Raleigh’s vision is a world where young people feel a sense of belonging to a global community working together to strengthen and improve the world around them. If you have been following our progress you will know that each phase on expedition 13A has considered a theme, in Phase 1 we focused on social justice which culminated in a short video we made (click here to watch >) and Phase 2 has been focused on Women with all of our teams celebrating International Women's Day on the 8 March.
In a recent UN report on the Millennium Development Goals, it was voiced that despite the global reduction of more than 800 million people living in extreme poverty from 1990 to 2008, women continue to be more likely to live in poverty than men. The focus for this theme was to consider such statistics and gender equality. Every team is coming up with a campaign to highlight women’s issues whether violence, inequality in education, health or one of the many other complex issues that are faced due to gender.
Expedition 13A - X-Ray Women's Day Actions
X-Ray 1,2 & 3 are trekking and will be doing a quiz that the wonderful Clare Evans from Head Office wrote for all of our X-Ray teams. They will also be video-ing clips of their aspirations and their hopes for women of the world.
X-Ray 3: Rising and saying no to gender inequality
X-Ray 4 have been interviewing the woman biologist and ranger that are currently working in the park and are considering how women can positively contribute to environmental conservation. X-Ray 5 & 6 have been working hard on their 13A campaign and X-Ray 5 have come up with a social media campaign which will be using a logo created by X-Ray 6 - all will be revealed after changeover - watch this space!
X-Ray 8 from Siares San Ramon are interviewing and celebrating the women of their community
X-Ray 7,8,9 & 10 are all of our community projects and have been able to interview and undertake case studies of the women in the communities Raleigh are working in. X-Ray 7 are focusing on water in Matapalo, X-Ray 8 are focusing on education and the women in their village of Siares. X-Ray 9 are focusing on women's health particularly maternal health and pre-natal care and have come up with a campaign they are calling 'Born: help to grow and grow to help.' X-Ray 10 are hosting a coffee morning in La Arenilla to celebrate all of the women in their community. 
Every girl should be able to aspire to great things and there should be no barrier to stop them from achieving everything they dreamed of.
All of our teams have been making short video clips asking questions such as those below from X-Ray 10. Whether the young girls who have voiced their dreams, or the women in the community who have shared their lives with our teams - it has made all of our volunteers think about the women in the world and what we can do as global citizens to ensure equality in all things.
Case Study: Neraida from La Arenilla Miraflor
Raleigh are completing a sustainable housing project in La Arenilla, a remote coffee farming community in Nicaragua. They interviewed Neraida whose father Don Rufino will be a beneficiary of one of the 6 new homes that are being completed.
My name is Neraida and I am 20 and live in La Arenila in Nicaragua. I am a single mother, my baby is 15 months old. I work for an organisation that prevents natural disasters and I teach in the community. While I am at work my brother and my grandmother look after my child.
Raleigh are completing a sustainable housing project in La Arenilla, a remote coffee farming community in Nicaragua. They interviewed Neraida whose father Don Rufino will be a beneficiary of one of the 6 new homes that are being completed.
My name is Neraida and I am 20 and live in La Arenila in Nicaragua. I am a single mother, my baby is 15 months old. I work for an organisation that prevents natural disasters and I teach in the community. While I am at work my brother and my grandmother look after my child.
Q: What is your role in the community?
The women of Miraflor work hard raising their families, working and supporting their communities.
Q: Do you see a difference between the education of men and women here?
No, because men and women have the same rights even if they are boys and we are girls we feel we are equals.
Q: Have you noticed a change in attitude of women over the generations?
Q: Have you noticed a change in attitude of women over the generations?
Yes, thank god! In generations before it was difficult for women and we were unable to have the priviledges we have today. While my mother and grandmother finished school in the second grade aged 8, I completed elementary school aged 12.
This blog and the above interview is part of a series of blogs themed around International Women's Day. Celebrate with us and show your support for women.
