General: Women in Business – Forgotten Women

General: Women in Business

Forgotten Women aims to make businesswomen from those suffering deep poverty around the world, so they can earn with their own hands which in-turn will make them independent and protect their dignity. The purpose of our project is to enable women to escape the poverty trap for good. We believe in our hand-up policy and do not want women to be dependent on handouts every month. This initiative boasts a 95% success rate, with women successfully breaking free from poverty and avoiding desperate measures like selling their bodies to survive.

The lack of opportunities has led some women to either selling their organs or their children for $500. Out of desperation, some will give away their daughters, as young as 10, for marriage to much older men to receive a dowry of £400 ($500).

Women in developing countries face numerous challenges due to extreme poverty and a lack of opportunities. Many are forced to resort to desperate measures, such as begging or selling their bodies, just to secure one meal a day. From time to time there are laborious jobs where women are required to work 16-18 hours a day for as little as 50p a day, which in many cases is enough to buy basic bread or potatoes for her family.

Forgotten Women has encountered many women who, out of sheer desperation, have sold an organ or even their child for as little as £300-£400 ($375 to $500). Some women, facing extreme poverty, have given away their daughters, some as young as 10, for marriage to much older men in exchange for a dowry of £400 ($500). As a last resort, many are forced into prostitution, feeling they have no other option to survive.

We have spoken with women who have said that they buy potatoes for their family, one day they will eat the skin and the next day they will eat the inner content because that’s all they can afford.

The struggles in these countries are very real and challenging on many levels. Many women have shared with our team that the mental pressure of having to provide even basic meals for their children takes a significant toll on their well-being.

 

Why We Don’t Do Orphan Sponsorship

Orphan sponsorship is very popular, many charities collect donations for orphans which will fund their schooling and meals, this could consist of a continuous donation of £30 – £40 a month for many years which can cause donor fatigue. This typically involves a continuous donation of £30-£40 per month over many years, which can lead to donor fatigue. While this type of donation supports one child, it often doesn’t benefit the entire family. In many cases, the sponsored children are placed in orphanages, leading to separation from their families. Studies have shown that prolonged separation from family can have damaging effects on a child’s psychological development, potentially causing issues with relationships, depression, and long-term emotional and behavioural difficulties.


Quality Over Quantity

As part of our Transforming Lives program, we ensure that every woman receives the best opportunity possible by providing a quality business setup. For example, if a woman chooses to open a shop, we make sure it is well-stocked with sufficient inventory. If she prefers to start a livestock business, we bring an expert to the animal markets and invest a bit more to ensure she gets healthier, more valuable animals, increasing her potential return.

AFGHANISTAN

For 43 years the Afghani people have been living through occupation, our team from the UK have sat with the women of Afghanistan, and they have told us horrific war crimes that were committed against women and children. Women across the country were violated whilst the men were massacred before their eyes. We have visited villages which largely exist of widows as majority of the men were killed in cold blood.

In such circumstances the women of Afghanistan have been left with no support or even basic food, and when the desperation sets in, they look to sell the only assets they have to save themselves and their family members, this includes selling themselves, their children, and their organs. The streets are littered with women begging for food, we have had case studies where women have been forced to sell their daughters as young as 4 years old to feed themselves and their children. You may ask, how can a mother do such a thing, when there is state support and you haven’t eaten for days and your children are crying out of hunger, a mother is faced with the hardest decision she will ever have to make, to sell one child in order for the rest to survive. This desperation leads them to selling one child for as little as $500 in order to save the rest of the family.

PAKISTAN

The floods hit Pakistan in 2022, 33 million people were displaced, most of whom were women and children. The waters affected an area the size of Britain. But the emergency was not then but now, the Government has appealed for international help because they can’t cope and are asking charities like Forgotten Women to help.


The floods in 2022 were the worst in Pakistan’s history where over 33 million people were displaced, many, largely women and children have been affected long term. The floods highlighted a deeper issue in Pakistan – extreme poverty.

As the months have passed, Pakistan enters a new phase of this dark emergency – trafficking. Women are being lured and children are being stolen and sold into indecent industry by predators. These women are living on the roadside, over 2000 women are giving birth daily in the open. Recent case studies from the ground have been of women selling their children as young as 10 into marriage for a mere £300 dowry to get money for basic food, this is the grim reality. Sodhar, from one of the most affected areas said her entire family, with pregnant women and infants, have no shelter and are living in the open in scorching weather in the nearby town of Mehar. “We barely get one meal a day. Our children are crying all day. What can I tell them to stop crying when there is no food or home for them.”

SYRIA

It’s been over 12 years since the Syrian civil war began, 580,000 people is estimated to be dead; with 13 million Syrians being displaced and 6.7 million refugees forced to flee Syria.

After 12 years of war, the Syrians continue to suffer, more than 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and an estimated 15 million are now relying on humanitarian assistance. The never-ending disasters kept many families moving from place to place in search of safety, especially in the war-torn north, where some cities have been reduced to rubble by their own government forces.

On 6th of February 2023, survivors already exhausted and vulnerable from the war were dealt another blow when a huge earthquake rocked the region causing loss of life, limb and security. Families are still grieving at the loss of loved ones, with one family of 22 losing 11 members to the earthquake.

Creating permanent income generation solutions for Syrians has been challenging due to the continuous changing landscape and situation of the people. Now that around 5 million Syrians have settled in free-Syria area of Azaz and Idlib, working in Syria has become easier under the Turkish government. We are therefore able to provide instant income generating businesses for women and their families.

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh has been on the rise for the last 10 years. Business (GDP) has continuously grown for the country, however, the lack of spend on the people & infrastructure is apparent and poverty remains as one of the biggest causes of hunger and famine. Living conditions are very challenging for the poor. The country has a large population of 170 million and competing for jobs and income.

We have been successfully setting up women with businesses for a few years and the results are remarkable. Most of the women make between £150 (US$ 190) – £250 (US$ 310) monthly.  There are some remarkable women who earn a profit of £350 (US$ 440) per month.

Our Response:

1.A business set up for a woman and her children, giving her an instant income and leaving the poverty trap for good
(permanent change, one-off donation) £1000 ($1250)
2.£100 ($125) x 10 months

General: Women in Business

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