International Women’s Day 2025

18 February 2025

International Women’s Day is an annual event where people across the globe celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about gender discrimination and take action to drive gender parity.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is ‘Accelerate Action.’

Collectively, we can accelerate action for gender equality.

Although women and men are diagnosed in roughly equal numbers, it is widely accepted that women are disproportionately impacted by leprosy. Prejudice and discrimination toward people affected remains widespread in endemic countries, and women bear a greater social and economic cost following a diagnosis.

Due to prejudice, women often delay seeking treatment meaning they are diagnosed late, develop lasting disabilities, and experience greater poverty.

Often the main caregiver, women may struggle to leave their families to travel and access healthcare. Women with disabilities or young children may be unable to travel long distances and some avoid travelling due to fear for their personal safety.

Often facing prejudice from those closest to them, women are more likely than men to be deserted by their spouses when diagnosed with leprosy. Women are often socially isolated from their family, neighbours and local community, greatly impacting their emotional health.

Radhika Mamidi, State Coordinator for Lepra Society discusses the role of women in reducing the impact of leprosy, and the importance of engaging women in our programmes:

Lepra is committed to accelerating action to:

• Promote inclusion - By educating communities in understanding that leprosy is curable; stigma and discrimination are reduced, and women and girls’ access to healthcare and rights are improved.
• Support women to join self-help groups, where they can learn about self-care, develop self-confidence and advocacy skills.
• Build women’s leadership skills Read how with Lepra’s support, Taslima overcame the impact of her diagnosis to now lead an influential federation of people affected by leprosy.
• Improve access to healthcare by increasing door-to-door detection women can be diagnosed earlier in their homes and receive timely treatment.
• Increase innovation – by developing research we can help improve treatment, care and support for women affected by leprosy.

By supporting Lepra, you can help us to accelerate action to reach even more vulnerable women. Help us to provide vital services such as: education and awareness, detection, MDT medication, specialist recovery services, disability management, community self-care, therapeutic counselling, social support, surgical treatments, advocacy, financial support and much more.

Header image taken at the SJLC, taken by Diksha Gupta.