Women's Hope International

What Women's Hope International does

Women's Hope International is a Swiss charitable association (Verein) founded in December 2003 in Bern by Martin and Claudia Leimgruber following their field experience as a district doctor and midwife at the district hospital in Adré, Chad, where they witnessed the impact of obstetric fistulas on women. The organization's mission is to improve maternal health and advance women's rights and self-determination in fragile and crisis-affected countries, operating today in four partner countries — Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Chad — through locally embedded partner organizations.

Programmatically, Women's Hope focuses on four core areas: promotion of safe births (maternity houses, waiting houses for high-risk pregnancies, moto-ambulances, midwife training), obstetric fistula support (prevention, surgical treatment, social reintegration), prevention of child marriage (youth education, economic empowerment, safe spaces for girls), and combating female genital cutting (community dialogue, alternative income for circumcisers, awareness campaigns). The organization works exclusively through long-term local partners — including WHSA in Afghanistan, BASE in Chad, LAMB in Bangladesh, Attat Hospital and Healing Hands of Joy in Ethiopia — co-developing, co-implementing, and participatorily evaluating projects with local populations. Its only technology asset is the 'Notre Bébé et Nous' mobile health app, developed with external tech startup Sila and deployed in Chad to support families through pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.

The organization's business model is donation-funded. It holds ZEWO certification (the Swiss quality seal for charitable organizations), enabling tax-deductible private giving. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring via website, IBAN, QR code, Twint, and credit card), institutional funding from DEZA (the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), cantonal lottery funds (Lotteriefonds Kanton Bern), and project-specific grants from named private foundations including Däster Schild Stiftung, David Bruderer Stiftung, and Scarlatti Stiftung. The organization runs a small headquarters team of approximately 11 employees in Bern and reaches a broad audience through digital channels (website, newsletter, social media), media relations, and event-based fundraising such as the annual Frauenlauf in Bern.

Name

Women's Hope International

Legal name

Women's Hope International

Website

https://womenshope.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Hope International is a ZEWO-certified Swiss nonprofit founded in 2003 that partners with local organizations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Chad to deliver maternal health, obstetric fistula treatment, child marriage prevention, and female genital cutting programs for women in fragile settings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and International Development Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) Partnerships (HLAJAOAG)

Keywords

• Maternal health programs
• Obstetric fistula treatment
• Child marriage prevention
• Humanitarian aid services
• Women's health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private donations: Women’s Hope International raises funds from private individuals in Switzerland through its website, online donation forms, e-banking, QR code, Twint, and credit card. Donors can make one-time or recurring contributions and designate gifts to specific countries or projects.
2. ZEWO-certified charitable donations: The organization is ZEWO-certified (Swiss seal of quality for charities), enabling tax-deductible donations from Swiss donors. The organization sends annual donation receipts to all contributors.
3. Institutional funding / philanthropy partnerships: Women’s Hope International receives funding from government development agencies (e.g., DEZA/SDC), cantonal lottery funds, and private foundations to co-finance development and humanitarian projects in its partner countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Women's Hope International is a Swiss nonprofit that delivers maternal health and women's rights programs in four fragile countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Chad) through local partner NGOs. Its core offerings combine direct healthcare delivery (birth houses, waiting houses, fistula operations, motorcycle ambulances), health system strengthening (midwife training and scholarships), and structural prevention work (combating child marriage and female genital cutting). The organization is funded almost entirely by private donations and institutional grants from Swiss sources, with ZEWO certification enabling tax-deductible giving.

Product overview

Women's Hope International is a Swiss charitable NGO focused on maternal health and women's rights. The organization operates across four countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Chad) through four main program focus areas: promoting safe births, supporting women with obstetric fistulas, preventing child marriages, and combating female genital cutting. Their work combines project-based interventions including waiting houses for high-risk pregnancies, maternity houses, mobile ambulance services, self-help groups, and safe spaces, with support mechanisms such as topic sponsorships and midwife scholarships. They have also launched a mobile application called 'Notre Bébé et Nous' in Chad for health information access. The organization holds ZEWO certification for transparent and effective fund management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Notre Bébé et Nous App A mobile health application that accompanies families in Chad during pregnancy, birth, and the first months with the baby, providing understandable health knowledge and reaching women with birth injuries through specific information.
• Förderung sicherer Geburten (Promoting Safe Births Program) Core programmatic offering that strengthens health systems to ensure women have improved access to medical care during pregnancy and childbirth in fragile settings.
• Unterstützung bei Geburtsfisteln (Obstetric Fistula Support Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,424 women gave birth with medical support in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Women's Hope Social Association (WHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHSA is the local partner organization in Afghanistan, implementing the 'Women Strengthen Women' project (Frauen stärken Frauen) in Kabul and Sheberghan. WHSA advocates for women's access to education, work, and social recognition, and runs self-help groups for women. Women’s Hope provides funding, technical support, and strategic guidance.
• Bureau d'Appui Santé et Environnement (BASE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBASE is a Chadian NGO with approximately 30 years of experience in maternal and child health. It is the local partner implementing health system strengthening projects in the Ouaddaï region of Chad, including birth houses, moto-ambulances, and gender-based violence support. The partnership has operated for over five years.
• Lutheran Aid to Medicine in Bangladesh (LAMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAMB is a key health service provider in the project region of Parbatipur, Bangladesh, with long-standing experience in community-based projects to combat child marriage. LAMB works with Women's Hope on fistula projects, midwife training, and child marriage prevention. Partnership has been active since 2018.
• Attat Hospital (Äthiopien)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttat Hospital is a private rural hospital in Ethiopia's Gurage Zone with over 50 years of history providing safe births and maternal health. Women's Hope has partnered with Attat Hospital since 2011, supporting a waiting house for high-risk pregnant women and hospital operations. The current project phase (2025–2028) focuses on safe surgeries and local health system strengthening.
• Healing Hands of Joy (Äthiopien)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing Hands of Joy is an Ethiopian organization specializing in the prevention of and support for women with obstetric fistulas. Since 2025, Women's Hope has partnered with Healing Hands of Joy in Ethiopia as a new, experienced local partner.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUaAtRAzu1nmSGoQ6f6D7Vg
• Facebookfacebook.com/womenshope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-s-hope-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/womenshope

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Women's Hope International