Listening to the voice of someone who has been silenced, marginalized and even physically abused for years is a delicate task, but it’s one that International Medical Corps is determined to embrace as we look to help and heal those who have suffered from gender-based violence (GBV). GBV is defined as an action toward someone …
What are women-safe spaces and why do they play a crucial role in empowering and protecting girls and women during a humanitarian crisis? A woman-safe space is a place where women and girls come together to socialize and express themselves without harm or judgment. But it’s not just a place where women can meet; safe …
In the face of seemingly intractable social challenges, it can be hard to believe in change. But to a frontline health worker like Beatrice Essebe, International Medical Corps’ Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Supervisor in Cameroon, change is not only possible, it is an inevitability and provides a purpose. Says Beatrice: “There is nothing greater than when …
The unfortunate myth that breast milk alone is not enough for a child’s nutritional needs is strongly embedded within Somalian society. As a result, in a nation where many mothers and children don’t have access to the healthcare and education needed to ensure a healthy pregnancy and infanthood, mothers often supplement breast milk with infant …
Meet Anfa, an 18-year-old Somali woman who recently gave birth to her first child through a treacherous journey to new motherhood. Anfa’s home of Somalia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with one out of 12 women dying from pregnancy-related complications—often because she lacks access to maternal health care. Here, …
As part of International Medical Corps’ commitment to combatting gender based-violence (GBV) in South Sudan, we are working on a number of different programs that empower women within the community. Among other things, we offer training in business management and leadership skills that aim to prevent GBV risks while empowering them within their households and their …
In 2003, conflict erupted in Sudan’s Darfur Region, resulting in over 300,000 deaths and displacing millions. The situation has weakened an already fragile healthcare system and compromised people’s access to basic health services. To this day, a lack of adequate medical services poses a major threat to the population – pregnant women and children are …
On July 25th, moms and moms-to-be celebrated #BumpDay to raise awareness about maternal health needs around the world. #BumpDay shines a light on the crucial issue of maternal health while raising funds that save lives. Approximately 830 women die every day as a result of preventable pregnancy-related causes. International Medical Corps and What To Expect are committed …
As a self-taught seamstress and the loving caretaker of her deceased brothers’ children, 41-year-old Sawsan serves as a constant inspiration to those around her. Sawsan* grew up within a large family in Iraq, the daughter of an ambulance driver and a stay-at-home mother. She dropped out of school at the primary level and, at 20 …
The fate of young children in war-torn Yemen is captured in one heart-wrenching United Nations statistic: Every ten minutes, a child under five dies of causes that are easily preventable. A civil war now in its fourth year has destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, crippled its economic and commercial life and left three quarters …
This crisis is only beginning. Help International Medical Corps provide healthcare and deliver urgently needed supplies to flooded communities after this devastating storm.