VSO is committed to addressing the root causes of gender inequality and exclusion and to promote transformative gender norm approaches that requires working at all levels. This spans from individual to family and community levels with meaningful participation and engagement of all stakeholders including men and boys. Learn more about the work we're doing to empower women across Africa and Asia.
Where to find VSO at the Women Deliver Conference
Our exhibition booths S11, S12 and S13 are located at the Kigali Convention Centre and will be open throughout the WD2023 conference. Our side event will take place in the Auditorium, Serena Hotel, Tuesday 18 July, 17:30 - 19:00.
VSO Exhibition Booth, Kigali Convention Centre, S11, S12, S13.
The exhibition will be an opportunity to understand the breadth of VSO’s strategy, approaches and evidence in Gender Equality towards improving lives for all especially those who are most marginalised and vulnerable.
VSO side-event at the Serena Hotel auditorium Tuesday 18 July 17:30-19:00.
Our interactive Learning Café layout seeks to encourage discussions on the transformative change we can jointly realise. The event will contribute to conversation on gender including SDGs on gender equality, education, health, decent work and economic growth, climate action and addressing poverty and hunger, leaving no one behind. Together VSO, global, regional, implementing partners and primary actors are all interested in the advancement of gender equality across the world.
WD2023 Arts and Film Festival - Tuesday 18 July 18:00.
Brown – a film by community volunteer, Brown Niyonsaba and volunteer filmmaker, Justin Spray, has been selected for the WD2023 Arts and Film Festival. What does it mean to be a Deaf woman in Rwanda? Brown shares her own experiences and the solutions she and other VSO volunteers have created. The festival is still running from Tuesday 18 until Thursday 20 July. Brown is scheduled to be screened at 18:00 on Tuesday 18 July.
Watch Brown:
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Health
Active Citizenship through Inclusive Volunteering and Empowerment (ACTIVE) in Nepal
The primary objective of the FCDO funded ACTIVE project is to enhance local accountability, foster inclusivity, and alleviate poverty by recognizing and empowering individuals who are most vulnerable and marginalized, with a particular emphasis on women, girls, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Uncovering the gendered impacts of climate change
The impact of climate change disproportionately affects women. Increases in air pollution and rising temperatures worsen maternal and neonatal health outcomes. This project is enabling the most marginalized people to lead their own development to claim their rights to better services and hold people in power to account.
Our research into the gendered impacts of climate change (PDF, 755KB)
Understanding the drivers of social exclusion and gender
The SEGA evaluation was an evaluation of social inclusion and gender, conducted to generate a picture of social exclusion and gender gaps in Zimbabwe to inform programme designs and delivery mechanisms, using a qualitative approach, and primary data analysis. The evaluation helps to understand social exclusion and gender gaps to inform programming.
Livelihoods
CLARITY project in Tanzania
The CLARITY project in Tanzania addresses key challenges that exclude rural primary actors from equitably benefiting from the key economic sectors. The project brings together rural primary actor collectives and government to create a stronger regional enabling environment for civil society advocacy and transparency.
Building the agency of young women through GSLAs
Group Savings and Loans Associations (GSLAs) are self-managed groups of community members who meet regularly to save money, access small loans, and obtain emergency funds. The formation GSLAs of has been key approaches to building the agency of women.
Gender Equality and Justice in Livelihoods
Achieving women’s rights and gender equality are key in transforming the food system and the world of work. 43% of agricultural workers globally are women and account for 50-80% of all food produced. Yet, their rights are not respected, and they remain highly vulnerable to food insecurity.
How we're embedding inclusion and intersectionality (PDF, 6124KB)
Education
Let's Learn Through Play in Rwanda
Anisa Hay is a volunteer on VSO’s ‘Let's Learn Through Play’ project in Rwanda, supporting early childhood education through play-based learning. Play is the most important way for children to develop generic competencies, cognitively, socioemotionally and physically.
Helping children pursue science careers in Cambodia
Sean McMorrow is a volunteer regional education advisor on the Professional Development in Upper Secondary Schools (PDUSS) project, supporting children, especially girls, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Championing education in Cox's Bazar
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugee children are living in camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Arifa Ripa, a VSO national volunteer is championing play-based learning to help these children learn so they can secure a chance of a different and better future.
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Voices for Justice: three changemakers stand up against gender-based violence
Three stories of people confronting gender-based violence in Nepal. With illustration by eight-year-old artist and photographer Vidheha Ranjan from Kathmandu, Nepal.
The mental health lifeline for survivors of abuse in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, survivors of violence and abuse have little access to mental health services to manage the trauma they’ve experienced. For those who’ve been through so much, what support is out there?
The impact of climate change on women and girls
VSO is working to achieve gender equality in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction. Find out more.