The connection between empowering  women and creating positive, sustainable change in Africa’s most impoverished areas is not unique to Village Empowerment.   NGO’s and International Organizations working across Africa, consistently find that supporting the women of Africa leads to significant changes for the entire community.

African women play a holistic and multi-faceted role within their communities: they are caregivers for the children and the elderly; they are responsible for assuring that their families’ needs are met; they work in the fields; and they use their skills to form small businesses and create income.  Despite their key role, however, African women still lack rights and are often subject to abuse: they’re under-nourished and under-educated; and they can be raped, or beaten in their homes if they refuse to enter into arranged marriages.

To highlight the importance of African Women as catalysts for change a campaign to nominate “African Women” as a group for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was created by CIPSI, an Italian NGO that coordinates 48 international solidarity-based associations, and by ChiAma l’Africa . The Nobel Prize would be “a symbolic gesture” recognizing the women’s daily, silent commitment and efforts. It would also serve as a step forwards in the battle to defend human rights throughout the world.

This candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize, was put forward in order to underscore the importance of African Women in carrying the African continent forward into the future and for providing us with the stimulus to build a community, a society that always walks with their heads high. Their heads held high despite some of the often extremely harsh difficulties that they experience and the difficult problems they have to come to grips with. I believe this gives rise to hope, which is sorely needed in the International Community today. ~ CIPSI President Guido Barbera

How You Can Help

Village Empowerment would love your help in supporting this wonderful effort to bring awareness and support to the role of African Women for positive change.

1.  Sign the petition to help nominate African Women for the Nobel Peace Prize (It takes less than 1 minute, and they need 2 million signatures).  Sign the online appeal here.

2.  Support a Village Empowerment project with a donation here. ($10 helps purchase a black board, $100 helps to start a small business, or donate to the general fund.)

3.  Spread the word!  Let others know about this campaign and the work of Village Empowerment by forwarding the link to this page to a friend or colleague.

Thanks for being part of this community!