, Inayatullah gave his lesson by lecturing or reading aloud. It wouldn’t be long before his students began to fidget and lose interest. As the school year progressed, […]
Many of us will have one or two schoolteachers who are especially memorable—whose guidance and dedication inspired us to find our passions and become the people we are today. For the Grade 3 class at a girls school in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, that teacher was Heena. Heena is warm, engaging and personable—but this wasn’t always the […]
For the vast majority of schools in Canada, chairs, desks and a place to go to the bathroom are things we take for granted. It’s a different story in a number of vulnerable Afghanistan communities. Among the many obstacles preventing children, especially girls, from getting an education is poor school infrastructure—inadequate classrooms and a lack […]
While the journey to ensure healthy, abundant life for all is not over, PWS&D is making a difference for communities in Malawi and Afghanistan by improving access to necessary maternal, newborn and child health services. In Afghanistan, Khori and new mother Shazia are especially grateful for support from PWS&D’s maternal health program. In this issue of PWSDevelopments, […]
In many communities in Afghanistan, little value is placed on education and literacy for girls and women. In these communities, PWS&D is working with our local partners to increase the value placed on women and girls accessing education. Part of ensuring girls access education is making sure that girls who are currently attending school stay […]