Just one womanInternational Women's Day

More dangerous to be a women than a soldier

In modern conflict the nature of war has changed – the village has become the battleground, splitting communities along racial, religious or ethnic lines. 90 per cent of the people who die in modern conflicts are not soldiers, but civilians, and many of those casualties are women and children.

Fear of attack or kidnap prevents women from leaving their homes and increasingly rape has become a weapon of war. In Congo an estimated 200,000 women and girls have been raped, in Kashmir 22,000 women have been widowed by war, and in Pakistan’s patriarchal society women are rendered voiceless. And yet women have a unique ability to build bridges and to overcome difference between opposing communities.

Women are not only victims of conflict, they are drivers of peace. Women’s voices must be heard if peace is to last. — Gulalai Ismail, Peacebuilder

Peace Direct supports women to unite communities and stop violence. They train women to support themselves, they heal the trauma of rape and loss and they bring people from all sides of conflict together.

£8 is enough for local peacebuilder Ashima in Kashmir to gather together 10 young people from divided communities every week, to replace prejudice and hatred with trust and compassion. £64 could mean that local peacebuilder Mariam in Sudan can provide raw materials to a women’s empowerment group, so they can make handicrafts to sell in the market to lift themselves out of poverty.

We are asking everyone to mark the centenary of International Women’s Day by donating £8 and sharing our video with 8 friends. Alone we are just one, yet together we can make a difference in the world where we live.

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