This International Women’s Day, we honour the fact that women make up over 70 per cent of the global not-for-profit sector, and a similar proportion of the healthcare and social services workforce. We also acknowledge the unpaid work and domestic care that they take part in – which is estimated to be worth around 11 trillion USD annually. 

Despite this overwhelming contribution to caring for the world, women find themselves more vulnerable to poverty, hunger, and sexual or partner violence than their male counterparts, with the gender poverty gap now increasing as the world faces increased debt, conflict and climate challenges.  

Addressing that inequality has transformational potential. Improving women’s economic participation delivers economic growth to communities, while giving women access to the same resources as men also has the potential to lift around 150 million people out of hunger. Women also have the potential to change the futures of children in their communities, as mothers, teachers, mentors, healthcare providers and so much more. 

Here are three women who can tell the story of the transformational power of women better than we ever could. 

Principal Ada, Samoa 

Principal Ada runs a school in Samoa that operated without a reliable source of water for a long time.  

Samoa has a vulnerable pipeline system that is frequently shut down due to natural disasters and disrepair leaving many communities relying on rainwater capture. Dry periods and unpredictable weather caused by climate change meant Principal Ada and her team would need to purchase and collect buckets of water from nearby homes so that their students had enough to drink, often paying out of their own pockets.  

Sometimes the water shortages were too severe, so Principal Ada had to make the hard decision to end classes early as children had no water to drink and no way to wash their hands. Many students also missed periods of schooling as they would repeatedly contract waterborne diseases. 

Principal Ada reached out to our partner Caritas Samoa to get a 10,000-litre water tank installed at the school, which stores enough clean water for the school’s 300+ students and teachers. 

Principal Ada said, "When we opened our water tank, the parents were really happy, they were over the moon... And now they don't have any problems. Now we don’t need to send the children home early, and we can keep up with our lessons. It’s made such a difference."  

Rosalie, Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Rosalie’s father passed away when she was just two years old, and her mother struggled to look after the family on her own as there are limited employment opportunities for women. 

With her mother unable to afford school fees, Rosalie had to drop out school. Then, when she was just 15 years old, Rosalie was forced to join the army as a child soldier. 

Rosalie spent six years in the army and became a mother during this time. She said, “I was in the battlefield with my baby on my back. I walked with a child in my left hand, a box of ammunition on my head and another child on my back.” 

After she left, like many ex-combatants, Rosalie found the challenge to adjust to civilian life overwhelming. Fortunately, Rosalie was able to participate in business and social skills training, supported by Caritas Australia’s partners, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Bukavu. 

Rosalie also joined a Saving and Internal Lending Community group (SILC), which helped her with a loan to start her own small business, selling second-hand shoes and natural remedies. She learnt savings and group management skills, and became the SILC group’s president. 

She is now a business owner, a community leader and a role model for other ex-combatants. 

Laxmi, Nepal 

Tragedy struck when Laxmi was 10 years old. Her father, who worked hard to pay for his children’s education, passed away. Laxmi was devastated. She used to love to go to school but for the first time she stopped attending her classes.   

Laxmi had joined a child's club at her school that was run with the support of Caritas Nepal, through the Nepal Livelihoods and Resilience Program. This club support students to develop their speaking, writing and leadership skills through extracurricular activities.  

Thanks to the support of her child's club, Laxmi was encouraged to resume her education. She became an active member of her child's club, where she developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school.  

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.    

“Even though I don't study in this school now, I have to show them what I did with my talent. How I changed. Teach them what they can do. I want them to learn from the things I did,” Laxmi said.