Girls and Women Empowerment Network (GWEN) Trust is an organization that supports the empowerment of women and girls who are facing different vulnerabilities and orphaned children who are mostly girls. It is a recently established organization that intends to combat the many
challenges girls and women face who have been subjected to mostly gender based violence (GBV). Those who are HIV positive and those who have been discriminated and abused by relatives and other community members.
GWEN provides for the empower of women and girls in all spheres of life in ways that respect the law to promote, protect and provide for girls and women in Zimbabwe and the world. GWEN works to eradicate factors that increase girls and women’s vulnerability and prevent them from enjoying
their full God given and constitutional rights. These factors include among others; such as poverty, physical impairments, GBV, discrimination and abuse. Its formation has also been necessitated by the numerous challenges vulnerable girls and women face at school, at home and in the society. Lack
of safe places for girls, women and children escaping domestic violence and the absence of the ability get to safe places, GWEN Trust provides transport, information to safe shelters and police stations for these survivors.
The program also supports victims who will be unsure or not ready to leave abusive situations in order to protect themselves. The program will move beyond supporting victims and survivors of abuse to empowering girls and women whose vulnerability due to HIV and AIDS, GBV, physical
impairments, poverty among other challenges. The program aims to provide for education and training of girls and women in various aspects from basic education, capacity building in self-help income generating projects to creating access to employment, scholarships and funding. These
projects will enable the beneficiaries to earn income for a decent livelihood, improve knowledge and capacity in dealing with legal and material issues, sexual reproductive health. Having own income will also create freedom and independence which will reduce the level of vulnerability among girls and women.
