Our flagship initiative is based in Madagascar. For the young women of the region, traditions regarding masculinity and femininity are deeply rooted in the community and present many obstacles and hardships.
Locally, women are often framed as inferior, and the extent of their abilities are typically centred around fulfilling reproductive and household obligations. The cultural norm when married, is for them to surrender all or most of their decision-making power regarding their careers, sexual activity, finances, and children to their husband.
Many regions experience poverty, and often young girls are expected to accept marriages to foreign men in exchange for financial support to their relatives, as it is extremely difficult for their families to source reliable income for necessities. Such expectations are often imposed from a very early age, driving gender-based violence, the early dropout of girls from school, and underage marriage. In the regions we work in, 13% of girls are married before the age of 15.
Meet Marie-Jeanne (MJ), a young girl local to Nosy Be who has an interest in marine conservation. Abandoned as a young girl, MJ lives with her grandfather, who is no longer able to support her, nor her education. Daughters of the Deep is providing a full-time scholarship to MJ, to continue her education, while providing environmental education, english lessons, introductions to snorkel and SCUBA, and a food stipend for her and her grandfather. This is setting her up to decide what she wants to do with her future.
Outside of marriage, women have little opportunity to provide for themselves or fulfil their career goals. They frequently face glass ceilings, lower pay, and even exclusion from the workforce.
Daughters of the Deep is taking a stand against these issues, and has joined forces with the Madagascar Research and Conservation Institute in a bid to provide education security for girls in the local region who would otherwise not have the financial means to attend school.
Meet Flaria. A young women who, despite social barriers in her life, has high aspirations to attend university to study marine biology and contribute to projects at MRCI. We are supporting Flaria achieve her diploma by funding her tuition fees, providing living and food stipends as well as school supplies and a laptop for research and schoolwork.
- Private English lessons to improve social mobility and employment options
- Environmental education to inspire a new generation of conservationists
- PADI Open Water certifications in order to introduce these young women to the wonders of the ocean and the need to protect them.
We hope to help the next generation of seafaring women to achieve the basic level of education required to reach their own goals in life and to inspire and open their eyes to careers within marine industries
Olivian used to be financially dependant on her boyfriend, and many social and economic barriers made her aspirations of further education unfeasible. However due to her drive and passion for environmentalism, we were able to develop a paid internship for her at MRCI where she is receiving conservation education and SCUBA training to support Seagrass Monitoring efforts and become the local Sea Turtle Hatchery manager. Olivian recently had her first child, which lead to an adjustment in her scholarship to support her in maternity leave. She plans to return to work with her baby in a few months.
By donating to Daughters of the Deep you can help ensure that these women recieve the education needed to alleviate their poverty, while helping them realise their ambitions and open their eyes to a world of opportunity.
Eros has the ambitions to become a marine biologist, and had been saving up to do her diploma. However, she couldn’t raise the funds, as she was spending most of her time supporting her single mother to care for her siblings, after her father left. Now, she is attending the same school as Flaria! Her scholarship includes a family food stipend, and her remaining tuition fees for her diploma.
Want to feel inspired to support? Check out Marie-Jeannes story below!
All profits raised go towards these incredible women, consider donating today.
For too long women have been left in the darkness, limited by the pressures of society. It’s time to rise up, take to the sea and show the world who we are… Daughters of the Deep.
Equalising the Ocean 