Empowering Girls: Compassion’s Mission for a Brighter Future

This year, International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 falls on Saturday the 8th of March with the theme ‘accelerate action’.

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Compassion Australia, a nonprofit dedicated to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name, are focused this year not just on physical poverty, but the spiritual dimension too.

Sidhara Udalagama, originally from Sri Lanka, spoke to Hope Breakfast’s Brendan and Danniebelle about the effect of poverty on women and girls across the globe.

“Without hope, poverty robs a child’s childhood,” Sidhara said.

“Essentially, it robs them of a future.”

The intention of International Women’s Day 2025 is to serve as a beacon of hope and a call for collective action towards gender equality by highlighting the challenges facing women’s globally, of which poverty is factor.

IWD’s goal is to be a beacon of hope and a call for action towards gender equality.

We can often assume poverty is only about food, water and shelter, but the work of Compassion shows us there’s a spiritual aspect many overlook.

“For me, I almost thought that poverty was… something financial,” Sidhara said.

“But actually, poverty is multidimensional; it impacts every single area of a person’s life.”

This broader understanding of poverty necessitates holistic interventions, accommodating not just financial assistance but also attending to social, emotional, and spiritual needs.

“Her future matters because my future matters and somebody else’s future matters because we’re all moving forward together.” Sidhara highlighted.

When it comes to International Women’s day, the themes raised are not just limited to women but require support from men also.

“Being able to call that out of women and then giving them the opportunity to express that, to express purpose, to express calling and meaning.”

“When you know your place in God… you face the world a different person.” – Sidhara

In sharing insight of her own journey as a woman and the experiences of working with Compassion, Sidhara concluded in acknowledging the truth of the battle of women around identity.

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“When you know your place in God, when you know that you’ve been created in the image of God with dignity, with purpose, and with potential, you face the world a different person,” she said.

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

Visit compassion.com.au to learn more.

Feature image: All photos supplied and used with permission