International Women's Day

International Women's Day 8 March 2011

Celebrate the centenary of International Women's Day with us!

On 8 March, International Women's Day will be celebrated for the 100th time. We want to invite you to mark this day by going to one of the many events organised in your area (see http://www.internationalwomensday.com/events.asp); by getting together with the women you treasure most in your life; or simply by thinking of the millions of women worldwide in whose honour this momentous occasion is being held.

At Sightsavers, we are particularly mindful of the 20 million women living largely in the developing world, who continue to be needlessly blind. Since women make up 60% - 65% of blind people globally, and since our vision consists of a world wherein people are free from avoidable blindness and are able to participate equally in society, we commit ourselves to promoting eye health with a particular focus on gender.

Our forthcoming gender policy will form a valuable resource in this regard, and will assist us in working toward more equitable development and health outcomes for both women and men. We will thus move closer to realising our vision, and will redress imbalances in access to healthcare, stigma, and other factors, which currently particularly disadvantage women in terms of eye care.

Please visit our website for updates on our work on women and gender, including our forthcoming gender policy.

From all of us at Sightsavers, happy International Women's Day!