What can we learn from the women we support around the world about courage during a Trump Administration?
A lot! I’ll tell you about Mairamou, from my recent trip to Cameroon.
When she was 15, Mairamou was married against her will to a man nearly three times her age. She was the youngest of three wives and her husband beat her every time she resisted his violent rape.
“When I was studying, I dreamed of becoming a woman mayor, and of having lots of diplomas. Going to university, that was my dream,” she said. “I finished fifth grade, but then my father said that was the age to get married.”
Mairamou felt alone—that no one cared about her pain and her despair.
Then she found a local woman’s rights group. They helped Mairamou, persuaded her father that child marriage was wrong, and ensured that she could go home again to her family. Today Mairamou works for that very same organization to help empower girls. She’s independent, happy, and sharing her strength.
The International Women’s Health Coalition provides sustaining grants to that local Cameroonian group; our funding is critical. Because you support IWHC, that means you were there for Mairamou in her time of desperate need. She was not alone—you were with her.
Mairamou is just one of the millions of girls around the world who, in delaying marriage, can improve their health and their future—who have more hope because of your support.
When we stand together, we can change the world. That will be true anywhere women and girls can benefit from the united strength and empowerment of their sisters around the world—from the United States to Cameroon. Thank you for your generosity. You make Mairamou stronger; you make our partner organizations stronger. You make us stronger.
Sincerely,
Erin Williams
Program Officer
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