IOWD

06/11/2026

At IOWD, stories like Julienne's remind us why we do this work.

Over the years, we've had the privilege of seeing Julienne during our missions in Rwanda and witnessing her remarkable journey. After developing a fistula following a C-section, she faced challenges that no woman should have to endure. Today, she is living proof of the power of access to compassionate, specialized care.

Her recovery is about more than physical healing. It's about restoring dignity, confidence, and hope for the future.

We are honored to be a small part of Julienne's journey and grateful to our partners, volunteers, and supporters who make stories like hers possible. Together, we continue working toward a world where every woman has access to the care she deserves.

❤️ Read Julienne's inspiring story here:

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/36279/lifestyle/women/from-fistula-to-recovery-one-womans-journey-after-a-c-section

When Julienne Nyirandinabo delivered her third child by C-section in 2018, she never imagined the operation would lead to a life-altering medical condition. The 40-year-old...

05/12/2026

This International Nurses Day feels especially meaningful for all of us at the International Organization for Women and Development.

Today, in Kigali, Rwanda, six exceptional nurses and midwives were internationally recognized through the inaugural DAISY Awards ceremony; a landmark moment celebrating compassion, clinical excellence, leadership, and the extraordinary impact nurses make every single day.

For IOWD, this moment represents far more than awards.

It represents progress.
It represents partnership.
It represents the global recognition of the nursing profession in Rwanda.

We are deeply proud to have stood alongside the National Council of Nurses and Midwives, healthcare leaders, hospital partners, and The DAISY Foundation to help bring this vision to life.

Nurses are often the first hand a patient holds in fear, the voice advocating when others cannot, and the constant presence through some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Their impact reaches far beyond hospitals and clinics, it shapes families, communities, and entire health systems.

This , we celebrate every nurse and midwife across and around the world whose dedication, resilience, and compassion continue to transform lives every day.

To the award recipients, nominees, and every nurse quietly making a difference without recognition, we see you, we value you, and today we celebrate YOU.

Happy International Nurses Day from all of us at IOWD.

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/35581/news/health/six-rwandan-nurses-midwives-receive-international-recognition

05/06/2026

This reflection captures one of the hardest truths in fistula care - sometimes the greatest barrier is not surgical skill, but how long a woman has suffered before reaching care.

At IOWD, we are deeply proud of the dedication, compassion, and expertise our clinical teams bring to every patient encounter. They carry not only the responsibility of surgery, but the emotional weight of every outcome.

Stories like this reinforce why our mission must go beyond treatment alone.

Sustainable impact means strengthening prevention, expanding access to skilled obstetric care, training local clinicians, increasing community awareness, and building long-term partnerships that allow women to receive care before injuries become irreversible.

Every woman deserves the chance to be seen earlier, treated sooner, and spared years of preventable suffering.

This is why the work continues.

She came to us carrying hope. Hope that after years of leaking, isolation, shame, failed surgeries, pain, abandonment, and waiting…this would finally be the moment her life changed. The team reviewed her case carefully. Every scar told a story. Years of trauma following prolonged obstructed labor....

05/04/2026

In the courtyard at Kibagabaga Hospital, women wait together—singing, supporting, holding space for one another. What you see is not just anticipation for surgery. It is resilience meeting access to care.

Through each mission, International Organization for Women and Development works alongside local partners to ensure women are not left to live for years with treatable conditions that strip dignity and isolate.

These surgeries restore health.
They also restore identity, confidence, and place within family and community.

This is why the work exists.

05/03/2026

May Mission 👏🏼 Let’s go! On ground preparations have commenced! Our medical students and nurses enjoying some social time, connecting and bonding, before the hard work begins!

04/25/2026

We are coming back to Kigali.

Our team will be providing FREE fistula screening and surgical repair for women living with untreated childbirth injuries at Kibagabaga Hospital.

No woman should have to live with a condition that is treatable. No woman should feel isolated or ashamed because care was out of reach.

This mission is about restoring health, dignity, and hope.

If you or someone you know may need support, please reach out using the contact information provided.

03/30/2026

Congratulations Dr. Blomquist! 🎉 A well deserved honor and congratulations from the entire IOWD team! We are blessed to have you on the team! 👏🏼 👏🏼

Each year, The Daily Record recognizes Maryland's Top 100 Women — and we are thrilled to announce that Dr. Joan Blomquist, Chair of GBMC's Department of Gynecology, will be honored on this year's list!

Dr. Blomquist has devoted her career to improving the lives of women navigating some of their most personal and often least discussed health challenges. A nationally recognized leader in urogynecology, she brings extraordinary clinical skill, surgical expertise, and deep empathy to every patient encounter.

Her dedication and leadership reflect GBMC's ongoing commitment to remaining at the forefront of women's health.

Congratulations, Dr. Blomquist — this recognition is so well deserved!

03/08/2026

Today we celebrate the women behind the mission.

Surgeons. Nurses. Educators. Coordinators. Leaders.

Women who volunteer their time and expertise to restore health, dignity, and opportunity for other women.

At International Organization for Women and Development, women are not only the reason we do this work.

They are the force behind it. 💪🏼

Happy International Women’s Day to the volunteers who show up, lead with purpose, and lift others with them.

02/11/2026

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we recognize the women who are advancing healthcare not just through research, but through direct clinical impact.

IOWD was founded by Barbara A. Margolies, whose commitment to science-based, sustainable surgical care for women laid the foundation for our long-term partnership in Rwanda. Her leadership continues to shape a model grounded in clinical excellence, clinician empowerment, and system strengthening.

Today, women represent a powerful majority of IOWD’s volunteer network. They are surgeons, nurses, educators, and leaders applying science directly to patient care and capacity building.

Their work spans:
👩🏽‍⚕️ Obstetric fistula repair
🧪 Cervical cancer screening and prevention
📚 Clinician education and mentorship
🏥 Sustainable surgical system strengthening

Science becomes transformative when it is placed in the hands of committed women leaders. 👏🏼

Today, we honor the women across our volunteer network, and the founder who set the standard, for turning expertise into measurable impact.

Follow, share, support as we continue expanding care, opportunity, and hope for women and families.

This is our journey…
Engage. Support. Join The Work.

02/05/2026

A love letter to our January volunteers ❤️

You gave your time.
You gave your expertise.
You gave your whole hearts.

Between long days, early mornings, and moments that mattered deeply - you showed up.

For patients.
For partners.
For each other.

This post holds our gratitude. Thank you for choosing service, compassion, and impact.

Thank you for carrying the mission of International Organization for Women and Development with such integrity and pride.

Follow, share, and support IOWD as we continue expanding care, opportunity, and hope for women and families.

This is our journey where we encourage you to…
Engage. Support. Join The Work.

📥 [email protected]
🌍 www.iowd.org