International Women’s Day is a moment to recognise the strength, resilience, and contributions of women across the world. It is also a reminder that when women are given the opportunity to grow, learn, and lead, the impact extends far beyond one individual.

This year’s theme, Give To Gain, reflects something we witness every day at The Lady Fatemah Trust.

When you give a woman the support she needs, families do not just survive, they begin to stand strong.

Across many communities where LFT works, women carry the greatest responsibilities. They raise children, manage households, and hold families together even in the most difficult circumstances.

When that strength is matched with opportunity, the results can be life-changing.

Through LFT’s women empowerment initiatives, women gain far more than financial support. They gain the tools to rebuild their lives and shape their futures.

That support helps women gain:

• Safety in motherhood – so pregnancy and childbirth are met with care, not fear
• Skills and livelihoods – so mothers can earn with dignity and provide for their children
• Education and opportunity – so girls and young women can shape their own futures
• Wellbeing and resilience – so women can recover, rebuild, and lead their families forward

This is not short-term relief.
It is long-term change rooted in dignity, stability, and empowerment.

Across Afghanistan and Iraq, the stories of women supported through LFT programmes bring this truth to life.

A Mother’s Determination

For Fatima, a mother of five living in Kabul, life once felt overwhelming.

Her husband was sick and unable to work, leaving the family under intense financial pressure. In order to survive, she and her children spent long hours weaving carpets.

It meant her children could not attend school.

“I was always worried,” she recalls. “My children could not study. I could not provide proper clothes or food for them.”

Determined to change their future, Fatima began searching for work. One day she discovered a workshop where women were learning tailoring skills and earning an income.

That opportunity changed everything.

Today, she works alongside other women in a safe and supportive environment, learning new skills and earning a steady salary.

“The first dress I sewed for my daughter made me very happy,” she says.

Most importantly, her children are no longer weaving carpets. They are now in school and able to focus on their education.

Fatima’s hope for the future is clear.

“I want my children to study, to stand on their own feet, and to serve their community.”

From Uncertainty to Confidence

For Fazila, another mother in Kabul, the workshop offered something she had long been searching for: stability.

Before joining the programme, her family struggled to meet even their most basic needs.

“My economic situation was very weak,” she explains. “I could not buy books and notebooks for my children.”

Through the workshop, she developed new tailoring skills and became part of a supportive network of women working together.

Today, Fazila is the primary breadwinner in her household.

“The salary I receive covers our expenses,” she says. “Now I can buy notebooks, clothes, and food for my children.”

Beyond financial stability, the opportunity has transformed her confidence.

“Our life was once very dark,” she says. “Now we have motivation and self-confidence.”

Rebuilding Hope

For Hawa, raising two children alone once felt impossible.

She remembers a time when her future seemed uncertain and overwhelming.

“My future felt dark and unclear,” she recalls.

A friend introduced her to the workshop, where she began learning tailoring skills and working alongside other women.

Over time, her confidence grew.

Today, she works as a machine operator and is able to support her children while continuing to develop her skills.

“My children say their mother has become strong,” she says.

Her greatest dream is to support their education. Her son hopes to become a doctor, and she is determined to help him achieve that goal.

Learning, Growing, and Moving Forward

Najiba’s journey reflects another powerful side of empowerment.

Originally from Bamyan province, she joined the workshop two years ago after hearing about it from a friend.

From the moment she arrived, she felt comfortable knowing it was a space created entirely for women.

Through the programme, she has strengthened her tailoring skills while also attending literacy classes.

“The first item I sewed by myself was a winter coat,” she says. “When I finished it, I felt proud.”

Her motivation is simple yet powerful: creating a better future for her daughter.

“I must work hard so she can continue her studies.”

Opportunity Creates Ripple Effects

The same transformation can be seen in Iraq through LFT’s Mothernomics programme in Karbala.

Many of the women who join the programme have spent years working quietly from home, often without recognition or opportunity to develop their talents.

For one mother of six, joining the programme opened a new chapter.

Although she had worked as a tailor for 25 years, she had never experienced professional training or a structured workplace.

“Here, we earn a steady income,” she explains. “But it is more than that, it is about professional growth.”

Another participant shared how the programme helped her achieve a lifelong dream.

“My biggest ambition was to become a professional tailor,” she says. “Thank God, I achieved that dream when I joined Mothernomics.”

Beyond employment, the project also provides access to healthcare support, professional training, and a strong community of women encouraging one another.

For many mothers, the greatest change is the sense of independence and dignity they gain through their work.

“It feels like planting a seed and watching it grow,” one participant explains.

From Opportunity to Leadership

The ripple effect of empowering women can also be seen in the journey of Khadija, a young woman whose story reflects the long-term impact of opportunity.

Growing up in Afghanistan, Khadija pursued her education despite significant barriers. Through determination and support, she eventually earned a scholarship to study abroad and later completed her MBA in Finance.

Today, she contributes to research and programmes that support vulnerable mothers and families, including work examining the impact of LFT’s Mothernomics initiative.

Her journey demonstrates how education and opportunity can empower women not only to transform their own lives, but also to contribute to solutions that uplift entire communities.

When Women Thrive, Communities Rise

Across these stories – from Kabul to Karbala – a powerful truth emerges.

When women are given opportunity, they do far more than improve their own lives.

• They educate their children.
• They strengthen their families.
• They contribute to their communities.

At The Lady Fatemah Trust, we believe that strengthening a mother helps build the kind of communities that can heal a nation.

This is why our programmes focus not only on immediate support, but on long-term empowerment rooted in dignity, stability, and opportunity.

This International Women’s Day, the message is simple.

Give To Gain.

When women are supported, families rise.