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From the ARZU STUDIO HOPE staff…
Today is Women’s Equality Day – commemorating the passing of the 19th Amendment in the United States as well as the continued efforts to bring full equality for women worldwide.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan identified the empowerment of women as the single most effective tool for development. There are few countries in need of development more than Afghanistan, and few countries where the women are less empowered. An entire generation of Afghan women suffers from the effects of decades of war as well as centuries of cultural and institutional misogyny.
The lack of women’s empowerment negatively affects the lives of their families, and undermines the stability of their communities. ARZU STUDIO HOPE uses an innovative approach to implement its programs at the household level, producing immediate, visible change in the lives of women and their families and seeding long-term transformation. ARZU addresses three interdependent needs to create sustainable community development: consistent, living-wage employment, access to education, and access to basic healthcare, with a particular focus on maternal and infant care. This strategy strengthens the women physically and builds self-confidence to strengthen them emotionally, thus forming a foundation of support for empowered women, healthy families, thriving communities and, ultimately, a secure civil society. This holistic methodology prevents the setbacks seen in single-focus, short-term development projects.
In “The Work Behind Women’s Equality Day” on the Huffington Post website, Kate Kelly writes, “As we see today, changing any aspect of government takes time […] perhaps the best lesson to learn […] is to remind ourselves that no matter how many obstacles are between where we are now and what we see as an ideal (whether it’s climate change, immigration, or financial reform) there are many small steps along the way, and it all takes time.”
What action will you take to support equal rights for women in our global community?
Tags: 19th Amendment afghan women Afghanistan ARZU STUDIO HOPE empowerment Huffington Post Katy Kelly Kofi Annan United Nations women Women's Equality Day women's rights
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