
EMPOWERING WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD
International Women’s Day marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality around the globe. This year, ShelterBox is hosting our first ever virtual International Women’s Day panel.
Join us live online to hear from an inspiring and diverse panel of female leaders, as they share their personal experiences and insights into the daily disparities and challenges women face. Learn about how we can collectively work together to change the narrative by empowering women around the world.
Monday | March 8, 2021| 3 pm EST/12 pm PST
Learn more about how women and children are disproportionately affected by disaster and how ShelterBox works to support them.

Kerri Murray
President, ShelterBox USA
Kerri Murray is President of ShelterBox USA, an international disaster relief charity that delivers shelter and essential supplies to people affected by disaster or conflict. She regularly speaks on issues of philanthropy, international development, and female empowerment. She resides in Santa Barbara with her 17-year old daughter.

Marie Kagaju Laugharn
International Development and Corporate Social Responsibility
As the Political Affairs Officer for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), she played a major role in convincing 7 African countries to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty. She worked as a Program Specialist for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Mali for several years, as well as Program Officer for UNDP in Kenya, Central African Republic, and Rwanda. Since moving to California in 2008, Marie has remained actively involved in international development through her work with Malaria No More, Netherlands, Seeds of Empowerment, Teach AIDS, One World Children’s Fund, and Firelight Foundation. She has also served as a Middlebury Institute of International Studies Monterey DPMI facilitator.

Valarie Wafer
Rotary International Director, 2020-2022
Valarie Wafer joined Rotary in 2005 in order to fuel her passion for making an impact that matters. Valarie was District Governor of RI district 7070 covering the Greater Toronto Area in 2013/14. Now residing in Collingwood, her home club is the Rotary Club of Collingwood South Georgian Bay, RI district 7010. Valarie has continued to serve Rotary in a number of international roles. She is an International Trainer, a member of the Host Organizing Convention Committee Toronto 2018, representative of the Rotary International President, and is an elected member of the Rotary International Board for 2020-2022.

Andrea Sreshta
Co-Founder, LuminAID
Andrea Sreshta is a Co-founder of LuminAID, a company dedicated to innovative renewable energy solutions for humanitarian aid and outdoor recreation. Outreach projects with charitable partners have put donated lights on-the-ground for use in projects in more than 100 countries.

Leslie Zemeckis
Author, Actress, Writer and Documentarian
Leslie Zemeckis is a best-selling author, actress, writer and award-winning documentarian. Leslie’s critically acclaimed films include Behind the Burly Q, the true story of old-time burlesque in America which ran on Showtime. Leslie is currently working on a mentorship program of professional female storytellers mentoring under-served young women ages 18-25 called Stories Matter.

Elizabeth Silva
Assistant Director, Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, The Asia Foundation

Jennifer Lynch
Sr Vice President, CSR, Paramount Pictures
Jennifer specializes in Urban Economic and Community Development, currently serves on the board of the Environmental Media Association, and is a member of the LA Sustainability Executives Roundtable and the Sustainable Production Alliance. Jennifer co-founded LA Community Leaders, which seeks to expand the positive impact of business on Southern California communities by connecting corporate responsibility professionals across the region. She has served as a mentor in both Step Up’s Professional Mentorship Program and for Emerging Practioners in Philanthropy and has been a featured speaker at LA Social Media Week; the West Hollywood Women’s Leadership Conference and at the StubHub Center’s Women in Entertainment Lunch.

Kate Bollinger
Gender Advisor, USAID
Kate Bollinger is the Senior Gender Advisor in USAID’s Asia Bureau and the Acting Division Chief of the Policy and Strategic Planning Division. Kate supports integration of gender across USAID’s programming in Asia with a focus on areas including gender-based violence; women’s economic empowerment; and women’s leadership. In her role as Acting Division Chief, she supports USAID in Asia’s strategy and policy development and implementation. Middlebury Institute of International Studies Monterey ’11 graduate.
WOMEN ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY DISASTER
As women around the world flee violence and face disasters, they are often left homeless and vulnerable.
Women experience higher death rates, increased gender-based violence, economic loss and loss of education. However, women are pivotal in the recovery process – they are often the first responders to a crisis and play a central role in the survival and resilience of families and communities.
Last year we reached thousands of women, delivering emergency shelter and supporting them to rebuild their homes and their lives.
Join us, stand with her, and help empower women around the world. #ShelterHer
HOW SHELTERBOX IS WORKING TO CHANGE THIS
At ShelterBox, we prioritize the most vulnerable families and communities and empower them to rebuild and restart.
By providing women and families with immediate emergency aid we can help them recover faster. Rebuilding their homes, caring for their families, resuming their livelihoods.
Learn more about how ShelterBox supports women
An estimated ONE IN FIVE female refugees have experienced sexual violence – actual numbers could be much higher
Violence against women increases in conflict settings, with more than 70% of women experiencing it in some crisis settings (ActionAid)
60% of preventable maternal deaths take place in settings of conflict, displacement and disasters (UNFPA)
BECOME A CHANGEMAKER: TAKE THE #SHELTERHER CHALLENGE
ShelterBox is challenging 100 women to stand with and help lift up women who have lost everything to disaster with a monthly donation of $85.
Over the course of a year, your monthly commitment will amount to the cost of a complete ShelterBox ($1,000) and will provide not only shelter and supplies, but a home for a mother to provide for and take care of her family.
Together, we can help families return to normal by providing women with the tools and training they need. Together we can empower women after disaster.
SHE IS ESTHER.

She is a survivor. She is an entrepreneur. She is a mother.
In 2014, at 17 years old, Esther fled her village in Nigeria with nothing but her clothes on her back when Boko Haram militia attacked her village. They raped and murdered her mother. They murdered her father and three elder brothers and kidnapped her youngest brother.
Esther survived the devastating violence and made it to safety. She is one of 61,000 refugees living in Minawao refugee camp.
She is now married, a mother of two, and owns her own business as a seamstress.
Anytime I see somebody wearing something that I sewed, it makes me happy. I can now take care of some family needs.”
Esther is no longer simply surviving; she’s living and looking forward to a brighter future.