Celebrating Women Leading the Fight for Sight This International Women’s Day

Everyday women and girls face barriers in accessing eye care. From less access to education about eye health, to cultural norms that restrict their ability to travel, women and girls are more likely to lose out on diagnosis and treatment.

But Orbis are helping to change this story, by supporting women to lead an eye-health revolution that puts women and girls at the heart of delivering and receiving eye care. For this year's International Women's Day, 8th March, we celebrate some of the sight-saving women who are leading the delivery of eye care to their communities.

As a young girl in Mongolia, Bulgan lost her vision after a car accident and had no way to get the treatment she needed in her community. But hen the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital arrived, the surgeons were able to help her and restore her sight.

Grateful for the care she received, Bulgan decided to give back. She began volunteering with Orbis, first as a translator on the Flying Eye Hospital and later as an ambassador for eye health. Today, she shares her story with communities everywhere and speaks up for better access to care.

Dr Michelle Le Cheminant is an anaesthetist and dedicated Orbis volunteer. Michelle has volunteered with Orbis on seven projects, sharing her expert medical knowledge with local eye care teams around the world.

Michelle joined our Flying Eye Hospital programme in Mongolia in 2024. Here she helped adults and children receive life-changing surgery and trained Mongolian teams to carry on the work long after the plane departs.

Michelle shared a moment with Orbis that has stuck with her:

“One of the most inspiring women I’ve encountered during my whole career is Jacqui, one of the Orbis staff nurses. I first met her in 2017 in Zambia, before I’d even started volunteering with Orbis.

I have never known such a hard-working and dedicated teacher. She has boundless energy, adapts to every unique setting with ease and on every project, she welcomes me back as part of the team. She’s inspired me to develop my teaching skills further and I always look forward to working with her.”

In Bangladesh, many women and girls find it difficult to access routine eye care because of distance, cost or social norms. Tasmia, a Mid-level Ophthalmic Personnel works at the Haimchar Vision Centre in Chandpur, Bangladesh. This vision centre is part of Orbis’s Women-Led Green Vision Centres, which are located around Bangladesh and India. These centres aim to break down the barriers that people, particularly women, face when trying to access eye care, such as finances and being unable to receive treatment from men.

Tasmia received training from Orbis, which has now enabled her to head the women-friendly eye clinic, which provides screening, early treatment and referrals.

“Women-led vision centres are important because people in these rural areas are not comfortable speaking openly with a man. But they can say everything in detail to a woman. These open discussions help provide the patients with proper treatment.”

Trachoma is a painful infection that can eventually lead to blindness. 70% of people with severe, blinding trachoma in Ethiopia are women. Often in traditional roles as care givers, women are more likely to catch and pass on the infection from their children, keeping the cycle going.

Aster, an Orbis-trained local health worker, has helped protect many families from trachoma in Ethiopia. She visits houses in rural communities, teaching families about hygiene, spotting early symptoms and ensuring people receive antibiotic treatment in time. Aster has also performed around 200 sight-saving surgeries on people suffering from advanced trachoma.

“Helping people was always my passion, and now it’s my job,” Aster says. 

Also in Ethiopia, Teshalech has been a vital link between health services and her community for 18 years. She has supported numerous mass drug administration campaigns, always working to connect people with the eye care they need.

For Teshalech, one memory has stayed with her. She recalls convincing an elderly woman to seek surgery to save her sight from advanced trachoma. But when the time came for the local anaesthetic, the woman panicked, jumped off the surgical bed, and ran home. But Teshalech didn’t give up.

She visited the woman at home, listened to her fears, and gently reassured her. In time, the woman returned to the health centre. She had surgery on both eyes and fully recovered.

“A week later, she came to thank me with a gift,” Teshalech smiles. “Now, she’s one of our strongest advocates.”

Elisa Urruchi, is an ophthalmic nurse and infection control specialist from Peru, whose work is changing lives across the world.

Joining Orbis in 2011 after volunteering as a translator on a sight-saving project, Elisa is now a part of the Flying Eye Hospital team. She trains nurses in everything from preparing patients for surgery to maintaining sterile environments and supporting recovery.

Elisa also works with our partner hospitals, making sure that wherever we go, patients receive the highest standard of care.

“We train nurses to understand eye surgery, anticipate the surgeon’s needs, and maintain strict sterile techniques to prevent infection and support the best outcomes for patients.”

The women in these stories are different in age, background and role. Some provide direct medical care, others train, teach or advocate. What unites them is a shared commitment to saving sight and transforming lives.

This International Women’s Day, let their stories inspire us.

You can help more women and girls get the eye care they need and deserve. Your support matters.