In Haiti, where unemployment and poverty disproportionately impact women, Habitat’s 100% Women project is breaking down barriers and closing the gender gap in construction. This groundbreaking initiative provides women with the tools to gain valuable construction skills and financial literacy, setting them on the path to economic opportunity. 

100% Women is funded in part by donations from local Habitats across Canada through our Global Neighbours program. For every home we build in Canada, we also support global housing solutions.

One of the first women to sign up to the 100% Women project was Dieula. Dieula had worked on construction sites before — but had never been able to participate in the high paying skilled labour roles until she joined 100% Women.  

In the past, men would often tell Dieula that construction was a man’s job. But Dieula has proven them wrong. She is thrilled to have had the opportunity to train as a mason, gaining valuable career skills, and showing that women can excel in any field, including construction. 

“These trail blazing women are now ready to leave their mark on the construction world, proving that with the right support women can achieve anything.”
– Betide, 100% Women Project Manager   

But there’s more. In this innovative project, everything has been done by and for women. Five homes were built by trained female masons, and the beneficiaries of these homes were all women-led families. 

That includes women like Ritha, a courageous grandmother in Camp Perrin, Haiti whose life was transformed through a partnership with Habitat.  

Widowed after the loss of her husband, Ritha faced daily uncertainty in providing her children and grandchildren with a safe and stable place to live. For years, she lived in precarious conditions, commuting long distances every day to provide for her family.  

When Hurricane Matthew struck in 2016, the fragile house where she lived was destroyed. Ritha’s eldest daughter built her a tin house to live in, but the family’s situation remained unstable.  Despite everything, Ritha’s determination to provide a safe and stable home for her family never faltered. 

Through the 100% Women project, women in Ritha’s community constructed a safe and climate-resilient home for her and her family. Every morning, Ritha gratefully provided bitter tea and hot coffee to the women masons building her new home. 

Today, Ritha and her grandchildren sleep safely under a roof in a secure home that they can proudly call their own.

With your support, we can create even more stories like Dieula’s, and more families like Ritha’s can build the foundation for a safe and secure home for themselves and their families.