Episcopal Relief & Development Celebrates International Women’s Day

March 5, 2009

Episcopal Relief & Development commemorates International Women’s Day 2009, on Sunday, March 8 to call attention to the plight of women across the globe.  Women and their children make up the vast majority of the world’s one billion people living in poverty.
 
Empowering women is integral to all of Episcopal Relief & Development’s programs. When they are healthy, educated and financially independent, women can provide for their families and lift their communities out of poverty which is why they and their children are the primary beneficiaries of the agency’s programs to alleviate hunger, promote health and fight disease, create economic opportunities and respond to disasters.
                              
“There is extensive evidence that promoting women’s empowerment results in decreased child mortality; increased children’s access to health care and education; and more rapid economic recovery after disasters. In light of this, Episcopal Relief & Development provides women with resources to alter their personal well-being and that of their families, communities and countries,” says Katharine Jones, Research and Evaluation Officer at the agency. “To assure that both development gains and progress in women’s empowerment are sustainable, our programs also address the underlying causes of discrimination that work against women’s rights.”
 
Episcopal Relief & Development’s micro finance programs focus on providing women with the skills, tools and start-up capital they need to break out of the cycle of poverty.  For example, in northern Ghana measles blinded Mary at age four which kept her out of school. As she grew older, her family worried about how she would support herself with no formal education.  Partnering with the Anglican Diocese of Tamale and the Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization (ADDRO), Episcopal Relief & Development trained Mary in mango cultivation and gave her a micro-loan to start her own business. Now, with the help of her family, she runs a successful mango farm and cultivates 17 fruit-bearing trees which supplements her family’s diet and supports them financially. 

Many of Episcopal Relief & Development’s programs to empower women have been made possible by a generous leadership gift from the Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation. This support has enabled women to be the agents of change in healing a hurting world.

To help Episcopal Relief & Development implement long-term strategies that help families and communities break out of poverty, donate to the “Women's Development Fund” online at
www.er-d.org, or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief & Development, “Women's Development Fund” PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.
 

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States. As an independent 501(c) (3) organization, Episcopal Relief & Development takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Together with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners, Episcopal Relief & Development strengthens communities today to meet tomorrow’s challenges. We rebuild after disasters and empower people by offering lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.