International Women’s Day is a day dedicated to women, a symbolic reminder of the historic journey they have taken globally to better their lives and that while a lot has been achieved on that front, the journey is still long and more needs to be done. This year’s theme, according to UN Women, is "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow." It attempts to recognise the "contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all."
As such, understanding the inequities of gender relations and responding with gender-equitable programmes is fundamental to AHA’s development work. We have been doing ample work to integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment schemes into our disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action strategies across our project areas.
Our pig farming initiative in the Kigeme refugee camp in Rwanda's Nyamagabe District is one project that provides young women with livelihood opportunities, empowering them economically to become more confident leaders in their communities.
"The pig rearing initiative was launched to support young mothers in income-generating activities, as well as to re-enroll them at school afterwards. It serves as an opportunity to train them in life skills in general, especially prevention of unwanted pregnancies. The group of six started with only seven pigs. After two months, two pigs gave birth to a total of nine piglets, which were sold after two months, each costing Rwf 10,000. The money they get from selling helps them cater for their needs as they save some percentage. It creates an opportunity to challenge them to find their voice and be independent as well. "
--Lydia Atieno, February 22, 2022, The New York Times
We are pleased to share the full article on ‘How pig rearing is changing young mothers’ lives in Kigeme refugee camp’ here: https://www.newtimes.co.rw/business/how-pig-rearing-changing-young-mothers-lives-kigeme-refugee-camp