Sisterhood Worldwide 

Sisterhood Worldwide

Transforming the lives and spirit of young women

“Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. Most societies prohibit such violence – yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole.“

-Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations

According to estimates published by WHO, statistics indicate that about 30% of women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual abuse and violence. The effects of physical or sexual abuse have far-reaching consequences that touch the lives of not only the victims, but also their families, children, loved ones, coworkers, and friends. In additional to physical pain and severe abuse-related injury, abuse can lead to lifelong mental struggles, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and feelings of hopelessness or self-disdain.

Violence against women and children is a human rights violation, pure and simple, and women are never to be treated as a commodity to be controlled by fear tactics, physical force, or psychological warfare. Our Sisterhood Worldwide program is an initiative designed to empower women to leave abusive situations, through a combination of devoted mentoring, access to compassionate care, and empathetic emotional support. By offering encouragement from other women who have been in their shoes, we seek to give abused women the strength to get help, and to learn they no longer have to tolerate abuse for even one more day. There is always a way out, and Sisterhood Worldwide will help each victim to identify the steps needed to achieve independence and freedom from physical and mental pain.

For target groups that are not orphans, the Foundation offers the Women’s Empowerment Program, teaching women that they have choices, without regard to what they have learned through society and previous social conditioning. There is help available whenever they are ready to seek it, and through the program, we will help women understand their options and identify how they can take back control of their future. Abuse is a multifaceted and complex problem, in that women face different variations of emotional, verbal, and physical abuse, and often lack the self-worth and confidence needed to leave the abusive environment. They often fear social expression, and lack of personal income, healthcare, and education, as well as a host of other problems and disadvantages that create a barrier to independence.

This sense of oppression in women has been deeply conditioned and firmly entrenched throughout their lives, due to a combination of cultural, social, and religious ideologies that are difficult to overcome. No country in the world, no matter how advanced, has achieved true gender equality, and it continues to be an uphill battle against deeply held attitudes that are often subconsciously present everywhere from the home to the workplace. The ALO Cultural Foundation seeks to empower women, not only specifically through the Women’s Empowerment Program, but with targeted outreach or methods of assistance that are identified and deployed on a case-by-case basis. When women have been victims of abuse and oppression for the majority of their lifetimes, they may find it difficult to know who to trust and where to turn for compassionate help. We provide forums for open dialogue that take place in a sensitive, safe, and non-threatening environment, in order to promote understanding, gain trust, and work toward meaningful healing and empowerment of women who are often physically, mentally, and emotionally fragile. These women will be encouraged to embrace their authentic cultural roots and integral freedom of spirit through increased education, women advocacy, empowerment workshops, and skill development. By making that knowledge available to those who need it most, the ALO Cultural Foundation opens up a new world of possibilities to women who have never dared to dream of a better future for themselves.

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance due to abuse, domestic violence, or sexual trauma, please contact our hotline +1818-727-0413 or email us at executivedirector@alofoundation.org. We can help to provide immediate shelter, representation, or support in a variety of different ways. Please complete and submit the attached social forms as well.