Empowered and educated women raise healthier children, become leaders in their communities, and are less likely to die during childbirth. Women have an enormous impact on the well-being of their families and societies – yet many are never able to reach their potential. In many places, women do not have the same opportunities as men to get a formal education or a job.
The target of Goal Three is to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005, and at all levels by 2015.
Making It Real
Episcopal Relief and Development is empowering women in communities around the world. For example, ERD is working with the Anglican Church of Burundi to provide compassionate care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of the HIV positive adults are women.
During Burundi’s decade-long civil war (1993-2003), sexual violence led to the spread HIV/AIDS among the female population. Many infected women do not seek treatment for fear of stigma and discrimination. Those who are known to have the disease typically face a bleak future.
When Viola was diagnosed with HIV, she was shunned by her neighbors and left emotionally isolated and financially destitute. In her community in Burundi, it was not uncommon for people living with HIV to be rejected and stigmatized out of ignorance and fear. Fortunately for Viola, Episcopal Relief and Development launched a micro-credit loan program with the Church of Burundi in her community specifically designed to help people living with HIV/AIDS become more independent and self-reliant. Viola received a small loan to start her own food shop, and with her hard work, her business flourished. Public perception of her condition changed, and the neighbors who once shunned her now purchase food from her. ERD not only gave Viola an opportunity to regain her dignity and build a future for herself, but also helped transform her community’s attitude towards people with HIV/AIDS.
For Further Consideration
