Established in 2000, Feminenza International is a charity and non-profit network, of approximately 500 women and men, dedicated to helping women and youth, wherever possible, to take charge of their lives. We share the values of upholding our common humanity as one human race, and supporting the dignity of every life.

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Towards this end, we provide non-formal, voluntary and reflective education programmes to post-conflict, traumatised and disadvantaged communities and youth and their leaders/youth workers, working with both individuals and communities, with grass roots organisations, schools, shelters, NGOs, security agencies, healthcare clinics and community social care providers.

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Our work first commenced in the USA, Europe, UK, Australia and New Zealand. In 2005, at UNESCO PEER’s invitation, we commenced work in Africa, directly with women, youth workers and youth at risk, disadvantaged youth and conflict communities, helping them to take charge of their lives, to build inside-out resilience. In 2008 we changed focus, to developing NGO, CBOs, voluntary groups, helping them acquire the tools, methods and skills to sustain longer term outcomes. In 2009, as a consequence of UN Security Council resolution 1325, UN WOMEN’s commissioned us to demonstrate the value of women in conflict torn communities. Between 2009 and 2011 we mentored 20 women and youth leaders in their efforts to restore peace, develop and sustain ground up reconciliation within the communities most affected by Kenya’s 2008 violence. They continue to lead this work in other communities even today. SIDA – the Swedish International Development Agency found that the project ‘contributed to increased women’s decisive role in conflict resolution at the local level through capacity building of select women leaders and women in district peace committees (DPCs) in conflict prone areas’. In the 10 years which followed, USAID, UN WOMEN, SIDA and DFID independently verified the effectiveness of our work in the development of gender respect, community resilience development, peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. We’ve worked with the military, police, pastors, municipal elders, schools – helping communities to build bridges and restore confidence.

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In North America we have assisted Washington State with homeless women, supported Arizona with the rehabilitation of African conflict refugees. In New York we helped disadvantaged teenager girls to initiate change in their communities. In Europe we have assisted refugees in Denmark, the Traveller community in Ireland, abused women and French African refugees in the Netherlands. The European agencies, particularly Erasmus, have since sponsored us to work with youth and youth workers – from the EU28 states, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, and Jordan – working with disadvantaged youth, migrants, displaced persons, victims of forced marriage and gender-based violence.

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The list of beneficiary countries grows every year, as does the number of women and men willing to assist in our mission around the world. Formal Feminenza chapters now exist in the USA and Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, France, Israel, Kenya and New Zealand – with more coming online every year. Educational content, training standards, corporate oversight and audit is undertaken by Feminenza International (the standards body).

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