Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani girl who was gunned down recently by the Taliban because she was going to school.

This fundraiser is in honour of her bravery and outspoken contempt for those who try to prohibit the education of women.

And since Womankind Worldwide works in this region of the world - namely Afghanistan - providing women's rights organisations with training, funds and support, I thought raising money for WKW would be an excellent way to honour her!

Read more about Malala Yousafzai here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19899540

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"But I'm a different breed of man, Mariam. Where I come from, one wrong look, one improper word, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman's face is her husband's business only. I want you to remember that."

- A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseni

My journey into international women's literature has been exactly that, a journey. It's been a story journey that has lead to a desire for practical action.

I've read stories about women beaten to a pulp on a regular basis with no hope of escape; I've read stories of women whose fathers have complete dominance over the household and exercise that authority with belts and fists; I've read stories about women stoned to death for 'immoral' behavior.

Both fiction and non-fiction have convinced me of one thing concerning the elimination of violence against women.....local women and local organisations must work at the grass roots level to create genuine change on a political and cultural level....relevant change that both respects and challenges local history and culture.

Womankind Worldwide is unique in that they DO NOT have offices in the countries they work in. That's because they firmly believe that LOCAL women and organisations know what needs to be changed and they know how to change it.

Together with our partners, Womankind Worldwide helps women achieve change:

1. We help courageous individuals to challenge violence and discrimination

In some countries, this could involve accompanying a girl to a village meeting so she can tell women and men that it is now against the law for a girl to be forced to marry a man after he has raped her, and encourage girls to see they do have a choice.

2. We help women come together

In many different ways, we help women join together, often for the first time, to talk about what they want to change, and then we help them achieve it. This could involve providing training in how to resolve conflicts, or in leadership skills, so women are better able to challenge violence and speak up for better healthcare or education.

3. We help women claim their rights and improve their lives

We might provide legal help to enable a woman to obtain a divorce from a man who beats her, or work with the police to encourage them to help women rather than return them to their husbands.