I just received this story from Mozambique that I wanted to share with you. The lovely staff of Opportunity Mozambique once again demonstrated their commitment to empowering and celebrating women by taking part in International Women’s Day 2012 in early April. Based on this year’s theme “Empowering Girls, Building the Future,” masses of women joined together to pay tribute to Mozambique’s women and girls who contribute significantly to their families and communities. These everyday heroics remind us that the struggle for gender equality and equity remains one of the greatest challenges for our loan officers as they provide transformational services to our clients.

According to UN Mozambique Resident Coordinator, Jennifer Topping, “Only empowered women, with access to education, to credit, to health services, favorable legislation and income-generating opportunities are able to improve the welfare of their families. This will break the vicious cycle of poverty, fight injustice and build a culture of respect for their rights.” Following the celebration, Opportunity Mozambique’s women staff joined together with other female banking professionals to share their experiences over lunch and discuss how to incorporate what they’ve learned into their interactions with the women we serve. The ladies reported that the day’s events were “a time of joy, an opportunity to challenge ourselves even more to become empowered and empower others.”