“I found the livelihood programme and women’s refuge project very interesting and feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to meet and work with local people and gain some insight into and learn about the daily struggles they face.”

The promotion of creativity and innovation through the growth of microfinance and livelihood support is paramount to progressing independence and self-worth amongst members of disadvantaged communities with women requiring the most assitance. The UN goals highlight the importance of income generation to achieve greater gender equality worldwide. Providing women equal opportunities to independence, democratic governance, crisis prevention, sustainable development and gender equality have been proven to result in a more progressive and cohesive society.

Traditionally women have been marginalised in communities, often not having equal access to education or equal rights to property and land.  Women’s economic participation in society is fundamental to strengthening disadvantaged communities. Teaching women new skill sets, providing vocational training and business acumen allows women to live independently and break the cycle of depending on others. Empowering all women to have the confidence to succeed in life today will have a powerful impact on their children and generations to come.

Inspire has identified that the most effective approach to achieve women’s empowerment is through income generation and livelihood support.  In the countries we work in many of the women simply do not have access to opportunities that will allow them to be independent or feel proud of their achievements. We aim to empower women by training them in new skills, which enable them to provide for themselves and their families, whilst feeling fulfilled, confident and happy.

Equal opportunities at home and in the workplace for women is an area close to the hearts of all the Inspire worldwide teams.

We are looking for people from varying backgrounds to assist with our income generation and women’s empowerment programmes. The programmes rely on volunteers imparting their knowledge, exchanging skill sets, teaching business acumen, providing women with a platform to discuss societal issues and training vulnerable women within our partner communities to be independent, strong and confident.

Volunteers with expertise in business, social work, health, teaching and many more disciplines are able to impart workplace knowledge to the women on our programmes via an open forum of cross-cultural exchange, workshops and community outreach programmes.

As a volunteer, you could be involved in programmes ranging from empowering women to plan and establish their own viable income generating projects to working with men and women in the hill tribes of Thailand to become self-sufficient. Our local teams will guide you in sustainable methods of training and business ideas which will ultimately break the cycle of reliance on others and empower women to live a long and fulfilled life.

2 Income generation programs

Established in Thailand and Cambodia

15 volunteers

over the past year

50 recipients trained

in business skills

30 grants given to women

to start a small business

300 hundred families

running successful businesses

Teaching vocational skills

To women and men in all our hubs

Workshops and women’s groups

Run in Peru and Cambodia