FAQs
Why support women?
Today over 1.2 billion people live on less than one dollar a day. A staggering 70% of the world’s poor are women.1 We live in a world where women do around two-thirds of the world’s work and produce half of the world’s food; yet earn less than 10% of the world’s income and own only 1% of the world’s property. On average, women earn half of what men earn.2 Around the world at least one in three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.3
We believe that women are agents of change and development can only be effective and sustainable if women are active participants in all aspects of economic, social and political life.
When women benefit from development and have a say, they share the benefits with their families and invest in their communities. Women use their earnings for the health and education of their children and themselves. Empowering women and girls is central to achieving gender justice.
How does IWDA work?
For 25 years, we have been working in partnership with women, and men, from local communities. IWDA supports women to identify and act on their priorities and implement their own initiatives. We recognise that the women we work with are the experts in their own lives and know their context and the opportunities they want for themselves and their children.
How will buying a Gift of Change make a difference?
When you buy a gift, your donation goes towards IWDA’s projects for 2009–10. These gifts are part of wider programs and you will be contributing to projects towards economic empowerment, safety and security, environmental sustainability and education for leadership. Your support is essential to make a difference in women’s lives.
Does a month’s salary for a teacher on the Thai–Burma border actually cost $45?
The prices of gifts in this catalogue are examples of actual program costs and how donations can be allocated to meet them.
Should funds received exceed those required for these IWDA projects, they will be used in other areas of IWDA’s work to benefit women in developing countries.
How will I know the funds from my purchase have been used appropriately?
We are an accredited aid organisation, we are a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct and we report annually on our activities. We are committed to open and transparent operations and communications.
What else can I do to support women in developing countries?
You can take action to improve the lives of women in developing countries by:
1. United Nations Development Program, 2006. Taking Gender Seriously:
Making Progress, Meeting New Challenges. New York, UNDP, p. 9.
2. United Nations Development Program, 2006. Taking Gender Seriously:
Making Progress, Meeting New Challenges. New York, UNDP, p. 9
3. World Health Organisation, www.who.int/en 2009
