International Women's Day 2025: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.

Statements like that are hard to read. They might even make you want to throw your hands up in despair and hide. But doing so would be a mistake because you never solve a problem by running from it and at People in Need, we do not run from problems; we face them head on and work to solve them. 2025 is a pivotal moment for women's and girls' rights. It marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. It is also the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council’s Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. Read on to learn about how some of our projects directly support these efforts and directly relate to the 2025 IWD theme "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment."

Climate Resilience

Climate change does not impact all people equally. Gender, age, ethnicity, disability, and other intersecting factors shape how individuals and communities experience climate risks. Women and girls, in particular are extremely vulnerable. Statistics like “[in extreme weather women] are 14 times more likely to die than men, mostly due to limited access to information, limited mobility, decision-making, and resources” and “an estimated 4 out of 5 people displaced by the impacts of climate change are women and girls” are clear illustrations of this fact. For this reason, we have a clear Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) focus in all aspects of our climate programming, so that we can ensure that our interventions address the unique vulnerabilities of different population groups. We work with local communities and civil society to support locally led climate action and adaptation. Together, we identify key vulnerabilities, hazards, and challenges, co-designing context-specific and systemic solutions that build long-term resilience.

In Zambia, for example, we are currently implementing the Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities through Ecosystem Protection project. We search for nature-based solutions and empower local actors by discussing topics like rangeland management, forest management, and access to clean energy for cooking. The aim of our work is to enhance the self-reliance of diverse local communities while preserving the unique ecosystem of the Barotse Floodplain. The project addresses gender and social disparities and recognises that climate and environmental challenges impact different groups in very distinct ways. Through conservation, we not only protect the local environment, but also provide sustainable livelihood opportunities and bring about, socio-economic benefits to the most vulnerable and marginalised members of the community.

Health

According to findings published in the Lancet Public Health journal gender is one of the major factors that shapes health, yet research and funding into how and why this is the case is lacking. As the Guardian points out, what is clear though is that although women tend to live longer than men, they live with more longer-term or more chronic health conditions, for example lower back pain, depressive disorders, dementia, or HIV and AIDS to name a few. These conditions contribute to illness and disability throughout life and more funding is required in women’s health during life.

Healthcare is also very closely linked to climate. One of very often linked to the other. Once again, in Zambia -- currently experiencing the worst drought it’s had in 40 years -- disease and malnutrition leave mothers and babies particularly vulnerable. For this reason, we’ve launched the Nutrition Emergency Response project in the Western Province to provide immediate nutrition and therapeutic food, but namely on capacity building trainings for health workers and community health volunteers so they are better equipped to deal with these difficulties in their communities. Recent estimates that of the 9.8 million people affected by the drought, 6.6 million require immediate support. You can read more about the project and what we’re doing here.

Education

Education is a fundamental human right, yet millions of girls are denied access due to harmful societal and gender norms. This systemic exclusion violates their rights and deepens inequalities, limiting their opportunities for economic independence, leadership, and social mobility. The lack of education for girls weakens entire communities and increases their vulnerability to poverty, political instability, as well as natural and humanitarian crises. Ensuring equal access to education is not just about justice: it is essential for building resilient, prosperous, and stable societies.

In Ethiopia, as part of its Leave No Girl Behind initiative, People in Need helped implement the CHANGE - Improving Access to Education in Ethiopia for Most Marginalised Girls project. This project focused on giving vulnerable girls ages 10-19 from marginalised communities the chance to continue their educations. We work closely with the communities, including government officials, religious and community leaders, decision-makers, girls' families, and male and female-led community groups, to make transformative and sustainable change. We discussed key topics, such as girls' education, rights, and equal opportunities. Ultimately, we’ve enrolled nearly 25,000 girls in Alternative Basic Education classes and Integrated Function Adult Literacy programmes focused on supporting literacy and numeracy.

Similarly, in Nepal, we work with married out-of-school adolescent girls in regions with especially high rates of poverty and illiteracy. Our work involves a series of gender transformative actions aimed at addressing the root causes of gender inequality and improving the girl’s chances by mitigating the harmful effects of early marriage and discrimination based on gender. Most recently, we have worked with 9,497 girls to help them overcome barriers to education as part of and keep them in school under the umbrella of the Aarambha/No Girl Left Behind project.

Livelihood

To help communities bounce back after humanitarian disasters, rebuilding their economies is paramount to restoring normalcy and independence. But this goal is thwarted if women face difficulty securing employment.

It is well known that women earn only 77 cents for every $1 earned by men for equal work. However, according to the latest Women, Business, and the Law report from the World Bank, only 35 of the 98 economies that have created legislation to combat the issue of equal pay and have created pay-transparency measures to enforce those policies. This means that, while in theory society is working to close the pay gap globally, in practice, these policies have little meaningful impact.

"Women have the power to turbocharge the sputtering global economy," said Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics. "Yet, all over the world, discriminatory laws and practices prevent women from working or starting businesses on an equal footing with men. Closing this gap could raise global gross domestic product by more than 20%—essentially doubling the global growth rate over the next decade—but reforms have slowed to a crawl."

In an attempt to combat the glacial pace of progress, we at People in Need work hard to support women-led micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. In Cambodia, for example, we worked a small store owner by the name of Soung Chanthou whose business suffered greatly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a small loan and financial counselling programmes, we were able to help Ms. Chanthou’s business survive the pandemic and adapt to the new demands of her customers. By targeting small businesses like that of Ms. Chanthou, we support them through temporary through times of distress only until they regain their independence and long-term workflow is established, thus contributing to sustainable economic development. Similar efforts to this one have also been made in Armenia, Ethiopia, Georgia and Iraq. You can learn more about our efforts here.

Climate resilience, healthcare, education and livelihood are only some of the areas in which we work, but the focus of gender equality and social inclusion are part of every single project at PIN and are both standalone objectives and crosscutting priorities We actively strive to engage different gender groups meaningfully in our programmes, and ensure that they can not only participate in our projects, but also have the power to shape them and the processes and outcomes that impact their lives.   

Our Inspirational Colleagues

At People in Need, we are proud to say that we practice what we preach. According to our most recent Annual Report, 62% of all staff in our Country Programmes were women. From positions in project management and finance to communications and leadership, women contribute greatly to the diversity of our team. Read on to learn more about some of the employees the amazing NGO it is today.   

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Renata works behind the scenes with finance and HR, ensuring the smooth running of projects and the organisation as a whole. Her day-to-day tasks include managing budgets, payroll, and creating a supportive work environment for the team. To women aspiring to work in the NGO sector, Renata offers encouragement:

"Trust in your abilities and never doubt your worth. The NGO sector is full of passionate people who are committed to creating change, and you can be part of that. Don't let challenges discourage you—use them as opportunities to grow. Women bring unique perspectives and leadership to this field, and you have so much to offer. Go for it!"  

Ethiopia:

Mahlet Temesgen joined PIN in 2014 and works to enhance female participation, empower women, and foster a diverse working environment. She values the organisation's dedication to promoting gender equality and equal opportunities for all employees.

"Every day is an opportunity to celebrate women's achievements and contributions. Just be yourself and don't give up just because you are a woman."  

Moldova:

Alisa, a Ukrainian refugee, oversees more than 10 EDUTech laboratories. Her mission Although she is far from home, she strives to help her compatriots and goal is to create a friendly educational environment for Ukrainian refugee children living in Moldova so that they do not lose access to education. 

"The war forced them to leave their schools, but in the EDUTech laboratories, they had a chance to continue learning and to have a future. We hope for peace but until then, we dedicate ourselves to helping others."

Mongolia:

Zolzaya Deleg, Head of Systems & Operations and Acting Country Director at PIN Mongolia

Zolzaya ensures that the NGO runs smoothly and effectively. She is grateful for having had a purpose-driven career.

"What motivates me at work is knowing the sense of purpose and the tangible impact behind what I do."  

Nepal:

Ransubba has been dedicated to the development sector for over 17 years. She works closely with women, children, marginalised communities, youth, and those living in high-risk areas. 

"My passion for supporting people in need and making a meaningful impact in their lives continues to be my greatest motivation.” 

North Macedonia:

Sunchica’s work involves coordinating and overseeing project activities, managing reporting, and ensuring budgets stay on track while collaborating with colleagues and partners to achieve the best possible results.

What she values most about PIN is " being part of a supportive global family. Even though many of us have never met in person, we're always there for each other—offering help, advice, and sharing knowledge to make sure we grow and succeed together."

Syria:

Like many others in her country, Brevan has witnessed the horrors of war firsthand. Instead of losing hope, she uses her experiences to help individuals access essential services, in the process finding motivation in bringing hope to those who need it most.

"My motivation for humanitarian work comes from a deep sense of responsibility toward my community. Every individual [we've] helped; every life improvement reminds me that change is possible. The gratitude in the eyes of those we assist fuels my determination."  

Zambia:

Emma started her journey at PIN as an intern in the finance department and now works as a project manager, planning and strategising key project outcomes and ensuring that the needs of various stakeholders are met. She loves working at PIN and is getting to grow and develop as an individual and a humanitarian.

"Every win whether small or big, is strong motivation to get me up every morning."  

If you like what you read and want to support us in more projects like it, please consider purchasing a Real Gift Safe World for Women . By purchasing it, you will support them in their fight for equal rights and a better future. Every little bit helps.