Ten years ago, a group of friends decided to find a more inclusive way to transform the lives of women and girls around the world.
We never set out simply to educate women, but to ensure that each girl was able to discover her talents, learn new skills, gain access to relevant networks, and realise her worth so that she could become a leader in her own life.
We could never have imagined that WONDER would become what it is today: a thriving charity that has supported over 100,000 women and girls worldwide.
Since 2012, WONDER has:
- Supported 100,782 women and girls
- Partnered with 35 local, women-led organisations
- Worked in 22 countries around the world
This International Day of the Girl provides a great opportunity to reflect on our work over the last decade.
Nearly a quarter of girls aged 15–19 globally are not in education, employment or training compared to 1 in 10 boys, according to a recent UN report.
Furthermore, a combination of economic shocks, climate change, humanitarian conflicts and pandemic aftermath has left girls to face unprecedented challenges to their education.
At WONDER, we’re on a mission to empower women and girls to get the education they need to exit poverty for good.
We partner with local, women-led organisations in each community we work in to develop and deliver projects to improve access to quality education and formal work. Listening to and learning from local expertise, each project is unique and tailored to a local community’s needs. However, all projects incorporate the following elements:
Family engagement – We believe it is critical to consider family involvement when it comes to learning and achievement. Our partners encourage family support and engagement in education.
Empowering space – We recognise that poor infrastructure and unsafe environments often act as direct barriers for girls’ education. Our partners deliver projects in places that make women and girls feel comfortable and safe.
Mentoring – We recognise that simply providing access to resources is not enough. Mentoring can help improve school attendance and overcome certain gender-specific barriers to education.
Quality education – We believe that quality education is not just about being in the classroom or getting certificates, but about developing skills–such as confidence and goal-setting—that improve day-to-day life and can have a long-term impact.
Suitable employment – We support vocational training programmes that enable women to use their education to find high-quality employment. Our partners strive to ensure that the skills developed are in demand from local employers.
Whole-person approach – We work differently with each partner, according to their needs. We work with partners who see each woman and girl as an individual.
Author: Sabrina Daniel
