Women & Girls are at the Center
of RET Strategy!
Protecting, supporting, and enabling women and girls to become more resilient, reach their full potential and lead their own development journey,
while inspiring entire communities.
Numbers at A Glance
- Globally, 750 million women and girls were married before the age of 18, and at least 200 million women and girls in 30 countries have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
- 33,000 girls become child brides every day (Where it happens – Girls Not Brides).
- One in five women and girls, including 19 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner within the last 12 months. Yet, 49 countries have no laws that specifically protect women from such violence.
RET’s programs are concerned with young people in general. However, by working consistently with vulnerable young women and mothers, our programs respond to pressing needs and have a more significant impact and effectiveness. Young women and mothers are amongst the most vulnerable in crises but are also often heads of households and play essential roles in the lives of children, youth, and the family unit.
Though girls and boys face similar challenges in early childhood, gender disparities become more pronounced in adolescence (10-19 years of age), a crucial period when boys’ and girls’ attitudes about gender develop and gender norms consolidate. A person’s gender still significantly affects their opportunities and achievements. Due to expected gender roles, girls may also face a disproportionate burden of domestic work, expectations to be married, risks of early pregnancy, and sexual and gender-based violence. The social, economic, and cultural development of societies has created different gender roles, which are advantageous to men and detrimental to women. This gap widens in fragile contexts, as evidence shows that masculinities and femininities are heightened during a crisis. Also, when widespread violence in communities rises, there is a notable increase in gender-based violence. The use of rape as a weapon or forced early marriages are among the most notorious examples. Therefore, focusing on young women, adolescent mothers, women heads of households, and young widows is vital in addressing the most pressing needs.
However, focusing on women goes beyond this question of vulnerability; it is also an issue of impact and effectiveness. Targeting young women has a far-reaching positive impact. Women are often at the heart of the family, influence children’s education, and play essential roles in health, nutrition, household management, and can have a direct role in generating income. The more education and capacity a woman have, the better the opportunities for the entire family. The impact of working to protect and build the self-reliance of young women through multi-sectoral interventions is therefore extremely positive.
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New Project Launch – MALI – Empowering Vulnerable Women & Youth
RET officially launched its new project in Mali to address Food Insecurity, Peaceful Relations and Economic Interdependence among the Affected Communities. Project Title: Improved Livelihoods and Food Security through Training in Climate-Adaptive Agriculture, Handicrafts, and Peaceful Relations and Economic Interdependence among Communities. (2022-2025) Insecurity, high population growth, weak infrastructure, and low levels of human capital…
Addressing the Multidimensional Barriers to Girls’ Education in Niger
Addressing the Multidimensional Barriers to Girls’ Education in Niger Niger is among the world’s countries with the lowest girls’ enrolment, retention, and school completion rates. According to UNICEF, 2.5 million children and adolescents are out of school.[1] 5 Only 19% of girls in rural areas complete primary education. This number drops to a worrying 8% among the…
RET won the “Prize of Excellence” for its work with child soldiers and the communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Sunday, September 11th, 2022, RET Germany was awarded the “Prize of Excellence” by the Association Sans But Lucratif (ASBL) “Tous vers un-Congo Nouveau”, (T.C.N) -All towards a new Congo- for its work with child soldiers since 2012 in DRC. During the ceremony, multiple awards were distributed to individuals and non-profit organizations working to promote youth…
Webinar “Comprehensive Approach within Women’s Socio-Economic Empowerment Programmes are Key for Collective Sustainable Development: Leap Women’s Co-Operative and Leap Natural Social Enterprise Example from Türkiye.” The Regional Forum for Sustainable Development 2022 | The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Check out the Webinar Recording here! Türkiye hosts around 7 million refugees (Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan) who have fled their home countries. Disproportionately affected by crises, women and girls face more adversities, including barriers to access to basic services, such as health services, education, livelihoods, and employment opportunities, coupled with protection risks and higher risks…
Gender Equality today for a Sustainable Tomorrow
International Women’s Day – March 8, 2022 The International Women’s Day, March 8, is an opportunity to reflect on the advances and gaps in gender equity and commemorate how women and girls are leading the solutions to address global problems, including climate change within RET’s programs. The UN 2022 theme focuses on “Gender equality today for…
Pest Monitoring and Integrated Pest Management – Lebanon
RET is implementing a project aimed at “Strengthening the resilience and peaceful coexistence of Lebanese and Syrian refugees through increased income generation in the agricultural and food production sectors” in Lebanon, in partnership with the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute. A Training of Trainers (ToT) was organized in Tel Al-Amarah station, tackling traps and attractants and their…
