Dear Reader,
I recently paid a visit to Nepal to see for myself the post-pandemic situation there, as well as the progress of World Vision’s programmes. I am aware that in local traditions, women are generally seen as inferior and are confined by a lot of limitations. During this visit, however, I got to witness the incredible impact made by women in a plethora of activities. These include child day care services in dusty brick kilns, child rights committees in communities, initiatives supporting small businesses during the pandemic, savings groups, or social skills training for youngsters or teaching self-defence, women are not mere participants, but leaders who work hard and honestly do as much as they can to meet the needs of their families and communities. The authenticity, directness and resilience displayed is remarkable. There were so many things to be thankful for throughout the trip, and I thank God for creating mankind in his own image, with men and women as partners working together to fulfil the goodness of creation.
While parents, especially mothers, are willing to better serve their family members and children, they are inevitably restricted by (the lack of) resources, social norms and certain cultural practices. Making the most of the International Women’s Day on 8 March, we will be exploring the theme of women’s empowerment in this issue. We invite you to spend some time to learn more about the situation and challenges that women are facing, as well as how World Vision integrates women’s empowerment into our development and advocacy programmes to build people’s capacities, develop their potential and improve the well-being of children in the long run. Whether all these could become a reality depends on the stability of the social environment.
In 2024, elections will be taking place in countries and regions home to over 4 billion people, including the USA, Russia, India, Indonesia, multiple EU countries and Mexico. Each key election is an opportunity for a country or region to improve livelihoods and the economy, and may even impact the entire world, especially when there are ongoing crises in places like Ukraine and Gaza. Although our power is small, we can always show our care for children and families living in conflict-affected or fragile places, so that they know they have not been forgotten by the outside world.
Yours truly,
Amy Fung
Chief Executive Officer
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27