The Role of Women in Preventing and Mitigating Conflict

On March 8th, the world will celebrate International Women’s Day. Each year, thousands of events are held to inspire women and celebrate achievements in women’s equality and emancipation worldwide. The day also brings attention to areas of continued inequality, where acts of courage and determination are still needed in order to make the world more just. The 2013 UN theme for International Women’s Day is:  A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women.

This March 8, IRD will be hosting a panel discussion in Washington, DC on the role of women in preventing and mitigating conflict. We encourage you to join us for the event, but if you can't make it, consider participating in Women's Day by adding your voice to IRD's Women's Day Thunderclap.

IRD has a proud history of commitment to women’s issues since our founding in 1998. Co-founder Jasna Basaric-Keys is an expert on gender and health programs, especially affecting women in developing nations where some of the most vulnerable women are found. IRD programs employ a variety of strategies to promote gender equity and women’s empowerment in the developing world.

IRD has included gender considerations in each of our programs during design and implementation by accounting for cultural norms, family structures, and gender roles. IRD programs work to reduce gender-based violence; increase women's access to income and productive resources; address women's health, specifically maternal health and HIV/AIDS; promote gender equality in education; and work with existing national and local women's groups. In 2012, Women Deliver, a global women's advocacy organization committed to maternal health, ranked the WomenFirst program in Mozambique, implemented by IRD, as one of its 50 most inspiring ideas and solutions to build a better world for girls and women.

We couldn't be more proud.