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Spreeha Breaking Barriers: From Talk to Tangible Change

By Halima Tus Sadia, Head of Growth, Spreeha Foundation

Capacity building for frontline healthcare workers. Photo: Spreeha Foundation

Despite decades of conversations about gender equality, women worldwide remain trapped in systemic barriers. In Bangladesh, they make up half the population but contribute only 36% to the GDP – held back by low-paying informal jobs and unpaid care work. While the country boasts high female political representation, less than 5% of CEOs are women, and a staggering 77% of Bangladeshi women face domestic violence. The health crisis is equally alarming – over half suffer from anemia, one in five pregnancies results in life-threatening complications, and only 37% receive postnatal care.

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Working With Women is Good Business

By Surita Sandosham, President and CEO, Heifer International

Yazmin Judit Hau Tun, right, holds ears of corn harvested from her milpa, a traditional Indigenous farming system that sustains families and local food production. Photo by Phillip Davis/Heifer International.

I am writing this in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on March 8 — an occasion each year when we recognize the need to ensure that women everywhere have equal opportunities to learn, grow, work, innovate, speak up and lead.

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Defying Gender Apartheid: How Sahar Education Empowers Afghan Women

By Allie Renar, Sahar Education

Afghanistan is facing one of the most severe gender apartheid regimes in modern history. Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, Afghan women and girls have been systematically erased from public life—barred from education, employment, and even the freedom to move independently. The world is witnessing an extreme rollback of women’s rights, where generations of progress are being wiped out.

Yet, despite these oppressive restrictions, Sahar Education is keeping hope alive. By offering underground and virtual education programs, Sahar is ensuring that Afghan women and girls can continue to learn, build independence, and prepare for a future beyond the bans imposed on them.

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