This March, we are asking our supporters to celebrate International Women’s Day by taking part in our Walk In Her Shoes challenge. You can walk, wheel or run 25, 60 or 125 miles during the month of March, and take steps in solidarity with women like Yasmeen, Daria and Maria – three women whose paths have been shaped by the horrors of war, their own strength and resilience.
These women’s journeys symbolise both the physical struggle of escaping conflict and the steps they must take towards forging a new future, in an unfamiliar place. By taking part in our charity walking challenge, you not only recognise their courage but also help pave the way for women like Yasmeen, Daria and Maria to rebuild their lives.
Yasmeen's story: A mother's struggle in Gaza
Walk 25 miles with Yasmeen – the full length of the Gaza strip, a distance walked by many displaced women like Yasmeen and their families, sometimes numerous times.
For Yasmeen, the joy of conceiving triplets after nine years of IVF was overshadowed by the terror of war. At just six weeks pregnant, conflict engulfed Gaza, forcing her to flee her home repeatedly. Unable to access consistent medical care, Yasmeen endured a high-risk pregnancy.
With hospitals overwhelmed and supplies critically low, Yasmeen was told to leave Gaza City for her C-section. She and her husband made the journey to Nuseirat, where their triplets were born two months premature. Despite the odds, Yasmeen’s children survived.
Now, her family lives in a tent near a hospital to access care for her fragile babies. Life in the tent is fraught with challenges—unsanitary conditions, pollution, insects, and food shortages. Formula milk is scarce. The babies share cribs and sleep without mattresses, cushioned only by blankets and towels.
Yasmeen longs for a return to safety and normality, where her children can grow up in a clean, peaceful environment.
Will you walk 25 miles with Yasmeen?
Daria’s story: Rebuilding lives after escaping Ukraine’s war
Walk 60 miles with Daria – echo the last leg of a woman like Daria’s journey across the border from Lviv in Ukraine to Przemyśl in Poland.
When war erupted in Ukraine, Daria fled Kyiv with her son, mother, and cat, leaving her language school and everything she knew behind. Their journey took them through five countries before they found safety in Poland. Although Daria spoke Polish, starting over was daunting – finding a home, a job, and a sense of belonging seemed overwhelming.
Determined to rebuild, Daria used her language skills to help Ukrainian children integrate into Polish schools through a CARE-supported program. She now works with CARE Poland as a translator and advocate, empowering other refugee women to rebuild their lives.
Daria is inspired by the strength of Ukrainian women, many of whom, like her, are forging new lives while carrying the weight of trauma and loss. Although she longs for the war to end, Daria remains hopeful, believing in a brighter future for her son and the many displaced families she supports.
Will you walk 60 miles with Daria?
Maria’s story: A harrowing journey from Sudan
Walk 125 miles in solidarity with Sudanese women like Maria, mirroring the gruelling journey many of them have made from Nyala to South Sudan to escape the violence of war.
Maria, 20, fled Sudan with her nine-month-old daughter after violence engulfed their village. The journey to safety was an unimaginable ordeal, with Maria walking for days without food or water. Dehydrated and exhausted, she resorted to digging in the sand with her bare hands to find water, a painstaking process that drained what little strength she had left.
Carrying her daughter on her back, Maria joined others fleeing the violence, often unsure if the children they carried were alive. They walked through bombings, gunfire, and scorching heat, resting only when they physically couldn’t continue. Each morning, they found the strength to rise again and keep moving.
Now in a refugee camp across the border in Chad, Maria’s suffering hasn’t ended. She struggles with trauma, loss, and the daily fight for survival in dire conditions. Yet she embodies resilience, standing up each day to care for her child and support her community. Maria’s story is one of perseverance, a testament to the strength it takes to survive and hope for a better future.
Will you walk 125 miles with Maria?
Will you join us and Walk In Her Shoes?
Walk In Her Shoes is intended for everyone, no matter your fitness level, the amount of time in your week, or physical ability. Pick the distance that suits you to walk, wheel, run or move however your choose – in solidarity with women caught up in conflict. We’ll be with you every step of the way, and you’ll get a free T Shirt when you raise over £50. This is your opportunity to feel good and do good this March.
