International Women's Day 2020

Meet the women saving lives, breaking boundaries and transforming futures around the world.

Scroll

Each for Equal

From deminers and drivers, to mechanics, medics and minefield supervisors, the women who work for HALO are breaking boundaries and playing an important role in the future of their communities.

Meet HALO Sri Lanka's first female mechanic

An equal world is an enabled world. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

Generation Equality

The full participation of women and girls in society is critical to building a safe and secure future for all. We spoke to the women who work for HALO and their daughters to celebrate how they are becoming the new generation of change-makers.

"It is definitely an important job for women to demonstrate their capability and to know how to protect themselves and protect others from danger. I am a humanitarian and I love to help people as a woman within my community."

Marwa, Survey Team, HALO Iraq

“On behalf of the women in my community, I thank HALO because many of the women they employ are from female-headed families, with no husband. By providing job opportunities HALO has helped them improve their lives.”

Deputy Area Supervisor

Sugitha: Sri Lanka

“When we returned after the war we were living under a tarpaulin. By working for HALO, I have been able to build this house and ensure my daughters get a good education.”

Task Commander

Thilay: Sri Lanka

"In the beginning I was a frightened that mum was going to work to clear landmines but she explained what she does to me and now I am not scared. I am proud of her."

Daughter of Thilay

Venusha: Sri Lanka

"By working for HALO I am showing the power that women have, because this is dangerous work and not everybody is able to do it. I love that women like me are an example to young girls who wish to follow in our footsteps."

NTS Surveyor/Medic

Hiba: Iraq

"As a Survey Officer, I was in direct contact with the local people and I felt that women respected my work in mine action and appreciated our help. I feel my work was encouraging and inspired some of the young women in the community."

Information Manager
(Formerly Survey Team Leader)

Esraa: Iraq

"I’m proud of my mama, because she is helping to make places safe for other children. Now when they want to play outside they won’t be in any danger because my mama has helped remove dangerous things."

Daughter of Esraa

Manar: Iraq

"Women shouldn’t worry that this work is too difficult—I love my job. My eldest daughter is really happy about it. She is studying IT in Savannakhet—maybe she will come back and work in the HALO GIS team. I would love for my baby daughter to work for HALO too. I hope it is still here for her when she grows up!

Senior Operations Supervisor

Khonsavan: Laos

"I think if any young women are thinking about applying for a job in HALO, they should just do it. It’s not scary at all. I work in fleet which has a lot of men, but we have a female manager and it works very well. We are good at our jobs and we are very diligent!"

Fleet Assistant

Touktic: Laos

"Working for HALO has changed my life a lot. I can now send my daughters to good schools: my eldest goes to boarding school and she wants to study medicine. It is really important that women do this job, women really support their families and don’t forget about them."

Stores & Equipment Manager

Olinda: Zimbabwe

“People don’t always understand what I do— women in our culture are not encouraged to work away from home. Interacting with the community here changes their minds though, they can see that it’s ok. We need to encourage women that they can do these jobs, and tell them that we appreciate what they are doing.”

Vocational Trainer

Hibak: Somaliland

“The community has a positive attitude about the work that I do. Both men and women say to me: '‘You have a good job I wish I had a job like yours.'

Deminer

Deeka: Somaliland

“My mum works in the minefield, and it is a good job. I know that mines are dangerous things that explode. I am in first grade, learning the alphabet. I like school, and when I grow up I want to be a teacher."

Daughter of Deeka

Ugbad: Somaliland

"I believe that respect towards women and girls should be nurtured from the very first years of a child’s life, regardless of their gender.So I wish all the women in the world to be surrounded by attention and care, to be loved, happy and irreplaceable."

Accountant

Halyna: Ukraine

"I think it’s really important for women to do this job and for me as a woman to work for HALO. Women are in no way inferior to men. We are very focused and responsible. My position of a deminer-paramedic is really important and I take great pride in it. "

Paramedic Deminer

Hana: Ukraine

"My mum does important work. She saves the lives of other people. It is dangerous but my mom is really brave. I'm very proud of her and I love her very much. My mom overcomes all difficulties. She is very strong."

Daughter of Hana

Anastasiia: Ukraine

"I think it’s extremely important that women are demining as well as men. We all live in the same affected community, so why shouldn’t we all contribute? Our work in the minefields is witnessed by villagers living close by who feel safer as a result."

Deminer

Lumturije: Kosovo

"The first thing that people surrounding me express about my job, is surprise. Everyone and especially women wonder how I can be a deminer, they ask if I feel any fear or not. Many of them really appreciate my work and say that what I am doing is great."

Risk Education Team Leader

Anahit: Nagorno Karabakh

Deminer

"The first thing that people surrounding me express about my job, is surprise. Everyone and especially women wonder how I can be a deminer, they ask if I feel any fear or not. Many of them really appreciate my work and say that what I am doing is great."

Deminer

Shamiram: Nagorno Karabakh

"This project is very important because so many women are unemployed. I never thought that I would do this job and that women would clear landmines but I'm very proud of these women."

Deminer

Yolanda: Angola

"My community appreciates that I am working on a project like this to make our environment safe for the future generations. I think that as a public representative of HALO who interacts with military personnel it is useful to show them that women can thrive in the military environment and do the job as well as a man would."


Office Manager

Dzenita: Bosnia & Herzegovina

"I am very proud of the work we do in Bosnia because I know that it is important for the future generations of the country. As a woman who works every day with military personnel I feel that my perspective on this is very valuable.'

Team Coordinator

Renata: Bosnia & Herzegovina

"My mum works in the minefield, and it is a good job. I know that mines are dangerous things that explode. I am in first grade, learning the alphabet. I like school, and when I grow up I want to be a teacher."

Ugbad, daughter of deminer Deeka, Somaliland

The 1995 Beijing Declaration & Platform for Action was the most visionary agenda for the empowerment of women and girls, committed to taking action in 12 critical areas including poverty, education and training, power and decision making and armed conflict.