2021 – A Year in Review

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, in 2021 ActionAid Ireland has reached some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

This year, we have seen Covid-19 continue to spread and devastate communities. And it has had a negative impact on women’s rights, with an increase in violence against women, more women than men losing their jobs and the burden of unpaid care work falling disproportionately on women. With the escalation of climate change, poverty, and conflict occurring across the world, it is crucial to challenge the inequalities that are becoming more visible than ever.

Our Child Sponsorship Programme

This year, ActionAid Ireland has continued to advance community projects through our Child Sponsorship Programme. Thanks to this funding we worked in five countries – Cambodia, Vietnam, Uganda, Nepal, and Kenya. Our projects are only possible because of the support of our 4,000 Irish Sponsors. Not only do we provide vital resources to women and children living in developing communities, we also work with them to address the obstacles they face and provide long-term solutions.

Women’s Rights Programme

We have worked with some of the most marginalized and hard to reach women in Kenya, Nepal and Ethiopia through our Irish Aid funded Women’s Rights Programme. The programme focuses on tackling violence against women and creating jobs for local women. Read more here.

Humanitarian Emergencies

ActionAid Ireland has also responded to humanitarian emergencies in Gaza, Haiti, and Afghanistan; supporting and championing local women to lead the response in their communities and ensure that no one was left behind. ActionAid supports local women to lead the response to emergencies in their community. We do this because, we have seen that women are too often left out the decision making in humanitarian situations.

Work here in Ireland

We launched Amplify our Voices this year; this is an exciting programme bringing women together to communicate their perspective on what needs to be prioritised as the government brings an end to Direct Provision. In addition, a second project we’re running in Ireland is the AFTER Project, which has continued its crucial work in ending the practice of FGM in Ireland.

Over 10,000 people signed our petitions this year on a number of different campaigns – including ending the brutal practice of FGM both here and abroad; – bringing about an end to violence and harassment in the workplace for women; – standing with the people of Palestine as atrocities raged in Gaza; – and supporting global vaccine equity.

Thank you

Finally, from all of us at ActionAid Ireland, we would like to say a huge thank you to all of our supports for their incredible generosity this year.  It has been a challenging year. But, we are hopeful and inspired by the communities we work with around the globe, and our fantastic supporters here in Ireland.

Photo credits, Clockwise starting at top left:

1. Mukta now attends school with the support of ActionAid in Bangladesh. (Credit: Md. Ariful Islam/ActionAid)
2. Taposhi Rani (20) is a feminist and environmental activist in Bangladesh. (Credit: Fabeha Monir/ActionAid)
3. Varou Mat now works with the Gender Responsive Alternatives to Climate Change Project in her community in Cambodia. (Credit: Natasha Mulder/ActionAid)
4. Muna El-Kurd, an activist, facing eviction from her home in Sheikh Jarrah. (Credit: Riham Jafari/ActionAid)