International Women's Day

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss, including blindness. Women and girls make up 55% of these people – that’s 112 million more women than men.

Through our long-term country programs, Flying Eye Hospital projects and online Cybersight training and mentoring we are improving the quality of eye care available to women and girls around the world.

In many parts of the world gender inequality means women face additional barriers to accessing eye care that men don't:

• Costs: Less access to family financial resources can result in women’s inability to pay for their health care and related transportation costs.
• Inability to travel: Women often have fewer options for travel than men. Older women may require assistance, which poor families cannot provide.
• Lack of access to information and resources: Literacy for women and girls is often lower than for men and boys, especially among the elderly. As a result, women can be less likely to know about the possibility of treatment for eye disease or where to go to receive it.

To mark International Women’s Day 2022, we’re sharing some incredible stories of Orbis volunteers and patients. Click below to learn about how your contributions helped these women and girls achieve their full potential.

In this episode of our video podcast, SIGHTLINES, guest experts Julia Anderson (the CEO of the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health) and Dr. Suzannah Bellis (a Clinical Research Fellow at Moorfields Eye Hospital) explore the gender disparity in eye health, and discuss how women will play a critical role in the fight against global blindness as we forge ahead in a very different health landscape.

Access to eye care can help a girl see the blackboard in school and thrive in her education, helping to break cycles of poverty. It can help a woman succeed in her career and grow her ability to support herself and her family, opening doors to a brighter future.

We know that by empowering women to access eye care, it will not only help address gender inequalities, but will also have a broader impact on their communities, as well as wider economies.

You can help more women access the eye care they deserve this International Women's Day by donating below.