International Women's Day 2022

This International Women’s Day we celebrated?how Emmaus groups around the world support women and?recognised?the incredible community of women?we see across our federation?every day.?

Emmaus around the world

Emmaus is an?international movement?and supports women in all four corners of the globe to overcome poverty and social exclusion through training, education, and employment opportunities.?

To highlight this, we decided to put different Emmaus groups on the map by showcasing their work and how it makes a difference to the lives of women and girls.

From sewing workshops to combatting child trafficking, the video below features the efforts of?Emmaus AFA?in Benin, West Africa,?Emmaus Helsinki?in Finland,?Emmaus Grupo Aportes?in Uruguay, and?Kudumbam?in South India.

Emmaus in the UK

Here in the UK, we support women?on their journey out of homelessness through providing a home for as long as they need it, tailored support, and meaningful work.

In?the latest government data, 320 women were estimated to be sleeping rough on an average night in autumn 2021.

The theme of International Women’s Day this year is?#BreakTheBias. Despite the data suggesting women are in the minority when it comes to homelessness (they make up 13% of the total number of people sleeping rough) they are more likely to experience hidden homelessness, which is often overlooked by official figures.

Women are also more likely than men to be made homeless as a result of domestic violence – and, according to a?study?by domestic violence charity Refuge, that has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That’s why we want to champion women’s stories through 2022 and beyond.

One inspiring story is Karen's journey. After joining Emmaus Preston as a companion, she is now Head of Support and Emmaus Preston and Emmaus Burnley, and uses her experiences to help other people rebuild their lives after homelessness.

She said: "My life couldn’t be more different now thanks to Emmaus. I absolutely love my job.

"The most rewarding part of my experience with Emmaus has been helping companions successfully move on.

"Other highlights were my visits to the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street to tell my story to Lords and MPs to try to improve support for people who want to break the cycle they are in."