Eyes are a window to gender equity: The Fred Hollows Foundation calls for urgent action on women’s eye health this International Women’s Day

The Fred Hollows Foundation is calling for urgent action to prioritise women and girls’ eye health, highlighting the impact of blindness on gender equity and sustainable development.   

“Eyes are the windows to the soul, as the saying goes, but we know that they’re actually a window to gender equity,” said Jennifer Gersbeck, Executive Director – Influence and Scaling Impact at The Fred Hollows Foundation.  

“Women and girls make up 55% of the world’s blind and vision impaired, yet when they can’t access the eye care that they need, it entrenches them further in poverty.”   

For the past three years, 38-year-old Lien from Oudomxay province in Laos was living with blindness, unable to work or recognise people’s faces. 

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

Her 14-year-old daughter, Aomphai, had to leave school and work long hours at a banana plantation to support their family. After work, Aomphai took on caregiving responsibilities, cooking and looking after her younger brother.  

With the support of the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), The Fred Hollows Foundation is reaching people like Lien who cannot afford cataract surgery.   

At an outreach camp in Oudomxay, Lien underwent surgery on both eyes. The next day, as the patches were removed, she cried tears of joy - she could see her home, her children and her future clearly for the first time in years. The first person she saw was Aomphai, telling her she could return to school.  

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

Lien’s story highlights the urgent need to break the cycle of poverty and gender inequality by ensuring women and girls can access quality eye care when they need it.  

In partnership with the UN Friends of Vision, The Fred Hollows Foundation is co-hosting a pivotal International Women’s Day event on 11 March at the 69th Commission on the Status of Women in New York, titled ‘No Woman Left Behind – Advancing Eye Health Equity for Women and Girls.’ The event will highlight the essential role of eye health in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.  

Influential leaders and policymakers, including UN Friends of Vision leadership and HRH, The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO, Global Ambassador, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, will come together to discuss the systemic barriers women face in accessing eye care. The critical discussions will have a special focus on global efforts to eliminate trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness that disproportionately affects women and girls.  

“Without urgent action, millions of women and girls will continue to be left behind,” said Jennifer Gersbeck.  

“This is a critical opportunity to advocate for concrete policies that ensure all women and girls have access to quality eye care, unlocking their full potential.  

“The Fred Hollows Foundation is calling on governments, organisations and people to champion women’s right to sight. By investing in women’s eye health, we can break cycles of poverty, keep girls in school and support women in the workforce.”  

The event is a key milestone leading up to the 2026 Global Summit on Eye Health, a global platform dedicated to securing policy commitments for equitable eye care. The Fred Hollows Foundation urges global decision-makers to support this effort and take meaningful steps toward ending gender disparities in eye health.  

To find out more about how The Fred Hollows Foundation supports women like Lien, please visit www.hollows.org/what-we-do/gender-equity/