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CHF Celebrates International Women’s Day

Published 02/28/2011 by Global Communities

CHF International Celebrates International Women’s Day
Meet the women who are changing the world
 

 
International Women’s Day is a global day to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women worldwide. Though great improvements have been made, women still suffer from reduced access to healthcare and education, and are exposed to more violence than men.
CHF International has worked to support women in different parts of the world, such as Colombia, India, Honduras, Rwanda and Liberia. By working with women and men to raise awareness of and reduce gender-based violence, providing women entrepreneurs with business skills and education, and helping them enter the job market, we are empowering women and men through the increased awareness of inequalities and the reduction of discrimination.

Liberia
Liberia’s economy was devastated by 14 years of civil conflict, and women entrepreneurs are a driving force behind the country’s reconstruction. CHF’s Goldman-Sachs funded 10,000 Women Program

works with women business owners in Liberia to polish their management skills, help them grow their businesses and provide them with access to capital.
Kabeh Sumbo, 10,000 Women Program graduate, started her business from scratch after fleeing to Guinea during the conflict. Now, back in her home country, she is exporting her goods to the United States.
 
Honduras
As the principal recipient of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis in Honduras, CHF works on the national level to foster improved HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care by building the capacity of local partners.

 
 
Stephanie, who is HIV-positive, receives food and medicines from Caminando con Niños, a local CHF partner. The organizations also provides her and her family with much needed psychosocial support.
India
As the world’s urban population grows, CHF is working to help build better cities. Through the Gates Foundation-funded SCALE-UP program, we are working with slum dwellers to improve slum conditions, increase access to jobs, while helping them organize to participate in local government.
 
Sharda Pulawale, a Resident Community Volunteer for the SCALE-UP project in Pune, works to inform others in her community of their rights and government services available to them.
 
Colombia
In Colombia, CHF has been working to raise awareness of gender-based violence, and increase access to care for survivors. By working with both women and men in the education process, we are able to educate the entire family on the causes and dangers of gender-based violence.
 
Meet Sandra Rosano, a survivor of gender based violence, who is now working to help others.
 
Haiti
One component of CHF’s work in Haiti has been removing rubble using heavy machinery. Through a partnership with Haytrack, tits authorized dealer in Haiti, Caterpillar provided the machines and CHF set up a workforce development program to train Haitians, many of them women, on how to use the machines.
 
Germaine Fils-Aime and Roselette Dupervile are both heavy machinery operators for Haitian construction companies, trained by CHF. Thanks to the training received they are working to rebuild their country.