International Women’s Day – Celebrating the women of War Child

Hear from our colleagues in Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Lebanon to learn more about their work, the challenges faced by women and girls in their countries, and what their hopes are for women's futures.

War Child in Lebanon

Julie El Kfoury - Education advisor

Julie El Kfoury is an Education Advisor working for War Child in Lebanon. She is responsible for shaping and guiding the organisation’s educational programs, strategies, and interventions to ensure they are inclusive, effective and meet all the needs of the community.

For Julie, one of the biggest issues she sees for girls in Lebanon is the high rate of school dropouts. This can be caused by financial struggles, a lack of accessible schools, cultural norms, and also the prioritisation of boys' education in some families.

“For many girls, education is often seen as less of a priority, especially when the family is facing financial hardship. Girls are more likely to stay at home to help with household chores or take care of siblings, especially among refugees.”

She explains that gender roles, early and forced marriage, and societal expectations in Lebanon often limit women and girls from accessing opportunities, whether that be education, work, or social services.

War Child’s programmes in education, protection, psychosocial support (PSS), and empowerment, are making a critical contribution to improving the lives of women and girls in Lebanon – and Julie loves being a part of it.

One of her favourite memories is of meeting an 11-year-old girl with a disability who had never been part of any educational programme. When she first arrived she was silent and withdrawn, but gradually she began to open up.

“I remember designing a special pencil to help her grip, and slowly, she began to draw, then write. With time, her confidence grew. I will never forget the smile she had when she first entered the center and how it remained on her face as she left. The most rewarding part of my job is watching children, especially girls, transform from feeling lost and broken to regaining their sense of hope and strength. Knowing that I played a small part in that healing journey is what makes this work so meaningful to me.”

War Child in Uganda

Evelyn Angom - Senior HR Coordinator

Evelyn Angom works in Uganda as a Senior HR Coordinator, providing advice, support and guidance to management and employees. Her work allows War Child employees to thrive and reach their own personal career goals – as well as organisational goals.

Working in Uganda, she sees how war and conflict can impact all areas of a woman or girl’s life.

“Discrimination in all aspects including social, cultural, economic and political. Women and girls face domestic violence, early pregnancies, and sexual related challenges including exposure to disease.”

She hopes that one day, women and girls in Uganda will be able to follow their own dreams and achieve as much as she has.

“I would like to see that more women and girls access quality education, have equal opportunities, rights, and freedoms to thrive and reach their full potential without discrimination or fear.”

War Child in Lebanon

Mouna Mounajed - Education Technical Officer

Mouna Mounajed is an Education Technical Officer working in Lebanon.

Her role is to train teachers and facilitators on War Child’s education package, including the award winning Can’t Wait to Learn programme.

She notices the economic, social and financial pressure women in Lebanon are under, as well as the struggle they face to access quality education.

"Women in our country are expected to work while still bearing full responsibility for household tasks, childcare, and family duties—unlike men. They take on more without shared responsibilities or equal rights in our culture.”

The ongoing conflict in Lebanon also means that women and girls are facing high levels of stress due to political and war-related instability.

In her role, Mouna is helping to create safe spaces where women and girls can express themselves without fear. By sharing knowledge with teachers and facilitators about education, safeguarding and child protection, she is supporting those most in need in her community.

“What I love most about working in this sector is the real opportunity to help others and improve lives, especially for vulnerable groups, leaving a positive impact.”

Fair access to education for her is about “continuous learning that enriches our academic and cultural understanding, making us better citizens, parents, and members of society.”

Her dream for the women and girls of Lebanon is to live in a country with more opportunities, more inclusion, and more say in decision making processes.

War Child in South Sudan

Asunta Monyluak - Child Protection Worker

Asunta Monyluak is a Child Protection Worker in Malakal, South Sudan. She works at a transit centre hosting vulnerable children arriving from Sudan.

Her role is to develop case plans with children and their family and provide ongoing support in collaboration with law enforcement, educators, and healthcare providers, to ensure children grow up in a healthy environment.

Asunta explains that societal expectations on women and girls make it difficult for them to pursue a career and find independence in South Sudan.

“In my country, women and girls carry a burden of caring for family members, which is affecting their career development unlike men who have better opportunities. Besides, women and girls lack support to succeed in their career aspirations and sexual harassment in often patriarchal work environments.”

War Child staff like Asunta are helping to create opportunities for women and girls to enhance their education, earn their own income, and advocate for social equality.

“I love to meet people, and my passion dwells in working with the most vulnerable children and their family. I want every woman or girl to grow in society that has a freedom of choices and decision making. I appreciate War Child for creating an opportunity to serve children and women in need of assistance.”

War Child in Central African Republic

Julienne Amker – Football Coach

Julienne is a War Child football club methodology monitor working in Ndele in the Central African Republic. Her role is to organise and facilitate football sessions that provide crucial psychosocial support to children who are victims of conflict in Ndele.

As well as helping the children find joy and release through play, she also identifies the most vulnerable children in the group and makes sure they are referred to the appropriate support services.

Julienne explains that the voices of women and girls in CAR are often not heard.

“Very rarely do girls continue their education at the secondary level due to forced marriage. Victims of exploitation by men: the more rural and domestic or family activities are reserved for women.”

While the work Julienne does is essential, some families do not understand its purpose.

“Obviously some parents or husbands of girls sometimes have a poor understanding of our activities, such as sports activities. They accuse us of encouraging young girls to wear panties and leave their legs outside. Which, according to them, cannot be done (according to custom).

In addition, other men who have their spouses in the parenting activity group prevent them from attending. This negatively affects participation and slows down the operation of the activities.”

The impact of Julienne and the rest of the CAR country team’s work speaks for itself. Many girls in the community have returned to school – even those who are married.

One of the most memorable moments for Julienne was helping a girl whose mother had remarried, resulting in her being forced out of the home. Essentially homeless, the girl told Julienne this during a psychosocial support session and said she felt her existence had “no meaning”. Julienne approached the parents to discuss child protection and was able to encourage them to accept the child.

In CAR, Julienne would like to see “a future where women and girls can develop their potential and benefit from opportunities that are equal and fair to both sexes. Women who recognise their rights and responsibilities and be competitive in the workplace.”

War Child in South Sudan

Nyabuony Gatluak - Child Protection Worker

Nyabuony Gatluak is a Child Protection Worker in Renk, Upper Nile State in South Sudan. She works with children, families and communities to prevent and respond to child protection issues happening in her community, as well as returnees and refugees displaced by conflict in Sudan.

Her particular focus is on extremely vulnerable children. She assesses their needs and then works closely with caregivers to ensure all those needs are met.

Nyabuony has witnessed firsthand the extraordinary challenges that women and girls in South Sudan face. Gender discrimination prevents them from participating in decision making, but conflict in the country also means they are at risk of gender-based violence.

"Women and girls in South Sudan face extraordinary challenges, including limited expertise (limited chances for further education), exploitation, sexual and gender-based violence by unknown armed groups in hard-to-reach areas.”

As a Child Protection Worker, Nyabuony is motivated by the opportunity to provide support and help children feel happy again.

“One positive part of my work is supporting the most vulnerable, helping them to forget the hardship they have been through and connect them to services to restore hope.”

She says that “women and girls need social and economic empowerment to foster peace and stability development in the country at a time when it faces window for change.”