Women and Girls’ Rights

Women’s lives

Right now, a woman, is facing dangers no one should ever face. She is enduring multiple forms of gender-based abuse like rape, female genital mutilation and child marriage. Because so many systems are disproportionately male-controlled and corrupt, perpetrators often go unpunished.

Elsewhere, because a girl has to work at home, she will miss school, not be able to access healthcare or have proper nutrition.

Because of climate change, another girl has to walk further to collect clean water or fuel, making her even more vulnerable to sexual violence.

Here in Ireland, women and children who have fled from countries of conflict or deprivation are also denied their human rights and forced to live in unsafe and damaging conditions.

The cycle of oppression and danger continues as girls and women are blocked from living their own independent and safe futures.

Global figures

Globally about 1 in 3 women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Source – Violence against women, WHO

Across the world, women and girls do 75% of unpaid labour.

A 2022 UN report found that out of 119 countries, a shocking 55% of them didn’t have laws protecting women from direct and indirect discrimination.

Women also face significant barriers in participating in decision making processes within their own communities and in different levels of government. As of 2024, only three countries globally have reached 50% of women in local bodies.

Our work championing women’s rights

At ActionAid Ireland, we know that when women and girls are supported and given the right tools, they become unstoppable leaders who create lasting change. We’ve seen it firsthand.

Despite the challenges they face, every day we witness incredible women who show remarkable resilience. They work to rebuild their own lives. Every step towards a woman or girl in education, receiving healthcare and justice can make a difference.

We work in communities across the world, partnering with local groups to build change. We adapt to the situation and need but always give practical support. This might be through health clinics, legal services or business training.

Together, we also challenge the root causes of poverty and injustice. We tackle violence, promote economic independence and confront social norms that perpetuate gender inequality. We do this by investing in women and girls.

We apply this to our work here at home in Ireland too. Our Paving the Way project supports lone parents claiming international protection. We link them with people who can help.

We help women and girls to flourish

Woman by woman. Girl by girl. Family by family. Community by community.

At ActionAid, we are committed to reform the unjust social, political and economic systems that keep women and girls locked in poverty and inequality.

The benefits from prioritising women’s rights multiply to drive other change. Broken national and international systems are called out and improved. Inequalities are reduced. Human rights become life lived as normal. Women and girls flourish.

Irene’s story

When our local staff in Uganda met Irene, she was in a desperate situation. She arrived at our shelter to escape years of horrific physical and mental abuse.

Following the devastating 20-year civil war in northern Uganda, Irene rebuilt her life. She found land where she could farm and look after her children and found a new partner. But over the years he became abusive. He was shockingly violent. When this escalated to a life-threatening level she had no choice but to escape to survive.

A neighbour told her about the ActionAid women’s shelter in Amuru. She’d found a safe space to recover. Our team gave her counselling and medical treatment. Our legal support meant that her partner was eventually prosecuted.

She went back home to her land and reunited with her nine children.

But the threat of violence and control remains. “The culture is that women should not own land. The man wants control. In this community you have people with money who come with buyers and surveyors. They don’t listen to the poor person.”

But because Irene survived her partner’s abuse and won her legal case, she knows she is strong.

“My life is much better now. Because I feel empowered, I have no more fear. I want other women to know that there is help for them. Now I do my own stuff without any man having an influence. I make my own decisions. I am free from violence. I am in charge of my children.”

Read Irene’s full story