With millions of women across the world facing oppressions and inequality,  International Women’s Day celebrates and credits the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women worldwide. It’s a global day which unites people of all walks to champion the rights of women and to promote gender equality.

This year’s theme ‘Pledge for Parity’ calls upon world leaders and the wider public to take a pledge for gender equality and commit to the following:

• help women and girls achieve their ambitions
• challenge conscious and unconscious bias
• call for gender-balanced leadership
• value women and men’s contributions equally
• create inclusive, flexible cultures

 
AKF is committed to working towards global gender parity.  As a humanitarian charity advocating social justice, we value women’s and men’s contributions equally, as well as gender-balanced leadership. Through our projects and programmes, we are helping women and girls achieve their ambitions. An example of this is through our ESOL4women Project where we plan to launch a succession of ESOL classes in Tower Hamlets, Brent and Croydon. The project aims to equip women from a wide a range of backgrounds with basic English language skills. The course lasts 6 weeks after which clients will gain certification.

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Our ESOL trainer, Samira, leading a group reading exercise

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Our Skill Building Project in India

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Part of our commitment to gender parity also includes the implementation of a livelihood project in Deoband DTP, India aimed at women. We provide classes such as office skills and data entry in Urdu, Hindi and English and e-commerce so that these students can learn how to set up low-cost websites for selling various products. Other vocational courses include fashion design, tailoring and beauty.

Overall, AKF is working in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, which includes SDG5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women. We are continuing to ensure all our programmes are gender sensitive and our projects contribute towards empowering women and achieving gender equality.