When women lead in emergencies, they no longer have to trek 10km and risk sexual violence in order to eat

Halatu Benjamin, 31, fled violence in South Sudan with her five children and two nieces. She has been living in the Omugo refugee settlement in northern Uganda since March 2018. Despite her trauma, Halatu has found solidarity and a sense of purpose as part of her women’s group within the camp. The group saves together and supports members to set up small businesses, but perhaps most importantly, the group has discovered their collective power to improve the lives of people in their community. As for Halatu, she has discovered her inner leader, creating safe spaces for women in the camp, organising a boycott to force humanitarian agencies to address issues raised by the group, and taking on roles in the Refugee Welfare Council, where she can support other women to raise their voices.