International Women's Day

Each year on March 8, people around the world celebrate International Women’s Day - an opportunity to reflect on progress towards gender equality and what we can do to create a more fair and equitable world. At Orbis, we know that blindness is a gender issue and are committed to alleviating unequal access to eye care.

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss, including blindness. Women and girls make up 55% of these people – that’s 112 million more women than men.

Through our long-term country programs, Flying Eye Hospital projects and online Cybersight training and mentoring we are improving the quality of eye care available to women and girls around the world.

112 million more women than men are living with vision loss, including blindness.

Why Is Blindness a Gender Issue?

In many parts of the world gender inequality means women face additional barriers to accessing eye care that men don't:

Costs: Less access to family financial resources can result in women’s inability to pay for their health care and related transportation costs.
Inability to travel: Women often have fewer options for travel than men. Older women may require assistance, which poor families cannot provide.
Lack of access to information and resources: Literacy for women and girls is often lower than for men and boys, especially among the elderly. As a result, women can be less likely to know about the possibility of treatment for eye disease or where to go to receive it.

Find out more about our gender focused programs by visiting our women and girls page.

International Women's Day 2022

To mark International Women’s Day 2022, we’re sharing some incredible stories of Orbis volunteers and patients. Click below to learn about how your contributions helped these women and girls achieve their full potential.

How One Volunteer Saved Sight for Three Women in Ethiopia

Ma Nu Nu needed a high-stakes surgery to save her vision

Fighting Trachoma in Ethiopia - 5 Questions with an Orbis-Trained Healthcare Worker

Sight Saving for Babies—Meet Some Terrific Triplets

Heroes of Orbis: Dr. Doreen Frimpong, Pediatric Ophthalmologist

Heroes of Orbis: Angela Purcell

Heroes of Orbis: Jackie Newton

Heroes of Orbis: Xiao Ying

See Her Potential

In this episode of our video podcast, SIGHTLINES, guest experts Julia Anderson (the CEO of the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health) and Dr. Suzannah Bellis (a Clinical Research Fellow at Moorfields Eye Hospital) explore the gender disparity in eye health, and discuss how women will play a critical role in the fight against global blindness as we forge ahead in a very different health landscape.

SIGHTLINES Episode 6: Women Changing the World

Access to eye care can help a girl see the blackboard in school and thrive in her education, helping to break cycles of poverty. It can help a woman succeed in her career and grow her ability to support herself and her family, opening doors to a brighter future.

We know that by empowering women to access eye care, it will not only help address gender inequalities, but will also have a broader impact on their communities, as well as wider economies.

You can help more women access the eye care they deserve this International Women's Day by donating below.

HELP UNLOCK WOMEN AND GIRLS’ POTENTIAL

DONATE THIS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

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