Studies show that when women are supported and empowered, all of society benefits. Their families are healthier, more children go to school, agricultural productivity improves and incomes increase. In short, communities become more resilient.

The Hunger Project firmly believes that empowering women to be key change agents is an essential element to achieving the end of hunger and poverty. Wherever we work, our programs aim to support women and build their capacity.

The major objectives of the Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) include fostering an environment that empowers women to take up strategic positions in society and decision-making bodies as well as empowering them as advocates for human rights and gender-based and development issues within their communities. The Hunger Project works towards these goals by building the capacity of selected rural women and men, or community animators, in human and children’s rights, the Domestic Violence Act, the Intestate Succession Law, Wills Act, the Marriage Law, sexual and reproductive rights, family planning, leadership and credit management to empower them to provide paralegal services to their communities and achieve economic self-reliance.

Through The Hunger Project programs, not only have many women become more confident in their abilities to create positive change, but more and more men are noticing women’s capabilities and necessary role in the development of their communities. Parents are realizing the need to free the girl child of loaded household chores, which impede her educational and economic development, and are now splitting chores evenly between girl and boy children.