Day 2 - Zainab Salbi

In 1993, Zainab Salbi co-founded Women for Women International (WFWI), a widely-lauded organization dedicated to helping women survivors of war re-establish their lives and gain footing after conflict. Salbi, who came of age in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule, was inspired to found WFWI after reading a story about the women and girls being held in rape camps in Bosnia and Croatia, where they were beaten and sexually assaulted by Serbian soldiers. Salbi recognized that while “women who survive war are strong, resilient and courageous – they just need some support dealing with the aftermath of conflict.” Women joining WFWI's programs in any of the 9 countries in which the organization operates participate for one year, receiving trade training and financial aid and building towards eligibility for micro-loans. They receive leadership and human rights advocacy training so that they may use their own experiences and growth as platforms to effect broader social change. Salbi has written extensively on the challenges faced by women survivors of conflict and on her work to aid their courageous steps to recover and take leadership roles in their families and communities, and authored a book named The Other Side of War: Women’s Stories of Survival & Hope.

Women for Women is hard at work in Sudan, particularly in the South, where more than 1,000 women have participated in their program and received literacy and skills training. Many WFWI graduates now earn incomes that are two or three times greater that their earnings prior to joining the WFWI program. Seventy percent of the women who have participated in their programs reported improvements in self confidence, and eighty percent report having a greater understanding of their human rights. In Sudan, WFWI has established a Commercial Integrated Farming Initiative (CIFI), which will train 3,000 women over three years in sustainable farming practices. In a country where 40% of the food is imported, the high demand for the produce the women grow allows them to make a living and support their families. And WFWI’s reach spans far beyond Sudan – to Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Salbi has been honored by President Clinton for her humanitarian work, received Forbes’ annual Trailblazer Award, and has received the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the world’s largest humanitarian award. For her lifelong dedication to women affected by war, and for establishing programs which help women in Sudan and beyond to live fuller, freer, and more secure lives, we are proud to honor Zainab Salbi as one of our 16 Leaders.

The White Ribbon Campaign was launched in 1991 by Canadian men one year after the massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. Each year since then, men and women around the world have worn white ribbons as a personal pledge to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women. Assemble and wear a white ribbon pinned to your lapel, sweater, or coat for the duration of the 16 Days. When people ask you what it represents, tell them about the sexual violence taking place in Darfur and Sudan, and what they can do to stop it.