Story
<p><strong>Erika is climbing to Everest Base Camp to raise money to help women in war-torn areas to rebuild their lives.</strong><br><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>5 – 20 October 2011</strong></p>
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<p>100 years on from when women campaigned for the right to vote, women today still have huge mountains to climb in terms of equal rights, particularly in areas of conflict, such as Afghanistan, the Congo and South Sudan.<br> <br>In war-torn countries, women need to be actively supported in rebuilding their lives and the lives of their families and communities. Their voices need to be heard.<br> <br>I, along with nine other women, am joining Susan Harper Todd (one of only five British women throughout history to stand on the summit of Mount Everest) in an inspirational trek to Everest Base Camp with the aim of raising £100,000 for Women for Women International.<br> <br>While I know that we all receive so many requests for worthy causes, those of you who know me well are aware of my constant and ardent support of women’s rights, starting from those early days when I was eight years old and would demand to be referred to as Erika LederPERSON rather than LederMAN. Of course, that was merely a symbolic gesture of gender equality. Today I’m looking for a more meaningful way to support the cause. I believe that Women for Women International’s Everest Trek is an inspirational way to make a difference.<br> <br>Women for Women International believes that access to knowledge, skills, economic resources and support networks leads to lasting change for women, as well as benefiting their families and wider communities.<br> <br>Each trekker has committed to raising £10,000 towards this goal, and every penny we raise will go directly to WfWI’s programmes in Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan.<br> <br>Please help me raise the funds necessary for WfWI to continue to provide support to these most vulnerable women. </p>