Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of suffragette Emmeline, and daughter Laura invite UK women to join her in London on Saturday 8 March (International Women’s Day) to ‘walk in the shoes’ of women and girls across the developing world who must walk for many miles every day to collect water for their families. The walk launches CARE International’s nationwide campaign, Walk In Her Shoes.
The walk will begin at the Tate Britain and end at the Southbank Centre’s ‘Women of the World’ festival. It aims to raise awareness of CARE’s wider Walk In Her Shoes campaign, which encourages women and men here in the UK to walk 10,000 steps a day for one week from 24-30 March and raise money for CARE. The charity’s work includes building wells in poor communities, allowing girls and women more time to go to school or work.
Helen Pankhurst said: “Join me on International Women’s Day to walk in solidarity with women and girls around the world who are denied the rights to live, learn, earn and thrive simply because they were born female. Walk In Her Shoes so girls can go to school and women can do paid work instead of walking for miles every day.”
Seventy per cent of the world’s poorest billion people are women, many millions of whom walk more than six kilometres a day in search of water and firewood, carrying loads of up to 20kg.
CARE will provide fundraising support to all who participate. To join Helen on 8 March or take part in the Walk In Her Shoes campaign, visit www.careinternational.org.uk/