Home » “Cornerstones Of Community Strength”: CARE Spotlights Vital Role Of Women To Overcome Poverty & Recover From Conflict & Disaster

28 February, 2024

“Cornerstones Of Community Strength”: CARE Spotlights Vital Role Of Women To Overcome Poverty & Recover From Conflict & Disaster

Edited by B&T Magazine

This International Women’s Day, CARE Australia will celebrate women as global change-makers amid increasingly frequent conflicts and climate-related crises, with Ashleigh Streeter-Jones, Natalie Kyriacou OAM, and Justine Cullen spearheading the initiative as ambassadors.

Lead image: Ashleigh Streeter-Jones

In its third consecutive year, the ambassadors will champion CARE Australia’s Her Circle initiative, which recognises that: when one woman rises, she brings four others with her – also referred to as the ‘multiplier effect’. Decades of CARE’s experience from around the world demonstrates that, although women are the most impacted by poverty, conflict and disaster, they are also the key to overcoming it.

Inspiring women to seize opportunities, pursue sustainable livelihoods, and become leaders of their communities, CARE Australia fights for gender, climate and economic justice globally. In Vanuatu, CARE Australia is supporting diverse groups of women to build economic resilience, which is critical to enabling communities to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.

The impact doesn’t stop there. In 2023 alone, CARE Australia supported over 1.37 million people across 23 countries and delivered humanitarian assistance to more than 445,000 people in times of crisis.

“Around the world, women are bearing the responsibility of increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and conflicts, which are exacerbated by rising economic inequality and climate change,” said Suzi Chinnery, head of capability and impact at CARE Australia.

“Our aim for this year’s Her Circle campaign is to demonstrate how, despite these adversities, women hold the solution to lift their families, communities, and the world out of poverty – a critical step in our path towards gender equality”.

Recognised environmental and social impact leader, Natalie Kyriacou OAM said: “Women are often the invisible architects of social progress, their legacy lives in the communities that are rebuilt, the lives that are saved, and the societies that are safeguarded.

“The great leaders of society have always been right in front of us, they were just cast into the shadows. In every thriving society, in every safeguarded community, you will undoubtedly find the footprints of the women who made it happen”.

“As a longstanding advocate for gender equality and recognising the power of women as catalysts for change, I’m thrilled to serve as a Her Circle ambassador,” said Gender equality activist and Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient Ashleigh Streeter-Jones.

“Investing in women not only empowers individuals but is key to poverty alleviation and fostering global peace. In times of increasing crisis and conflict, it’s never been so crucial that we uplift women as leaders in their communities”.

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