Oxfam’s March Round-Up
Women’s History Month
In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, our Executive Director, Lauren Ravon, shared the stories of the powerful women she met on her recent trip to South Sudan and Malawi. In South Sudan, Lauren met Rose, a water engineer working tirelessly with Oxfam to set up access to clean water and latrines in transit camps where at times, up to 5,000 people have no access to proper hygiene. In Malawi, Lauren met Gloria, a physician at a rural health clinic supported by Oxfam that provides sexual and reproductive health services to women and youth.
“I was honored to meet both Rose and Gloria who work day in and day out to make a difference in the lives of women. It is women like them who are paving the way for a more equal future…. Women who find themselves in conflict zones or climate disasters that are not of their making – and yet who are committed to improving the lives of those around them. Women who are speaking up, shifting power, promoting peace and changing lives.” – Lauren Ravon, Executive Director, Oxfam Canada.
To close out Women’s History Month, we shared a case study from Oxfam’s Women’s Voice and Leadership – Pakistan (WVL-P) project that showcases the benefits that occur when we invest in women. The WVL-P project amplifies the voice of women in decision making and leadership processes in Pakistan by empowering women through workshops and training that focus on professional development and personal growth. In May 2023, 24 women from 12 women’s rights organizations gathered in Lahore, Pakistan to participate in their second workshop.
“The best thing about the GLP was that it started with the self and ended with the self too. I realized that I exist, my self is valued”. – Nighat, GLP Participant.
World Water Day
Around the world, 2 billion people do not have safe drinking water, and up to 3 billion people experience water shortages for at least one month each year. In fact, diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people each year than all forms of violence, including war, making this one of the world’s most urgent health issues.
On World Water Day, we highlighted our innovative water projects in Gaza, Mozambique, Indonesia, Somalia, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Nepal. Over the last 50 years, Oxfam has been a leader in water and sanitation provision for communities in need. Our water engineers are renowned for their speed and efficiency, providing large-scale water supplies and disease-preventing sanitation facilities to millions of vulnerable people around the world – even in the most challenging environments.
Gaza
On March 25, the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Now this resolution has passed, it is imperative for Member States to fulfil their obligations to ensure that it is implemented so that Palestinians never endure violence such as this again. This includes immediately halting the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups.
“We welcome the Security Council’s adoption of a ceasefire resolution so Palestinians in Gaza can have much-needed respite from the relentless and devastating Israeli violence and critical aid can reach them. However, this resolution, while a step in the right direction, falls short of the permanent ceasefire which is truly required and comes too late for the over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza that have been killed, and thousands more unaccounted for, while the Security Council wrung its hands over semantics.” – Brenda Mofya, Oxfam’s UN Representative and Head of New York Office.
Tara Robinson is a Social Media and Communications Officer at Oxfam Canada.
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