International (MNN) ― And, International Women's Day is on March 8. It's a day meant to highlight the achievements of women around the world, focus on their continuing struggles, and inspire them to achieve their full potential.
In many developing nations, it is the mothers and wives who do 75% of the labor. It falls to them to care for the children and the home, grow and cook the food, and collect water and firewood. In arid terrain, the latter two tasks can take all day, and often put the women's safety at risk.
Local customs and teachings are often passed by oral tradition. Men are the public figures, but the women are the ones sharing it at home. That said, women often share their learning with others, and make sure that their children and neighbors also benefit from improvements.
Because women are so central to family and community life, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee encourages partners to involve women in their programs. For example, CRWRC and its partners in Sudan recently started training a group of women how to make fuel-saving stoves. 120 women were initially trained by CRWRC's partners to make the stoves. These women, in turn, trained the rest of the women in their village. To date 1,530 fuel efficient stoves have been installed in this village, almost one stove in each home.
As they get teaching and training to be a better mother and wife, their hearts open to the Gospel. For many, their hope fosters hope for the future. Please pray.
