International Organization For Women & Development

What International Organization For Women & Development does

International Organization For Women and Development, Inc. (IOWD) is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2003 by Barbara Margolies, headquartered in Rockville Centre, New York, with operational activities based in Kigali, Rwanda. The organization delivers free specialized surgery for women and children in low-income countries, with current programs spanning urogynecology/obstetric fistula repair, pediatric urology, general obstetrics and gynecology, cesarean section training, gynecologic oncology and cervical cancer screening, anesthesia, nursing, and general pediatrics.

IOWD does not operate a proprietary technology platform; clinical delivery runs on standard medical and surgical equipment adapted for low-resource settings (notably the Glostavent anesthesia machine, designed for facilities with unreliable oxygen and electricity) and is executed through short-duration volunteer mission trips. The organization conducts three medical missions per year to Rwanda in February, May, and October, each lasting 10-12 days, with the volunteer cohort (150-275 rotating clinicians, including fellowship-trained urogynecologists, pediatric urologists, anesthesiologists, and nurses) self-funding roughly $3,500+ in airfare, lodging, and visa costs.

The revenue model is donations-only: all medical and surgical services are provided free to patients, and 90 cents of every donated dollar is directed to program costs. IOWD operates inside the Rwandan public health system under official invitation from the Rwandan Minister of Health, delivering care through partnerships with Kibagabaga District Hospital (primary base), Rwanda Military Hospital (Kanombe), and Muhima District Hospital, and previously operated in Niger (2003-2009, ending due to political instability) and on a one-time basis in Vietnam (October 2009).

Name

International Organization For Women & Development

Legal name

International Organization for Women and Development, Inc.

Website

https://iowd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IOWD is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free specialized surgery and clinical training to women and children in Rwanda through three annual volunteer medical missions partnered with Rwandan government hospitals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Healthcare Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (MNCH) Programs (BPADAIAC)

Keywords

• Obstetric fistula repair
• Medical mission trips
• Gynecologic surgery services
• Pediatric urology surgery
• Maternal child health

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville Centre

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered 501c(3) nonprofit charity, IOWD operates entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. All medical and surgical services are provided free of charge to patients. 90 cents of every dollar donated is directed to programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Organization For Women & Development (IOWD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free specialized surgery and medical care to women and children in low-income countries. The organization operates through three annual medical mission trips to Rwanda, delivering direct surgical services, training local healthcare providers, and donating medical equipment at partner hospitals. Core programs include urogynecology/fistula repair, cesarean section education, cervical cancer screening, pediatric urology, and nursing education.

Product overview

IOWD is a non-profit charitable organization (501c(3)) that provides free specialized surgery for women and children in low-income countries. The organization operates as a collection of medical and surgical programs rather than a traditional product platform. Its core programs include the Urogynecology/Fistula Program (the foundational program), Cesarean Section Program, General OB/GYN, General Pediatrics, Gynecologic Oncology/Cervical Cancer Screening Program, Nursing Program, Surgical Pediatric Urology Program, Anesthesia Program, and Continuing Education/In-Services. These programs work in partnership with Rwandan hospitals (Kibagabaga District Hospital, Rwanda Military Hospital, Muhima District Hospital) to deliver direct patient care, train local healthcare providers, and provide medical education. IOWD is not a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urogynecology/Fistula Program Foundational program providing subspecialty surgeons to treat women affected by obstetric fistula, triaging over 100 women each mission and completing complex surgical procedures on approximately 50 women.
• Cesarean Section Program Safe cesarean section education program teaching proper technique through classroom instruction and hands-on operating room training to prevent obstetric fistula injuries.
• General Obstetrics and Gynecology Program Multidisciplinary OB/GYN team providing direct patient care and teaching medical students, resident physicians, midwives, and nurses in surgical techniques and gynecologic procedures.
• General Pediatrics Program Pediatric team contributing to neonatal outcomes improvement through direct patient care, educational seminars, and hands-on training such as neonatal resuscitation for students, nurses, and midwives.
• Gynecologic Oncology/Cervical Cancer Screening Program Cervical cancer screening program initiated in 2019 with Brown University, focusing on screening women and treating pre-cancerous lesions using thermoablation, with training of Rwandan providers as a priority.
• Nursing Program Nursing program based on Florence Nightingale's evidence-based care principles, with experienced nurses collaborating to develop and implement standardized protocols for underserved populations.
• Surgical Pediatric Urology Program Pediatric urology surgical program established in 2011 to serve children needing reconstructive surgery, working with trained urologists in Rwanda and teaching technique to surgical residents.
• Anesthesia Program Anesthesia team comprising anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who provide safe anesthesia to patients and collaborate with local anesthesia providers at partner hospitals in Rwanda.
• Continuing Education/In-Services Continuing education opportunities for healthcare professionals including neonatal resuscitation training, preventative healthcare education, and online in-services via Zoom platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,991 patient exams given
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• AmericaressupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Ann Sawyer, Director of Medical Outreach at Americares (one of 1,200 organizations they work with) praised IOWD's adherence to best practices and integration with Rwanda's health infrastructure.
• Urology Care FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022May 2022 mission met with tremendous success, with over 50 complex fistula repairs completed. Recognized in Urology Care Foundation humanitarian report.
• Brown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Initiated cervical cancer screening program in 2019 led by a team of gynecologic oncologists. Training of Rwandan providers is a top priority.
• University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IOWD lectures and trains Rwandan Ob/Gyn residents as these young doctors are future leaders in their field. Part of cervical cancer screening program expansion.
• Women & Infants HospitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019February 2019 article coverage of urogynecology and gynecologic oncology teams bringing care and training to women of Rwanda.
• Kaiser PermanentesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019September 2019 feature on Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate & Graduate Medical Education about IOWD Rwanda program.
• American Dryer CorporationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2014Manufacturer of commercial sized dryer donated to Kibagabaga Hospital. ADC generously donated hundreds of dollars-worth of spare parts after learning their equipment was in the hospital.
• Diamedica UKsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2014Manufacturer of Glostavent anesthesia machine donated to Kibagabaga Hospital. Chief Engineer flew to Rwanda to teach staff how to use and care for the machine.
• King Faisal HospitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partner hospital for pediatric urology surgical program as demand for complex reconstructive cases increased.
• Kibagabaga District HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2010Primary host hospital for IOWD medical missions since April 2010 at invitation from Rwandan Minister of Health. IOWD conducts fistula repair surgeries, training, and equipment donations at this facility. Located in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.
• Rwanda Military Hospital (Kanombe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partner hospital for pediatric urology surgical program. IOWD established relationship as demand for complex reconstructive cases increased.
• Muhima District HospitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Additional partner facility in Kigali where IOWD programs have expanded to work with Rwandan counterparts.
• Brigham & Women's HospitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Jointly produced an educational video demonstrating proper cesarean section technique, available online at no cost. Located in Massachusetts, USA.
• National Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology (Vietnam)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009October 2009 collaboration on female pelvic floor reconstruction program for patients suffering from maternal birth trauma. One-time mission included surgeries, lectures, live-streaming surgical technique, and cultural exchange.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fistula Foundation: Direct peer focused on obstetric fistula treatment and prevention globally. Closely comparable mission, also operates a training-and-treatment model in low-income countries with hospital partnerships.
• Hamlin Fistula Foundation: Direct peer operating the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and regional fistula care centers in Ethiopia. Highly comparable surgical mission for obstetric fistula with training of local providers.
• Operation Smile: Direct peer providing free specialized surgery (cleft lip/palate) in low-income countries via volunteer medical missions. Closely comparable volunteer-driven episodic surgical mission model.
• Partners in Health: Direct peer delivering health services in low-income countries with strong training-of-local-providers and government partnership emphasis, including Rwanda. Operates at larger scale with permanent in-country staff.
• Mercy Ships: Direct peer delivering free surgical care in sub-Saharan Africa via ship-based hospital missions with volunteer medical staff. Comparable volunteer-driven surgical mission model in same geography.
• EngenderHealth: Direct peer focused on women's health, obstetric fistula prevention, and reproductive health globally with strong training and capacity-building emphasis. Highly comparable maternal health mission.

Broad incumbents

• Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières: Broad incumbent delivering medical and surgical care in low- and middle-income countries at much larger scale. Comparable humanitarian healthcare delivery mission though broader in scope.

Others

• Americares: Ecosystem partner providing donated medicines, medical supplies, and partnership support to IOWD. Not a competitor but a key enabling partner in the medical aid delivery value chain.

Emerging players

• Worldwide Fistula Fund: Smaller peer organization focused on obstetric fistula prevention and treatment with research and advocacy emphasis. Comparable niche mission but operates at smaller scale with different geographic focus.
• Gynocare Women and Fistula Foundation: Regional player operating fistula treatment center in Kenya with focus on East Africa. Comparable surgical mission for obstetric fistula with overlap in regional geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IOWDInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Organization For Women & Development